I don’t know how long it’s been, I don’t remember when we left. Only that we’ve been on this rafting trip too long. A little background, me and my friend Milo have been rafting and camping on a very rural stretch of river for days. We haven’t seen another person in so long…
A few days ago, I stepped out of my tent (nature’s call) and saw Milo standing by the river bank. I started to walk over to him but for some reason I felt I shouldn’t. Something about him was… Wrong. I stepped back and relieved myself on a tree. I watched him for a while, but he never moved. I figured he just couldn’t sleep and went back into my tent.
The next day he had huge purple bags under his bloodshot eyes. I attempted conversation a few times but he murmured something unintelligible and I left him alone. I started to load up the boats with our gear, but he just sat there, gently rocking back and forth. “Hey Milo! We’re about to head out! The boats are set!”
He slowly turned his head to look at me, like a deranged asylum patient in a movie. “Leave me here.” “He must be joking…” I thought. “Nah come on man. All your stuff is on Green” (Green was the name of his worn raft, it was a faded olive color.) “I don’t need it.” He said, eerily calm as he turned back towards the forest.
“Milo you’re being a weirdo, let’s go!” I laughed nervously. Suddenly he whipped his head around and screeched at me in this voice I had never heard him use “I SAID TO LEAVE ME HERE.” I was legitimately scared at this point, this was nothing like him. “Ok dude chill. I’ll take off on mine, meet me at Campsite 3?”
He stared at me. Those horrible eyes pierced my flesh. No response. “See you later.” I said as I pushed my raft into the brown swirling water. I hopped on and drifted down the river, away from the island where I left him. I spent two nights at that place before I went back for Milo. I never should have done that.
After a full day of paddling upstream I was pissed and my arms hurt, but I was at the island. “Milo!” I yelled, searching warily. I heard heavy ragged breathing in some bush, like a dying animal. “M-Milo? That you buddy?” I asked softly, peeling away branches.
A hand rushed out of the branches and grabbed me with a death grip. The skin was pale and covered in cuts and dried blood, the skin stretched over the bone painfully. It- he wheezed at me “Stay… Stay here” I tried to jump back “What the fuck man?! Let go!” His grip weakend and the hand slid off of me. “Don’t resist it… Stay.” I freaked out and ran towards the bank, but the lazy stretch of river I had traveled on before was now flowing rapidly, dragging our boats with it. “No!” I screamed, collapsing to the ground.
The black waves seemed jagged as they lapped at my feet, reflecting the distant starlight. I hadn’t even noticed the sun go down. It seemed like it was evening just seconds ago… “Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck! I’m screwed.” I paced along the bank, reluctant to go into the forest again. I finally settled on a spot by the tree I had previously set up a tent next to.
I was just closing my eyes when I heard uneven foot steps and that same ragged breathing. It was him. Everything about him was… I don’t know how to describe it. He staggered to the bank, and out of the swirling water a creature rose. It’s horrifying head broke the surface and slowly came towards Milo. It drew itself higher out of the water. It’s glowing blank eyes were set deep into it’s head, like round white pearls that lost their shine centuries ago.
It looked like a huge eel almost, with moist skin so dark it seemed to suck light out from around it. It’s slightly open mouth was filled with thin needle like teeth, transparent and in uneven rows along it’s long jaw. It had a glowing sort of lantern hanging from it’s chin, as big as a human’s head. And more glowing spots along the sides of it’s ridiculously gigantic neck.
Milo walked towards it. I wanted to scream but the breath wouldn’t leave my frantically fluttering lungs. After Milo’s head submerged the creature sank back down into the river, following him.
I dont know what happened… but the whispers started a few hours ago
the whispers havent stopped. it has been a day
i dont rememberwhen they sgarted
i think im goinginsa ne the whisprs… they sound so inviting
i am going into the river tonight. any fate is better than this.
Goodbye.