It always surprises me how special we humans think we are. We think ourselves to be the apex predators on this planet, the greatest, and the smartest beings to ever crawl out of the primordial ooze. The truth is far from that of course.
You see, humans are not apex predators, there are things that go bump in the night, things that remain unseen while eyeing us from the shadows. Things that do in fact hunt us, some for sustenance, others for sport.
The really funny part is that humans used to know about these things, but as our night sky got lit up with artificial stars and our homes pierced the clouds, we got arrogant. Humans forgot the old ways and chose to label the knowledge of the ancients as myths and legends. Such a dreadful mistake.
Now, I know you’re wondering who I am and why I’m telling you this. I am but a mere scholar, one who comes from a long lineage of scholars who studied the things most men do not believe to exist, those creatures right beyond our field of vision, in every dark corner just out of view. My family knew all about them, what they were, where they came from, and even how to get rid of them in certain cases.
That’s right, we were the best and only real supernatural researchers on the planet, but unfortunately, we flew a little too close to the sun, and now I’m the only one left… anyway, I’m not here to complain about my family’s cruel fate, I’m here to share some of its knowledge with you.
I’m not getting any younger and the thought of all of my family’s hard work going down the drain doesn’t sit well with me, so I might as well share it with as many people as I could, even though I know you won’t believe any of it.
The monstrosity I want to tell about might just be the biggest threat to humanity, I know that is a big claim, and no it’s not what you’re thinking about. It’s not a demon or some old god, it’s a simple being of flesh and blood, just like you and me, but it is far more terrifying than you can imagine.
“he who mimics the wailing” is the name given to it by the native people of the Americas, of course, they weren’t the only ones to come in contact with it, nor were they the first to do so, but they truly named it best.
Now, I could give a 2-hour lesson on the history and possible sightings of this thing, but that would be boring. So instead, I’ll be reading you the journal of Thomas Clarke, a British scholar, explorer, and sailor who encountered the creature in the depths of Africa in 1744. Big parts of the journal were lost due to time and the whole thing had to be reconstructed however, it is still the best single source of information about the creature ever found, so please, enjoy.
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Day 14:
We are lost… so very lost, god help us, for we cannot help ourselves.
The forest seems to be endless, we haven’t seen any locals since the incident, and while hunger isn’t an issue due to the abundance of small game all around us, our water is running out at an alarming rate.
John and William are getting tired and impatient, and they are talking their frustration out on Chima. Those uneducated fools know that she’s the only one who can speak the native language, and while her English is shabby, her translation skills are still invaluable.
I personally think they are jealous of the girl; her hunting and tracking skills would put even the most skilled hunters of Britain to shame. She has been much more useful than they have so far, that’s for sure.
She’s the only native we have on hand, yet they refuse to leave her alone. Richard on the other hand is getting paranoid and scaring the others even more, he claims that he’s being watched at night by something evil, he feels eyes staring at him he says as if something is looking at him while salivating, a predator the likes of which we’ve never seen before.
How childish. He might be a man of god and representative of the church, but such illusions of demons and devils can’t be tolerated. Everything in this forest fears fire, and even the most fearsome beast can be put down with our muskets. If there is something to fear, it should be our lack of clean water.
The other two are illiterate sailors and work hands, their ignorance could be tolerated if not excused, but expect more from a well-read man such as Richard, even if what he is read on is a bunch of superstitious nonsense.
Ah, dusk is fast approaching, we’ll camp here for tonight and move at first light tomorrow. We need to conserve our strength and resources or we might just not make it out of here.
Day 16:
William struck Chima last night, and Richard got in a fight with him over it. both those fools are squabbling over pointless things while we’re lost in a bloody endless jungle.
Chima tried to stop William from going to relieve himself in the nearby trees, she screamed, pushed, and even clawed at him in a frenzied state. She was scared out of her wits, screaming “danger”, “he watch”, “stay group” in her broken English at all of us.
She’s been getting more and more uneasy since we set foot here, once the sun comes down she acts completely differently. She looks behind her back constantly, and even her breathing becomes faster and more rigid as if she’s in a constant state of terror.
At first, I thought she was just being foolish like Richard. Afraid of some nonexistent monster hiding in the depths of the jungle, but I’m starting to feel doubtful. I’ve seen how this girl can hunt, how fast she can move, and shoot a long bow. She’s clearly an experienced hunter who’s no stranger to dealing with predators… so why? Why is she panicking to such a degree now?
Perhaps I’m growing paranoid too. I should focus more on getting us out of here because the others certainly aren’t.
Day 19:
Am I going mad? Are the paranoia and fear getting to me?
I felt it too last night… that sensation of being watched from the darkness by something not of this world.
It persisted all night long and only let up when the warm rays of sunlight illuminated this dastardly jungle. I couldn’t sleep a wink, how could I? every time I closed my eyes I could feel the thing’s breath on the back of my neck, as if it was right behind me at all times, ready to feast on my innards as soon as I drop my guard.
I was so tired I even failed to remember that the last of our water runs out today. The others haven’t noticed yet and I can’t bring myself to tell them, they will panic for sure and might even turn violent. We must find a way out of this cursed jungle today, otherwise, it might become our grave.
Day 20:
Disaster struck today… John left us to go off on his own after he and the others noticed that we had no water left.
As expected he panicked and ran off with his musket to go hunt for a river or pond of fresh water. I tried to convince him that such water would still be undrinkable even if boiled, but he did not listen.
If a person gets out of sight for even a minute they can no longer be found here. The vegetation is so thick and the trees so dense that even the sunlight can’t penetrate some parts of this jungle.
Nightfall has halted our attempts to find him, and we have decided to rest until the morning, saving whatever strength we have left. If we move too much our thirst will only amplify.
I’m ashamed to admit that I even turned to Richard for spiritual guidance as my sleep deteriorated more, but he had no help to offer, and how could he when his situation was worse than mine?
He told that he could hear the devil whisper in his ear, he could not understand its words but he clearly felt intent behind them. “It was pleading for me to help it,” he said. I would’ve laughed at such claims before but I would be a fool to do so now, for I too can hear the devil’s raspy, cold voice once the sun goes down.
It was probably what made Chima so horrified of the night too, she was more in tune with the forest after all so she must have heard it before us, or perhaps she knows what it is, but It doesn’t matter, we won’t live for much longer without water anyway.
Day 21:
We have found John or what was left of him at least. He was torn apart limb from limb, his flesh was flayed, and his throat, brain, and face were missing along with his lungs. It was a grizzly scene for the others and I to witness, but it was especially daunting for William, for John was like a brother to him.
The only reason we even knew it was John was because of the musket next to his corpse and the boots on his feet, there was no face or even eyes for us to recognize him from after all.
Chima was the one to find the desecrated cadaver laid down by some trees not too far from where we set up camp last night. Fear is still apparent on her face, but I do not think it’s because of what she saw per se, but what it signified.
I believe his death to be the work of the devil, the same one who stalks us through these woods once the safety of the sun is no more. I tried to ask her about it, hoping to maybe get something other than incoherent mumbling.
“together stay, night come no leave alone”, “can’t let take people, more he take, more he know” she repeated those exact words over and over again. she knows precisely what is out there I’m sure of it now, I tried to get her to tell me more by force but Richard intervened. As tired and thirsty as we both were that ever-so-persistent fool still found the energy to get in my way.
I must get some rest for now, I haven’t heard the voice of the devil or felt his hungering gaze fall upon me since the night has fallen, perhaps that is a sign that John’s flesh has sated his appetite for the time being.
Day 25:
William is dead, the devil took him as well. Chima and Richard were asleep when it happened yet I, unfortunately, woke up when the rustling of bushes disturbed my slumber. I opened my eyes and was met with the most peculiar visage. William was up on his feet with the widest smile on his face, staring off into the darkness of the night.
I managed to muster whatever strength I had left and stood up as well, carrying the musket beside me as I feared the worst. I called out to William many times but got no answer, the only words that left his mouth were very faint and clearly not for me to hear.
“why are you up at this hour William? And why are you looking into the distance like that?” I asked, trying to remain calm and hopeful but in truth, I knew what he was looking at and speaking with, the devil, it has come for him.
“It’s john! He is alive and even found water, but he says you and the others can’t be trusted…don’t fret, I’ll talk to him and convince him to bring us all to the water.” William finally answered my calls, clearly delirious from dehydration and lack of sleep.
“have you gone mad? We’ve seen his corpse William, he is dead! Whatever you heard isn’t real so just go back to sleep and try to ignore it.” I tried to be the voice of reason, what was I supposed to say otherwise? That the devil is trying to lure him into his grasp? That it is the same creature that butchered John in the first place? I feared that saying such things would only agitate him more, but I too was foolishly mistaken for what was beckoning him into the darkness was no devil, it was something far worst.
Suddenly I too heard the voice of John reverberating through the forest, it called out to me, it told me that we were saved, that he had water and had even found a way out of the jungle. I could not believe it, I knew John was dead, I have seen his remains with my own eyes but there he was, talking to me from the darkness, however, something felt wrong with his words.
It was as if he spoke through a heavy cloth or mask, his voice was a little muffled and he took deep rapid breaths often as if the mere act of speaking was taxing on him.
I was left speechless and confused, I thought that I was perhaps mistaken about John’s death, the only way we could tell that corpse was his was due to the musket and clothing, but those could’ve easily been stolen or given away in barter.
I now realize how foolish it was to even consider, but the weariness of many sleepless nights and near-unquenchable thirst clouded my judgment.
William, no longer able to resist the temptation, ran into the darkness, leaving the warmth and safety of the fire behind him. I panicked and quickly followed after him, trying to navigate the thick, dark creases of the jungle using nothing but the sound of his hurried footsteps and quickening breathing to guide me.
I followed as far as I could before reaching a clearing where William stood, illuminated by nothing but the faint blueish hue of the moon. He looked around frantically, calling for John, asking him if he was okay and where the water was. he pleaded and begged, directing his voice everywhere but got no answer, the muffled words of John have gone silent.
I was unwillingly hidden behind a wall of luscious thick brush and trees and before I could come out of my hiding and call out to William, I saw something that put the fear of god within me. The devil, the beast which stalked us since we set foot in this god-forsaken jungle was now in view. Its horrifying visage was only slightly illuminated by the moonlight, yet it was enough to make me soil myself.
It was tall, too tall for anything that stands on two legs, yet so skinny and weak looking it appeared to be malnourished. Its skin was grey and loose as if it was an overgrown gown he fashioned out of countless bodies. it had the legs of a goat and the hands of a human, but they were adorned with claws big enough to tear a horse in half with ease, the most horrifying part of it however, the one that made my body shiver the most, was its face. because his face was just that of John, stuck in a permanent expression of utter terror.
“William, come a little closer, I’m right here.” The thing spoke, but its mouth did not move, it remained open ajar yet words still came out of it somehow. its dead eyes darted from side to side in anticipation, waiting for the unaware William to step close enough.
He could not see the evil from where he stood, and I was so gripped by fear that I could not even muster enough courage to warn him. I was simply frozen in place, musket in hand, watching a man I knew walk into the grasp of that unholy creature.
Once William came close enough, the creature revealed himself, and it only gave him enough time to scream for god’s help before disemboweling him with his massive claws.
William hit the ground, his expression now matching the one on the face of John, the one the creature wore as his own. the thing knelt down and a long-barbed tongue slithered out of its mouth. It moved as if it had a mind of its own as it flayed and consumed certain parts of William, starting with his face and brain before cracking open his chest with ease and tearing his lungs apart.
Escape may have been the better option I know, but the creature was too preoccupied with his hellish feast and so I thought about ending him there and then. I was afraid, so dreadfully afraid but I still sluggishly aimed my musket at it, using the thick brush to hide the barrel from its dead eyes.
As I prepared to take the shot a breeze pushed past me, carrying my scent right to the creature. It quickly stopped its feeding and retracted its disgusting, snake-like, tongue back into his body, and started looking around, trying to spot me.
He stood back up on its hind goat legs and spoke in many voices, most in languages I did not understand nor even recognize. Some sounded like the cries of children, others like the wailing of women, but as soon as his dead, corpse-like eyes spotted me, those words turned into an incoherent demonic screeching and he started running on all fours towards me with terrifying speed.
The fear of facing a gruesome death finally outweighed my fear of that hellish monster and I managed to muster enough strength and focus to squeeze the trigger of my musket, thinking that it was the end for the monster.
To my utter surprise and horror, the musket exploded, sending burning gunpowder and wood shrapnel flying out of one end, and the musket ball flying out of the other.
Searing pain assaulted me as I fell to the ground, and my eyes could see not but darkness. The last thing I heard before my consciousness left me was the pained screams of that demonic creature getting further and further away.
It has been 3 days since my encounter with it, at least that’s what Chima tells me. I have been rendered nearly blind by that faulty musket. My left eye is completely gone, but I can still see out of my right if something is right next to my face.
Light pains me greatly, I can’t open my right eye in the morning or even next to a fire come nightfall. Even under the moonlight, I can only keep it open for a measly minute before the pain becomes too much to bear. It has taken me hours to write this entry, and I fear that there aren’t any others to come.
Chima was the one to rescue me, “Richard, go away, find people” she said. Luckily, she managed to find a small lake and made camp for the two of us near it. the source of water we’d been looking for was so close to us. If only William hadn’t fallen for the creature’s trickery.
She goes hunting during the day and keeps guard during the night. I am lucky no beast has eaten me while she’s away, but perhaps there is a reason for that beyond luck. A reason why she found water so quickly when we struggled to find a drop, a reason why no predator dares come close to our camp.
I have been fed and given water whenever I asked, and no harm has been done to me thus far, but I somehow know that if I were to open my eyes and look at her face, I’d see a horrified expression frozen in time staring back at me.
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Quite the dreadful tale isn’t it? but I know what you’re thinking, this creature is no more dangerous than a wild animal. Well, you are perfectly correct. I do not know why this creature is classified the way it is. My family was annihilated before I was let in on many of the really big secrets.
But I do know one interesting fact about the story of Thomas Clarke, he returned to retain in 1747 completely healthy and unharmed, only to disappear soon after. I do not know much beyond that but it is certainly interesting.
I feel better now that I can share some of my knowledge with the world, even If I’m going to be laughed at by those who receive it, but I still must thank them for gifting me this serenity.