Sadly, he didn’t encounter them too often. Their territory did not usually overlap with his kind. However, sometimes they were stupid and wandered away from their clans. Such a thing had happened recently. More than once, in fact. He wished for it to happen again and again. No amount of screaming could satisfy him for long.
He considered journeying to one of their clans in the night. There, he could kill and feast as much as he desired. But even in his current state, he was still cunning. He knew the two-legged things could be dangerous. They sometimes carried objects that hurt. If he attacked a large group of them, they might be able to fight him off, might even be able to wound him. No, best to stay away for now until the rage demanded such action. Then, and only then, would he perhaps chance such a thing.
For now, though, an odd sound filled his head. It was a low, constant growl just at the edge of his perception. Perhaps another creature was challenging his domain.
No, two creatures. There were definitely two of them. Maybe they were battling each other for dominance. Yes, that could be it. It would all be for naught, though. Whichever was the victor would fall to his might, for there was nothing in the woods – no, nothing in the world – that could stand against him.
He stopped to listen again. The twin growling continued, but now it appeared to be moving off. One might have conquered the other and given chase. Perhaps, but there was still something strange about it. Then he realized what it was. The pitch of the two creatures never changed. Surely, had they been battling, there would have been a rise and fall to their vocalizations. No, this was a constant growl.
And then recognition came to his ravaged mind. He had heard this sound before. This wasn’t the growl of two creatures battling. It was the sound of the beasts that the two-legged things sometimes moved about in. They were fast and had inedible armored shells, but they were stupid, no more than slaves to the two-legged things. But if so, then that meant more of the two-legged things had wandered into his domain.
His stomach growled as the need for their repugnant flesh once again filled his brain. He would feed, but first he would make them scream.
He would make them scream for a good, long time.
Chapter 6
Luck had once again smiled upon the group. Following their earlier delay, the remainder of the trip down the secluded logging road was fairly uneventful. A few scattered branches were all they had come across, and those had been easily traversed.
At last, the road began to peter out. The path they followed became little more than a narrow trail through the woods. After another half-mile, the trail, or at least the drivable part, ended in a clearing.
Harrison exhaled a small sigh of relief once they parked and began unloading their gear. There was still enough daylight left to hike west for a few miles, then set up camp. As long as the tents were up and a fire was going, everything else could wait until morning.
The portable GPS was still getting a strong signal. That was promising, although the maps of the area were preloaded. Even if reception failed, they should be okay.
He shouldered his pack and grabbed one of the coolers. The load was heavy, but not oppressive. He was in good shape and doubted he would be doing much more than breathing hard by the time they made camp.
Once he and his friends were geared up, Harrison locked the Wrangler and pocketed the key, inwardly smirking at the thought of being carjacked way out here. He then checked on his sister’s group. They were likewise finishing up with their packs and dividing their supplies amongst them. With a bit of smug satisfaction, Harrison noted that Wild Feather’s gear was surprisingly modern-looking – despite his constant “spirit” mutterings.
“You guys all set?” Danni asked. She was fully loaded up and almost appeared comical, considering her size compared to the gear she carried. If she was feeling any discomfort, though, her face didn’t show it.
There were nods all around. Everyone looked ready for the adventure ahead and, despite their earlier mishap, they seemed in high spirits.
“Okay. I’ll take point with Wild Feather,” she said, much to her brother’s annoyance. “Harrison, can you take up the rear and help any stragglers?”
Harrison considered protesting. He knew his sister wasn’t stupid. No doubt she had seen the tension he was directing at her wannabe boyfriend and was attempting to keep them apart for the time being. Still, she had a point. He knew what he was doing. If Rob or Paula started to lag behind, it would be a good idea to have someone there to make sure they didn’t get lost.
“I’ve got your six,” he finally said, suppressing the sigh he wanted to give. As long as they were moving, his sister was probably safe from whatever vision quest Wild Feather was planning for her. For now, making sure none of the group fell behind – or stopped for a toke break, in Greg’s case – was his top priority. There would be plenty of time to play cock-blocker later on. Of that, he had no doubt.
♦ ♦ ♦
As the sun began to set, the temperature started to drop. The exertion of walking was keeping them all warm so far. Soon enough, though, it was going to start getting chilly. They were in no danger this time of year, but if they didn’t get a fire started, it was going to be a long, uncomfortable night, even for those who had the benefit of a little body heat to be shared.
Harrison chuckled a bit at that thought. The first people who came to mind were Paula and Rob, being the only official couple on the trip. Unfortunately for his friend, Paula wasn’t likely to be sharing any heat anytime soon, at least not until there was a ring on her finger. Harrison personally hoped Rob wasn’t prepared to go down that route yet. There was nothing wrong with Paula, per se. He liked her well enough, their clashing beliefs aside. He just didn’t particularly favor the concept of anyone tying themselves down before they really had a chance to live.
This brought to mind his own soon-to-be-single status and he actually felt relieved at the concept. While Harrison had no qualms about settling down one day, he planned on giving himself a few good years of fun first.
The group stopped up ahead, pulling him from his thoughts. Catching up, he saw they had entered a small clearing. It wasn’t much, maybe twenty feet by another forty, but it was definitely enough for all of their tents and a good fire.
“We here?” he asked to nobody in particular.
Danni answered, “I think so. Coordinates line up with what my friend gave me. Wild Feather likes it, too.”
I bet he does.
As if in answer to Harrison’s thoughts, Wild Feather replied, “The ground here is wholesome. There is harmony with the spirits in this place.”
“Well, let’s get with the harmony, then,” Allison replied with a giggle. “I’m getting cold.”
Amongst them, they had brought four tents. For the sake of speed, though, they decided to set up only three for the night. Danni and Allison would share one, Paula and Rob would take another, and the three remaining guys would share the largest. Considering Paula’s stance on things, that more or less guaranteed that nobody needed to worry about any excess nocturnal activities over the course of that first night.
Danni, Harrison, and Greg set up the tents. Paula and Rob began to collect firewood from the edge of the clearing, an easy task as it had been a fairly dry week. Wild Feather and Allison worked on the rest of their supplies – hanging up the food just in case any bears happened to be in the area, then starting to cobble together dinner for the group.
Working diligently, within an hour they were more or less good to go. The tents were up with the sleeping bags inside, a fire was going, and a modest meal was heating up over the flames. As darkness descended, they lit a few Coleman lamps at the edges of the clearing to provide some extra light. That done, the campers began to gather around the fire both for warmth and a little relaxation. All in all, there was a content mood amongst them, their earlier trouble along the logging route completely forgotten.
“Well, we made it,” Allison said, her pretty eyes twinkl
ing in the firelight. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I think this calls for a toast.”
“Just one?” Danni asked.
“Well, maybe two or three.” She laughed and walked to the nearest cooler, pulling out two six packs. “Any takers?” she asked, receiving nods from all around the campsite.
As Danni took hers, Harrison said, “I’m afraid I’m going to need to see some I.D., miss.”
She flipped him the finger and casually replied, “I.D. this, big brother,” eliciting laughs from around the fire.
After the bottles had been cracked open and several long pulls taken, Wild Feather spoke up. “This reminds me of the old days. The braves of my tribe would sit around the fire as brothers.”
“What would they do?” Allison asked, undressing him with her eyes.
“Many things. Most nights, they would tell tales of the spirits. Sometimes, they would make a war counsel. Other times, they would pass the peace pipe around the circle.”
“I think I can help with that last one,” Greg said. Unsurprisingly – at least to Harrison and Rob – he pulled two blunts from his jacket pocket and held them up to the group. “Who’s for a little ‘peace pipe’ action?”
Under normal circumstances, Harrison might have joined in with the peace offering. He knew Rob probably would’ve done so, too, but tonight they both had personal demons to deal with. For Rob, it was obviously the presence of his girlfriend. While she wasn’t a one-hundred percent stick in the mud, they had never known her to go for much more than a drink or two, much less any chemical enhancements.
Harrison, on the other hand, had a desire to remain mostly sober so as to keep an eye on Wild Feather. He just didn’t trust that guy around Danni. He knew a player when he saw one, and he also knew a bullshit artist, too. He wasn’t enamored of his sister becoming another notch on this guy’s teepee.
In the end, only Allison and Wild Feather accepted Greg’s offer. Harrison wasn’t sure if Danni declined because she wasn’t into it or because he was around. Either way, that was fine by him. If she kept a clear head, she’d be less likely to fall for any mystical bullshit tossed her way. Also, as one of the more experienced campers in the group, it was likewise probably a good idea to keep her wits about her until they became more comfortable with the area.
Thus, they sat around the campfire. They talked, they drank, and some of them smoked. The conversation was amiable enough and, Harrison’s misgivings aside, even he found himself beginning to relax, although a part of him was pretty sure it was a mild contact high from the marijuana smoke wafting around the group.
After a while, Allison stood up. She grabbed a flashlight and announced, “Nature calls.”
Paula replied, “I think I’ll join you.”
“Figures,” Rob mused. “Even in the woods, chicks have to pee in a group.”
Paula slapped him playfully on the shoulder, then the two girls walked toward the tree line.
“Don’t go far!” Danni yelled after them.
“Do you think you should go with them?” Harrison asked.
“Not really,” she replied. “Allison knows what she’s doing. I’m not saying anything she doesn’t already know.”
“Yes,” Wild Feather said, “she has told me of her many walks in the woods of Pennsylvania. She is as home in the forest as a doe.”
“And what about you, Feather?” Harrison asked. “You seem to know a thing or two about being in the wilderness.”
“It is a rite of passage amongst my people. When I came of age, I was sent out from my tribe with nothing but my wits. I was expected to survive for seven moons in this way.”
“I thought it was the Spartans who did that shit,” Greg replied in a lazy voice.
Wild Feather appeared momentarily taken aback by that. “All people of warrior mettle have similar customs,” he quickly replied.
A little too quickly, perhaps, Harrison noted. Maybe it was the joint he had been smoking, but for a second there, Wild Feather’s demeanor seemed to crack a little. Greg’s seemingly innocuous comment had caught him by surprise. Harrison was tempted to ask whether he had stolen that idea from the movie 300, when he was interrupted by the girls’ abrupt return.
“I don’t think we’re alone out here, guys,” Allison said, approaching the fire.
“Well, yeah. There are deer all around this area,” Danni replied. “Not to mention...”
“I know that. I meant people. For a minute there, I saw lights off in the woods.”
“Are you sure?” asked Harrison. “That shit Greg carries is pretty potent.”
“I saw it, too,” Paula said. “It was weird. There were these red lights shining around out there.”
Allison nodded. “I pointed my flashlight in their direction, and then they just disappeared.”
“It was probably some hikers,” Harrison said. “Sometimes they’ll use a red light because it doesn’t screw with night vision.”
“I think you mean hunters,” Danni countered. “Most hikers out after dark are more interested in seeing what’s in front of them.”
“Why do you think they shut down when we saw them?” Paula asked, a little of that earlier nervousness starting to creep into her voice.
She’s proving to be jumpy out here, Harrison noted. He gave what he thought was an easy shrug. “They’re probably out here without a license. If they saw you, it’s a good thing. They’ll be heading away from us. It’s not like we’re exactly being subtle out here.”
“It saddens me when people must resort to poaching,” Wild Feather said. “I can only hope they put to good use whatever they take. My people have never been wasteful with the land.”
Allison took that as cue to sit down next to him. “Don’t let it get you down. Not everyone respects nature like we do.” If she noticed the eye-rolls that both Harrison and Rob made, she didn’t acknowledge them. “I know,” she continued. “Since we’re all gathered ‘round the fire, why don’t you tell us one of your tribe’s stories?”
“Aren’t we supposed to be telling ghost stories?” Rob asked.
“My people have many tales of the spirits,” Wild Feather replied. “Some of them would qualify as your ghost stories.”
“Tell us one,” Danni said, moving to sit on his other side. Harrison felt a prickle of annoyance as she did so. He was not overly keen on his sister being the bread in a bullshit sandwich.
“I have an appropriate one. It is a tale of the wild man of the woods. What my people call sasquatch. Many moons ago...”
“Hold it!” Rob interrupted. “What your people call sasquatch? I heard that the word sasquatch was just a made-up bastardization by some guy in the seventies. No Native Americans ever called it that.”
“Way to go, Rob,” Harrison commented with perhaps a bit more glee in his voice than warranted. “Who’d have thought that stupid ‘Crypto Hunter’ show would pay off?”
“You watch that crap?” Allison asked.
“What? It’s a good show.”
“It’s always the same,” she complained. “They never find shit at the end of it.”
“It doesn’t matter. At least they keep an open mind. I think it’s cool that someone is out there looking into this stuff,” Rob replied a bit defensively. “Besides, how would you know they never find anything if you don’t watch it?”
It was hard to tell in the firelight, but Allison’s face appeared to flush a little. “Fine, you got me. The guy who hosts it is kind of cute.” Danni raised an eyebrow in her friend’s direction. “What? He is. Oh, who cares about that dumb show? Come on, Wild Feather, tell us the story.”
Bigfoot Hunters (Tales of the Crypto-Hunter Book 1) Page 5
