His leg was bleeding, blood pouring out like a tidal wave. The bandage being soaked until it was dyed red. It wasn’t good to hike while sustaining such a serious injury, also we were 20 miles from the nearest town. So, this situation didn’t seem like it was gonna improve.
“How you feel?” I asked, looking at the cut on his leg.
He looked up at me, frowning, as if to say ‘Are you being serious?’
“Yeah, I’m perfectly fine!” he said, sarcastically while blood drooled down his leg.
I looked at him, confused then he replied,
“I’m joking, does it look like I’m fucking fine?” he yelled, while clenching his hand.
“I’m sorry, it’s just the pain it’s too much for me,”
“I understand, man. Don’t worry, take of the bandage and I’ll cleanse it up.” I said, while grabbing the first aid kit. I teared open the packet and brung out a large wipe.
“This should do the trick,” I said, while holding it in the air.
He took off the bandage, and I applied the wipe. He let out a long hiss but stopped, as it settled in. Blood sunk into the wipe, it looked like ketchup smeared on tissue.
“That’s better,” he said, as he stood up and looked over the cliff.
“Now, how are we going to get down?” I asked, while packing my bag.
He leaned over the edge, flinching at the sight.
“I’m not good with heights” he said, while chuckling in a fake manner.
I peered over the edge, a huge drop about 100 feet.
“How about I jump? That’ll make it quicker.” he said, looking down at the rocky terrain below.
“No, just be positive,” I said, while zipping up my backpack.
I stepped over to the edge, looking out into the empty sky, the trees were touching the sky and all I could see was trees. The breeze hit my skin and cooled me down, from the exhaustion. I let out a deep breath, inhaling the wonderful earth’s environment.
I looked over at the horizon, the orange sun was falling into the Earth’s crust, meaning sun down is soon so we better hurry getting down up.
I fell as the gravel below me vanished, I fell but managed to latch on the a log that was on the edge, I let out a sigh as I pulled myself back up.
“That was close,” I said, while brushing my shoulders.
“I wish you died,”
I stared at him in utter disbelief.
“Excuse me?” I said, staring at him concerned.
“Did you not hear? I wish you died.” he said, staring into my soul.
“You being serious, right now?” I asked him, looking at him in utter disbelief.
He nodded.
“I thought you were- joking. You’re a jokey type of.. guy,” I said, still in disbelief.
“Look at my leg. It’s pale, I’ve lost that much blood it’s pale. I can’t get down there, with this.”
“We have to try.” I said, looking at his leg with the wipe on it.
“Trying isn’t good enough.” he said, zoned out looking into the horizon.
“C’mon man, you can do it!” I said, trying to bring spirit into the atmosphere.
He looked at me, all hope gone I could see it in his eyes.
I turned and looked at my backpack, I unzipped it and analysed the supplies I was working with. I threw out all the non-useful things, such as pillow, heavy clothes and a big camera lens. I gathered some rope, and then tied the rope together I then proceeded to touch the knots to see if they’re secure enough.
“Passed the test, secure!” I called out, looking at my work of art. “But, I’m not finished!” I said, while putting my hands on my hips.
I grabbed the carabiner from my bag, and clipped it to his climbing rig.
“Boosh! There you go, how about that for a plan.” I said loudly, while admiring my work.
“I’m gonna get ate, dangling up there like that shark from Jurassic World, just ready to be eaten.” he said, while shaking his head.
I then kicked him over the edge, he flew over. He let out a squeal then went quiet.
“What? Alex!” I called out into the wild.
“You dickhead!” he shouted back up.
I chuckled as a peered over the edge. He was dangling in the air like a bauble on a Christmas tree.
“Thought I killed you, didn’t you?” I said, while laughing to myself.
“Watch when we both get down here!”
“You’re going to beat me up, for saving your life?”
I began to lower him down.
After a bit, the labour kicked in. My hands were aching aswell as my muscles, I was sweating and super tired.
I tied it to the tree, that my backpack was gently resting on.
“You look like you’re relaxing, huh?” I said, looking at the backpack resting on the tree.
I sat next to my backpack and grabbed the water in the side pocket, I sipped on it gently feeling the sooth cold sensation hit my mouth. I poured some cold water on my head and it dribbled onto my scorching forehead, it cooled it off.
I stood up to start lowering him more, I put the water in my compartment in the bag.
“You alright?” I shouted down, while putting the water away.
No answer.
“Alex?” I shouted back down.
No answer.
“What the fuck is he doing,” I said, while getting up and going to walk over.
“Alex, man wh-“ I froze, he was gone. I got shiver down my spine when I saw nothing.
I reeled the rope in, it reeled in with ease. I reeled in the whole rope and nope, nothing. Alex was vanished, out of thin air. Poof!
At the end, I saw something a tear. Something had cut the rope, although not with a knife. It had been torn off and bitten.
“What the fuck?” I said, thinking about what could do this.
I analysed it, I released what could of happened, I fell to my knees looking at the soil underneath. I needed to hide or that thing would get me. I was paranoid checking every corner of the vast and empty woods.
Then, I remembered the strange things that he reported at this camp we set up.
We made it to the top of this, cliff by climbing so we began setting up camp. Alex set up the tents, while I started a fire. We had hot cocoa and had a good conversation about life looking at the stars. We had that conversation from late noon to past midnight.
He woke up that morning, his eyes were bloodshot, and half closed he also looked pale.
“Hate these woods, I cannot lie.” he said, pouring a fresh coffee into his poop emoji mug.
“Why what happened?” I asked, while sipping on my boiling coffee.
“Someone, or something was outside my tent, last night. I thought it was you at first because it was circling the fire, but then it started growling and digging.” he said, staring at the black bits of wood in the fire pit.
“You’re joking.” I said, laughing while chewing on a bit of bread from my bag.
“I’m being truthful, something was outside my tent, all night.” he said, his hands were shaking.
“What did it look like?” I asked, amused.
“It looked like a human, I thought it was you!” he said, holding his mug in both hands staring at me.
“You’re lying. Trying to scare me!” I said, chuckling to myself.
“I promise you, something was outside, and it’s fingers were long.” he said, looking at me with the most serious face ever.
“Mhm okay.” I said, making him know I didn’t believe a single word.
“I mean it!” he said, angry.
“Okay, okay calm down grumpy pants!” I said, chuckling.
“Why dont you..” he said, pausing looking behind me.
“I’m not falling for that.” I laughed, till he was staring at it for at least 10 seconds. I turned and saw…
***
I jumped back to reality, and twitched to clear the distant memory.
I took some deep breaths, all I care about now is Alex and his safety.
I looked at my backpack, and checked the security of the rope. Perfecto. I can lift off.
I tried to waft away the fear of what is around the area. Then, when I was ready. I looked at the ground hoping my destiny isn’t to be eaten by that thing. I took a breath and jumped off the sharp edge.
I could hear the rope whirring as I was going down the cliff. My bag kept hitting off the cliff and making a lot of noise, that scared me even more in case the predator knows I’m present, the prey is present. I didn’t let the paranoia get to me and continued on my journey to find Alex.
As I was surpassing where Alex was hanging, I saw a 6 foot opening in the wall of the cliff. I swung myself into the space, it was pitch black. No light at all, it was also very silent. I was teriffied of what could be in this cave. It could be my doom or a caveman who thought Alex was in trouble or something.
I reached back to my bag and pulled out my flashlight and shone it into the cave. I carefully walked in, the air was quite unique. I could smell mix of fire and another substance that I couldn’t cling onto.
I walked further into the cave, it was bigger than excepted. Then, I saw a glow in the corner of the room, I kept my distance and saw a pile of flesh and a fire. Since when can animals make fires. Then I realised, this is either a caveman or a creature. I grabbed my binoculars from my bag and looked. I saw Alex, next to the fire, laying down. I don’t know if he’s safe or not, but he’s next to bones and I’m not taking risks.
I walked over towards the fire, he was tied up. Then, something was there. I heard it. Behind the rock. I froze and stepped back towards the exit of the cave and stood there. I then saw bulletins of articles for missing people right on this cliff. I shone it towards it to see, rotting meat and bones everywhere.
I remember a news report on CNN about this but thought hikers were just hiking to far. But, there’s more to this.
My brain told me to get out of that place, instantly and my heart said save Alex. One was impossible the other was entirely possible.
I saw a rock there that I could sit behind and peek around, I kept my backpack open so I could reach for anything. But then, I heard it. Coming.
***
I turned around, there it was. It was on all fours, it had a strange skin texture and it was pale. It looked a bit like a mutated dog. It had large bulbous eyes, a drooping jaw with a large, fang filled mouth and a nose that that is missing entirely. It was naked and was crawling towards us on all fours.
I was terrified.
“Ale-x” I said, under my breath. “Is that what it was?” I whispered while turning to him.
“I guess so.” he said, whispering.
It was circling us.
His eyes were open, wide. His bulging eyes were staring at me into my soul.
It lunged at me, I fell back and he lunged over me and landed on Alex, his nail tore his leg.
Alex screamed in pain, he was rolling on the floor. I grabbed my pocket knife and stabbed it in the back. It let out a horrifying roar or screech, god knows what it was but it shook the trees. He then crawled down the cliff. We heard a thud then an echo of footsteps.
“How you feel?”
“Yeah! I’m perfectly fine!”
***
I could hear the screech of the floor, as the monsters nails scratched against the rocky floor. It was coming closer and closer and closer. Till I heard it scratch against the floor in front of me.
There he is, in front of me the knife is still in his back. I stared directly at the knife, my foot rustled as I tried to get comfortable. The monster turned sharply.
I was still, as still as I’ve ever been, I could feel his warm presence loom over me like the sun to the earth. The thing retreated, I let out a sigh in my head. If it wasn’t in my head, he would’ve killed me. I was sat in that same person for hours. I checked my watch, 12am. As I checked, I heard a thump on the ground floor. He was out hunting. I got up, and shone my light at Alex. He was still there. I sighed, as long as he isn’t bones.
I walked over to him and shook him.
“Alex.”
He awoke and tried to speak but couldn’t get words out.
“Here.” I said, I gave him water, gulped it down. I heard that refreshing ahh.
“Go…now….leave….me”
“No, I’m getting you out of here.” I said, while grabbing his pocket knife from his bag. He then turned around to reveal a scratch.
“That….is…..the….kid” he said, with a raspy voice.
My heart sunk, there are two? I swallowed my tongue, I froze in my spot as I heard breathing, for my luck it was sleeping. I ran back to the rock, and heard something. Rocks moving, then there it was, it roared so loud, I think my eardrums burst. It saw the water on Alex’s lips. With his sharp claws it dug into Alex’s skull, and threw him into the wall right to the left of me. Alex’s head was on the wall.
Sweat dribbled down my forehead as I tried to stay quiet and still, I watched the thing go by me and grab my friends head. I watched it, swallow it whole. I froze, I was in shock, in horror. A rock fell right next to me. The beast turned sharply, it stared directly at me, but luckily it didn’t see me, cause of how dark it is.
The thing walked over to the pathway it came from and began to yawn, it then rested. I stood in disbelief, that thing has just murdered someone and then went to sleep two seconds later. For that whole night, I didn’t sleep, I just wanted to get the fuck out of there.
As I saw the day dawning, I crawled against the walls towards the exit, as I got there, I saw the rope that I rested, 3 days ago. My way down has been torn. Torn to shreds, the tree at the top fell. I stared down below at the tree. I then saw steps going up this hill, the car park! I realised the car park is about 1 mile from there.
I climbed up these ledges, and sprant to for 1 mile to the car park. There it was, the same SUV that arrived in my Ford Explorer. I hopped in the drivers seat and grabbed the keys from my backpack, I put the keys in a put the baby in ignition. I sighed then, I saw it behind the tree. The thing, it ran towards the car, it jumped on the windshield.
I slammed the car into reverse and put it in drive and tried to go fast so it falls off, I was going about 70 when I thought of something. I broke instantly from 70 to 0. The monster flung off into a tree, a stick impaled the monster like a dagger. It let out a cry, I drove by it and it tried to get off the tree, but failed in the process, it fell on the floor, dead, I won. Right behind it, watching it die was the big one, it analysed my car and let off a roar that would haunt me. I am never going hiking again.