tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57208695966304504482023-06-20T21:36:40.622-07:00Writings and ScribblingsMy one stop shop for all the crap I write about, mainly short horror stories and whatever I might be interested in at the time.Sunday Smilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12189154783715661955noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720869596630450448.post-37561193943719219632015-12-05T05:53:00.000-08:002015-12-05T05:53:19.714-08:00Copy Cat - Chapter 3 - Final<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Baskerville Old Face","serif"; font-size: 24.0pt;">Copy Cat<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Baskerville Old Face","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Chapter 3<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Baskerville Old Face","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">By
Sundaysmile<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> It
must have been around 11am before we set off warily back to Keith’s minivan,
first light was around 5am which meant we’d been sitting around the campfire
watching and waiting for any sign of Paul’s return for close to six hours...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Or at least, we waited for whoever or
whatever that was imitating our friend…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I never spoke of what I saw to the rest
of the group; I never spoke of the metallic silver teeth like thick sewing
needles and those doll-like eyes staring at me like a goldfish’s passive
gaze. As far as anyone else was
concerned, this person or whatever or whoever they were, looked like Paul. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But it wasn’t him… It couldn’t have been him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I refuse to believe that a friend I’ve
known since my earliest childhood memories was some kind of monster all along
that he’d been simply waiting for this moment in time to turn on us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> No
something out there took Paul and was wearing his guise to taunt us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Though thinking backwards, I remembered
seeing not Keith sitting alone by the campsite after dark, but just who I
assumed to be Keith wearing his jacket to stave off the cold. I was neither suspicious back then, nor was I
paying much attention to the details like that, I was more focused on the trip
and the long journeys ahead me, and enjoying myself with my friends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I threw a cautionary glance towards
Keith who was going about his business helping Fitzy to his feet and letting
him lean on his shoulder. Was Keith even
still the guy I knew? Or was he just
some monster waiting to reveal itself?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I figured if he was, he had had plenty
of opportunities to do that last night.
But even still, I kept a watchful eye on him during the rest of this
nightmare. Because who knew how long it
was before Paul became that thing? How
long was the monster within our group unnoticed and mingling with us like he
was part of the family?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> As
for where Paul really was? I don’t
know. We waited and listened, hoping
that maybe the real Paul would call out to us or would run back to us with a
tale of how he escaped his captor’s clutches.
But there was no sign of him, the trees around us remained deathly silent
and stood ominously still like a grim painting, we couldn’t even feel any trace
of a breeze in the air. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It was almost like the forest was
waiting for us to make the first move...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And we couldn’t wait any longer. There was no way we’d ever be able to endure
another night of hell like that again, we had to get out of here, get help from
the police and return to find the real Paul and hope that he was alright. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> We
moved as quickly as we could with Fitzy in tow, and it wasn’t the pace we’d
hoped. There were too many inclines and
some very steep terrain between us and our destination. Fitzy, even with help, hadn’t a hope in hell
of moving over such difficult terrain so we had to compromise and chart routes
around much of the areas Fitzy couldn’t move through. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This only added more time to our journey
which was already moving slower than molasses.
And I knew at this pace, it would likely be almost dark by the time we
reached our way out of here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I also knew we were being watched. We all did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I’d like to think it was just my
imagination, that after the previous night I’d just been on edge, but more than
once I saw something skulk out of sight.
It was too big for a hare, and too small to be a deer, and yet still not
a single sound, not a twig breaking or leaves rustling. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And then we found a very peculiar and
morbid discovery lying half buried in the midst of dead leaves and dark
soil. Martin pulled out what appeared to
be a set of clothes half buried from the ground, and held it up to his breadth
to examine the size, he suddenly let it drop from his hands as if he’d been
electrocuted by the leathery cloth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">He stared at the hood of the brown
wrinkly jacket, and it was then I realised the hood bore a shrivelled and empty
face. Complete with two eye holes, empty
sockets for nostrils and a long stretched out mouth that looked like a silent
scream. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">After finding such a gruesome thing, we
did our best to pick up the pace…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Eventually,
we breached the forest to the dirt road we had parked by and the sight of the
minivan made us quicken our pace with elated cheers and gestures of thanks to
whatever providence was watching over us.
Though once we got close enough, I was hit by a wall of fumes, the air
was thick with the scent of petrol, and it appeared the tires had been all but
destroyed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The rubber had been torn to the point
that the exposed wheel touched the road itself, and a darkened stain of fuel
trailed out from underneath the vehicle and had soaked into the soil. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It seemed our stalker had been following
us for quite some time… Especially if this
thing knew where we were parked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Martin
broke down into a fit of anger and violence, he started yelling into the
forest, issuing threats and challenges to the monster within, smashing the
hatchet against the minivan’s windows and tail-lights which threw Keith into
motion to calm the man down before he rendered his van into scrap metal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Linda had been silent since she had been
attacked, her legs were bandaged as best we could but there was nothing we
could do about the pain, and she hobbled almost at the same speed as Fitzy, who
stood staring at the tires of the van.
It looked like they were both trying to fight back tears.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">As for me? My heart just sank; it felt like after all
this time this was the final nail in the coffin, we were going from one run of
bad luck to the next and it seemed very likely we’d die here. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Then I noticed the road. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Regardless
how far away we were from civilisation, this was still a road, and we could
still walk down to the next town and get help.
Or, if we got very lucky, we could flag down a passing car, tell them
what had happened and get a ride to the nearest police station. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Or hell…
At least get close enough to town that we got phone reception again, and
then we could call the cops to come pick us up.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">What other options did we have?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> I
tried in vain to break up the argument between Keith and Martin but neither of
them started listening until I began walking back to town. I didn’t stop walking until Keith had caught
up and grabbed my arm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Where
are you going?” He demanded, his nose
slightly bloodied after his sparring round with Martin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “I’m
heading into town, unless you got a better idea?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “It’s
at least a twelve hour walk!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Again,
if you’ve got a better idea then I’m all ears, because arguing sure as shit
isn’t doing us any favours.” I shot back and casted a glare back at Martin, who
was sitting by the minivan with his head in his hands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Keith mused for a moment, squeezing the
bridge of his nose tightly and pausing to take a breath, I could see him
weighing our options and none of them were good. We either stay here and die or we take the
risk of walking down the road, even through the night if we have to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Going
down there is suicide.” Keith grumbled,
pointing a finger down the long lonesome road.
“None of us have had any sleep last night. And you want to walk for the next twelve to
fourteen hours through the dead of night with that thing snapping at our heels
every step of the way?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Again,
do you have a better idea?” I replied
back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Keith
sighed and pulled the map from his rear pockets; he knelt down on the road and
began studying it nervously for a minute, before settling on a point with his
finger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Here.” He stated, pointing at a small blue icon on
the paper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Where?” I asked impatiently, at this stage I wasn’t
really interested in whatever hair brained plan he had to offer, I was too
tired to even think straight after the long walk with no sleep.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “There’s
a ranger station a few kilometres west from here, we could go there.” Keith offered, bringing the map closer to me
to show the route. “We can get help
there, more importantly we can get to a Phone and call for more help. They’ve got to have some way of contacting people
in an emergency, right?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I wanted to argue, I wanted to point out
some potential problems, but again, I was tired. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Keith was right though, there’d be no
way in hell I’d be able to walk for half a day in the condition I was in,
especially with that monster stalking after us.
I also couldn’t depend on luck alone to have a car pass us by on this
road and stop to aid us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A working phone sounded more
promising. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Alright,
let’s go.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> The
mood around us was clearly grim, none of us spoke, none of us wanted to be the
one to break the tense silence and risk the explosive anger of their
neighbour. Things had gone from bad to
worse, and now we were braving the unknown, hoping that Keith was right and
that salvation lay only a mile or so away from us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It was also 8pm; we had gone a whole day
yesterday, last night and all of today hiking and waiting for the next attack
to strike us when we were weakest. It
was likely it would wait until we were all completely exhausted or sleeping
deeply where we would not stir at the monster’s invasive presence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">All we knew is that we had to get to the
Ranger Station and get there soon…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We walked for another forty minutes
before we caught sight of the building; a small one roomed hut built from pale
wooden boards and brown earthy shingles.
It was bordered by another dirt path led from the road to a small
clearing, presumably for parking, next to a row of two blue cubicles that
housed a chemical toilet each. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> I
was elated to see it; it was the first sign of the civilised world we’d seen
since setting off on our journey, but our elation soured to anger as we got
closer and noticed the darkened windows starting out at us. The lights were off, and nobody was home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Well
this is just fucking great.” Fitzy
murmured in a daze, clearly he was on his last legs before ready to collapse
from the duress of a broken foot and a long journey without rest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “There
might still be a phone.” Keith added,
storming off to check the building over, cupping his hands over his eyes to
peer through the blacked out windows.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Martin
tried the entrance, and within seconds of finding it locked he began thrusting
kicks and driving his shoulder into the door to force it open. The door remained steadfast and resisted
every blow against it even as it rattled within its frame upon every impact.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Though Martin was beyond patience or
diplomacy by this point, he battered his hatchet against the small glass panel
on the door and reached inside, fumbling with the lock before opening it with a
satisfying click.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The inside was built probably for two,
maybe three people at most, with two workstations comprised of cheaply made
desks and a chair each. There was a
small kitchen area with a sink, cabinets, microwave and an electric kettle was
nestled in the corner next to a small plastic covered couch which we lay Fitzy
on as comfortably as we could.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Martin and Keith ventured outside to
look for a fuse box or breaker for the power, the lights wouldn’t work, and to
our frustration the phones were dead as well.
The plan was falling apart at the seams already… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> While
I waited on the verdict on the power situation I wandered around the room
browsing various charts and photographs colourfully displayed upon the walls.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “What
is this place?” Linda asked, probably
taking notice of my own curiosity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “It’s
owned by the Forestry Commission, I think it might be an arborist’s hut or
something.” I replied as I looked over
the detailed photos of tree bark and leaves.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “What’s
an arborist?” Fitzy chimed in, adjusting
his body into a more comfortable position on the very uncomfortable couch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “It’s
like a guy, who studies wood.” I
muttered back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Sounds
sexy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “I
guess it’s a living.” I was in no mood
for laughing, but that at least brought a half-hearted smile on my face...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Eventually,
Martin had returned through the main entrance, he didn’t say a word; he just
sat down in the corner silently staring at his feet. Judging by his demeanour he didn’t need to
say anything, we were up shit-creek with no paddle, there was no power, and
that meant no phone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Keith followed shortly after, shuffling
inside with a defeated and apologetic look on his face, and I cut him off
before he even spoke.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Not
a word.” I breathed tiredly. “Not one single fucking word out of
you.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “How
was I to know???” He yelled back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “I
don’t want to argue; just don’t fucking speak for the rest of tonight.” I growled angrily, “I’ve been walking who
knows how long and I’m too tired to even fucking think right now. I just want to sleep and hope I wake up alive
in the morning.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I took a seat by the desk and slumped my
head in my arms as a makeshift pillow, I heard Keith mutter something, probably
an insult, probably an excuse, but I didn’t care. The sun was setting, my legs ached, my eyes were
heavy and my mind was fogged with the single-minded purpose of sleep.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And I’m damn sure it came quickly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I remember
having a dream that night, something about having to wake up early to meet the
postman and pick up a parcel, I remember that same postman knocking on my
bedroom window yelling at me to wake up.
I remember waking up and people yelling at me again to wake up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It was dark, but the moon was bright and
highlighted the interior cabin with a faint silvery shine, I could make out
Keith and Martin standing by the windows, and I could hear Fitzy crying softly
in the corner. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Linda
was gone, or at least we thought she was…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">She was standing outside in the clearing
with torn, muddied clothes and bedraggled hair, staring up at us as we stared
back from the windows. Her arm gave a
crude wave, as if her limbs had been numbed by a strong anaesthetic and just
flailed without proper motor control. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And then she turned and skipped like a
child into the forest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Okay,
I’ve had enough of this shit.” Martin
growled, pulling the door open forcefully and storming outside with a murderous
glint in his eyes. He marched into the
forest and Keith and I just stood there and watched, frozen, terrified that if
we went in there, we’d be the next ones to vanish like Paul and Linda.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “You’ve
got to stop him, he’ll kill her!” Fitzy
pleaded as he limped forward, shaking Keith’s shoulder to get him to snap out
of his complacency.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “It’s
not her anymore.” He replied quietly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “You
don’t know that, none of us do, she could just be sick or maybe being
controlled, you can’t let him do this!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> He
was right, we didn’t know for sure what was going on, and I had to know if
Paul, Linda or anyone could be saved from whatever the hell was happening. I put Keith’s flashlight in his hands and
stared at him, he didn’t need me to speak, it was written all over his
face. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">He brought us here, he’d damn well get
us out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I moved to the door and Keith followed,
neither of us wanted to, but we’d already lost two people, and probably Martin
as well if he remained alone in the woods.
And so, we gave chase.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We broke past the treeline and back into
the forest, our flashlights did their best to carve through the darkness but we
could find no visible sign of Martin or Linda, but farther in the distance we
could still hear Martin in the midst of his tantrum. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We yelled aloud, hoping he’d hear us
over his own enraged tirade, but either he didn’t hear us or was beyond caring
by this point. He was like a man
possessed by an angry god, accepting nothing less than our antagonist’s head or
his own death…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We hadn’t even thought of a plan to
reason with the guy once we found him, he could be drunk with anger and
possibly even turn on us with that hatchet.
But we’d have to cross that bridge when we came to it; we had to reach
the angry bastard first.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> I
call out again, hoping Martin will hear me this time and by this point I
realise I’m now alone…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Keith is gone…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I become still with a creeping fear that
grows like a morning chill, I whisper out Keith’s name in the hope for a
response, but all I can hear is Martin’s incessant and incoherent bellows of
anger in the distant forest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I slowly turn in place, trying not to
shift too quickly and create more noise; my flashlight creates a small window
of light for me to see what lies in front of me. Keith is nowhere in sight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> The
next thing I know is something heavy striking my shoulders and forcing me into
the ground, leaves and twigs scratch my face and my mouth fills with mud and
the coppery taste of my own blood. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I try to move but the weight on my back
is pinning me to the ground, and I freeze still when I feel many sharp points
like knives press upon my back and shoulders. My muscles are rigid and frozen in place; the
very motion of standing up against this weight on my back would impale me with
these spikes. And then they start
moving… They’re kneading my clothes and
skin like dough or like a cat would knead a soft spot to sleep with its claws.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">That thought stays in my head as I
realise what’s threatening to pierce my body, long and dangerously sharp
talons. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I suddenly feel an unsettlingly warm
breath against my ear and take in a sour odour like spoiled milk, it’s whispering
to me, but not in words, it’s a series of clicks and crunches like twigs
breaking underfoot, and then I feel one of those talons pressed against the
back of my neck and my body seizes up under the pain and threat of being torn
open by the pressure. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I can only stare into the ground or
close my eyes, but another hand is placed into the mud near my face, and I get
my first glimpse of what threatening to steal away my life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The hand is thin and feminine, clearly
belonging to Linda, it’s even wearing her bracelet, but the fingertips are
gone, they’re opened up like a torn glove and protruding through are long
grasping talons, curved much like a bird of prey, the middle one is especially
long and resembles a gut hook, something that I saw Keith use to skin and
“unzip” the carcass of a rabbit only a year ago. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Then
suddenly, I hear Martin’s voice, then Keith’s voice, they’re close.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And then in the blink of an eye, the
weight upon my shoulders is lifted and I can feel those talons no more. I call out as best as I can; half muffled
from the mud and unwilling to move in case the slightest motion means my death.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Martin rushes over, shouting questions to
me and I feel his hands pull me back to my feet, but I’m still very much in a
daze. Simply from what I was just privy
to witness and the closest I’ve ever came in my life to imminent death.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Another loud groan from nearby and
Martin and I find Keith with a bleeding head wound lying in the muddy
underbrush; his flashlight is broken, though mine works well enough that we can
find our way back to the arborist hut. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Martin practically carries us both; we
lean on him as we stumble back through the forest and back to the clearing of
the ranger’s hut where we’re met with another turn of bad news. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Fitzy is gone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Not a trace of struggle, not a speck of
blood in sight, just vanished like everyone else. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We let ourselves collapse into a sitting
position by the doorway, defeated and exhausted we say nothing, if that thing
were to return at this moment in time I’m sure it would claim an easy
victory. I don’t think any of us are
willing to fight anymore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> We sit in silence for hours and
occasionally we hear something from the forest, sometimes it sounds like Paul,
sometimes like Linda, and now sometimes like Fitzy. I honestly can’t tell if it’s trying to lure
us, or just mock us by gloating its victory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Not before long, the sun rises and with
it, the forest seems to come alive again.
Birds chirp merrily, the breeze brushes through the tallest trees, making
them sway gently to and fro. And
mercifully, there is no sign of our body snatching stalker.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “I’m
willing to try that road idea now…”
Keith mutters solemnly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> I
didn’t answer him, I contemplated giving up, just walking into the woods and
letting whatever that thing was take me sooner than later. So I stood up, walked out the door with
Martin and Keith following me close behind, and if they hadn’t followed me, I’d
have probably walked right into those woods myself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Instead, we ran. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We ran towards the main road and then
headed back towards town, we ran until our lungs wheezed and our throats were
so dry we could barely feel our own tongues.
Our legs burned and every footstep stabbed our feet with agony as each
blister and sore from our long walks bled and ruptured. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We ran, and when we couldn’t run we
walked until we could run again, we didn’t stop moving even once.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Then we saw it… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Not our
monstrous stalker, but a small blip on the hazy horizon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It was a truck. It was cruising down the road ahead of us and
completely oblivious to the horror which lurked in the trees around it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We formed a blockade on the road,
standing side by side and waving our arms frantically for help, doing our best
to grab the driver’s attention. The
truck slowly decreased speed and the cautious driver eyed us with a stern
degree of suspicion, we must have looked like a bunch of vagrants by now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">He didn’t even roll down his window and
kept his engine running as he spoke with us.
We told him we needed help, that some of our friends were missing and we
needed to get to the nearest police station.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Hop
in.” Was all he said, and Keith, Martin
and I climbed into the flatbed on the rear, making ourselves comfortable in the
midst of gardening tools and clods of turf stored there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> On
the ride back into town there was fifteen minutes of anxious silence between
the three of us, but it was Martin who broke that silence with a very good
question.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “What
do we tell the cops?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Do we tell them our friends went missing
due to some body snatching monster? And
would they even believe us if we told them the truth? Or would they more likely believe that we
were responsible for their disappearances?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In the end, it was my suggestion to
lie. We’d tell them that we woke up one
morning to find them gone, some of our tents and gear were we damaged and our
car sabotaged. We would give the police
the description of the man we saw down the riverbank, the one who ran from
us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This would be our official story to the
authorities, and we stuck to it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We were each
interviewed by police and press alike, search parties were organised, and
somewhat reluctantly we agreed to participate.
Searches went on for months and during that time we were interviewed
again and again and we presumed that we three survivors would still be the
likely suspects. But no arrests were
made and no bodies were recovered either.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The man we described was never found
either, and seven months later we went back to our lives and tried to move on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Keith, Martin and I don’t speak to one
another anymore. At work we barely
interact with each other unless we have to, the mood has changed. I know people in work whisper about it, about
how our friends went missing, and we either survived or perpetrated the act…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Two weeks ago, Martin stopped showing up
to work. He didn’t call in sick and he’s
not answering his phone and has severed all contact with everyone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And just yesterday, Keith has done the
same thing… No calls or nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I don’t think its coincidence. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I think I might be next.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">After our
sudden disappearance the authorities will likely assume we went into hiding and
were guilty as charged. I doubt they’ll
think we were victims in the slightest, people always want someone to blame for
these sorts of horrible mysteries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">So this is the real account of what
happened in the woods those nights ago,
I don’t expect anyone to believe it, but at least if you DO venture out
there, you’ll hopefully spot the signs before I did, and get out of there
before you end up like us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Look after yourselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And wish me luck. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
End<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Sunday Smilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12189154783715661955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720869596630450448.post-7800964143967842492015-12-05T05:52:00.000-08:002015-12-05T05:52:05.626-08:00Copy Cat - Chapter 2<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Baskerville Old Face","serif"; font-size: 24.0pt;">Copy Cat<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Baskerville Old Face","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Chapter 2<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Baskerville Old Face","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">By
Sundaysmile<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> That
morning I heard many complaints as people were roused from their beds to be met
with headaches and dry mouths, all of it stemming from a hangover lurking
around like an unwelcome guest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But, if we were to make it to the Gorge
in time to catch a glimpse of this blood river in all its glory we had to be
there by noon, and that meant we had to rise and meet the aftermath of our
binge drinking head on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Though a pot of coffee and some aspirin
did help a little bit…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Breakfast
consisted mainly of powdered eggs mixed with some jerky and baked beans on the
side, though Linda was almost put off her own breakfast thanks to finding a
dead squirrel by her tent. I remember
Keith mentioning that it must have been a “present” from one of the foxes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Afterwards we began packing together
some things we’d need for the trip to the Gorge, just a few snacks and some
water, nothing too excessive. Though
while we were packing everything together Keith discovered he had a teensy
problem as well, he’d lost his jacket.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I made mention that be probably
misplaced it last night when he was drinking, even mentioning that I saw him wearing
it while he was sitting alone by the campfire.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> He
did look puzzled by my comment, stating lightly that he didn’t even remember
getting up last night or falling asleep by the campfire, but then he was blind
drunk last night so he shrugged it off.
It wasn’t the first time he’d gotten so hammered that he passed out or
forgot details of a night out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Oh Hell, half of the time when any of us
went drinking in in the city we’d be lucky to remember how we even got home…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">None the less,
with a belly full of breakfast and caffeine we set off on our trek to the
gorge, Fitzy being his usual self was chatting away with everyone, mainly with
Martin who was fresh meat to a lot of his stories and jokes. And like Fitzy, Martin didn’t really suffer
with hangovers like the rest of us did; the pair were chuckling and laughing
while the rest of us shambled forward like sleepy zombies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Though along the way, it seemed like we
weren’t the only ones visiting the gorge, at least so we thought. Our path’s crossed with another campsite, two
domed tents standing side by side in a small clearing, though we couldn’t see anyone
there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> The
place looked like it had been abandoned for months, maybe even years… Both tents were left wide open and were
filled with dried leaves and debris from the forest floor, while an empty
cooler and some trash lay strewn around the outside. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">An overpowering stench was emanating
from inside the tents, like something or someone had been using it as a
toilet… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Um,
should we be concerned by this?” Paul
asked with a little bit of worry, prodding at the discarded cooler with his
foot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Nah.” Keith dismissed. “It wouldn’t be the first time some kids went
camping, got drunk and then couldn’t be arsed taking their tents with them in
the morning.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “So,
no rapist axe-murderers then?” Paul
asked again, still a little concerned about our findings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “There’d
probably be a lot more blood and guts lying around if that were the case.” Keith laughed. “There are also no backpacks around, so they
probably just left this crap behind.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Seems
like a waste…” I muttered, though in all
honesty I’ve done the same thing before myself at festivals and music gigs,
leaving behind cheap tents and even cheaper camping gear like litter. I almost smirked at my own hypocrisy, kicking
aside some of the rusty beer cans and a leathery husk of what I thought to be
an old jacket. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> At
Keith’s behest we strolled onwards towards our destination, following a trail
from the derelict campsite which snaked through patches of feathery long grass
and spindly saplings, eventually approaching the distant roar of flowing
water. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “The
River’s not far away from the gorge.
We’re getting close.” Keith spoke aloud as the sound became more
prominent, filling our ears with its persistent presence much like white noise. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And not before long, we encountered the
edge of the Gorge’s maw, a gaping mouth carved into the earth that stretched
down possibly fifty feet or so. Maybe
even deeper. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">While folks were snapping pictures of
the view with their phones, Keith and I spared no time in eagerly making our
way down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">There was a
passage which cut downwards in a sort of natural staircase, creating a thick
corridor of soil and moss, with slick stones embedded into the mud acting as
steps which led down into the gorge. As
we stepped and stumbled deeper through the small passageway, we had to climb
past gigantic roots of trees which had been exposed from the soil walls
flanking either side. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It was almost like stepping into another
world, like something from Tolkien’s fantasy or a place untouched and
unexplored by man. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But at the bottom, we were greeted with
a grand sight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The Gorge was
lined with red sand upon the ground and dotted with black shining pebbles while
the walls were composed more of soil than rock, the orangey clay texture almost
looked like the side of a rare steak.. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A shallow and almost still river flowed
through the middle, and even at this light we could see that it did indeed look
scarlet red. It created a very macabre
landscape especially with the long dead trees and branches poking out of the
crimson pools like they were grasping hands reaching towards the sandy
shores. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In stark contrast, much of the black
soil and red clay walls were covered in layers of emerald green moss and I
followed its trail towards the top where we saw Fitzy, Paul, Linda and Martin
waving from above. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Paul shouted something unintelligible
and I just waved back, beckoning them to come on down. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> As everyone arrived below and started
taking in the sights, Keith acted as a kind of mock tour guide to the place,
explaining how far the gorge stretched, where it led to and where the caves
were, which we were going to eagerly explore next. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We followed the crimson riverbank
further into the gorge, snapping photos with our phones and exchanging comments
about how cool or creepy the terrain was at every turning point. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But just around the corner we found the
first opening. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A massive cavernous mouth made of wet black
stone and tinted with green hues of mossy slime greeted us with a wide
yawn. Whatever daylight reflecting off
the pools of water inside caused the rocky walls to glimmer and move with fluid
patterns of light. I remember well even
now the sights of this place almost like I had the photographs in my hand, but
I also remember feeling somewhat apprehensive, like a kid caught trespassing in
a place off-limits to them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I don’t know what spurred this
instinctive gut feeling, but it seemed to be just me. Everyone else seemed eager enough to go
exploring, and I just went with the flow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">My flashlight
was not particularly powerful, but it did make navigating much of the cave
easier, and I scanned the walls and jagged ceiling in amazement that there was
no graffiti, no trash or presence of man anywhere to be found. It was almost humbling in a way to be
standing here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Paul didn’t seem to share my sentiments
as he waited outside for fear of getting his feet wet, Fitzy was walking along
some kind of upper ledge he’d found which gave a better view of the grotto,
trying his best to encourage Linda to join him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Keith and Martin were chatting away to
each other, presumably Keith was telling his work-mate about all the other
places he’d been to, trying to encourage the guy to venture out with us more
often. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I on the other hand was inching my way
towards the throat of the cave which led deeper into who knows where. My flashlight only stretched maybe less than ten
feet in front of me, highlighting important areas where I could walk and not
fall and injure myself on the slippery and jagged rocks which layered this
cavern like predatory teeth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I nearly dropped my one and only light
source in shock when I heard Linda scream.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I ran stumbling
back to the cave’s mouth, following the sounds of shouting and cursing as
quickly as I could without misplacing my footing on the slick and slippery
stones. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I got back in time to see Linda standing
in shock and Fitzy shoving Keith away and to the ground in anger. Fitzy bawled out in pain as he pushed back,
hobbling and hopping on one foot before collapsing down on a nearby rock, cradling
his foot like a new-born baby.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “What
the hell happened?” I yelled out at the
commotion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “He fell.” Linda exclaimed, moving closer to check on
her boyfriend’s leg. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “I
didn’t fall, he fucking pushed me!”
Fitzy yelled angrily, pointing a finger at Keith who was picking himself
up off the ground with a bewildered look on his face.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “I
didn’t do shit.” He shot back. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “I
fucking saw you!” Fitzy grunted back,
holding his breath to fight back the throbbing pain in his foot. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Mate,
he was with me the whole time. He never even
touched you.” Martin stated as he put
himself between the pair in case a fight was about to break out, though judging
from Fitzy’s injury it didn’t look like he could start swinging even if he
wanted to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Dude,
you must have just fallen down.” I
added, just hoping to help diffuse this before it got much worse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “I’m
not even joking.” Fitzy blurted out
between painful cringes. “I was
pushed.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Did
you see anything?” I asked Linda, but
she only shook her head and shrugged in response, clearly just as confused by
everything as I was.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I scanned my flashlight along the area
where Fitzy had been standing, but nothing was there, or at least nothing was
there Now. But unfortunately that fall
he took, regardless of whether he was pushed or fell resulted in an apparent
broken ankle. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The trip was officially over. It was time to go home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Getting Fitzy
out of the gorge was hard enough, we practically had to carry him AND ourselves
out of there up that slippery passageway we used getting down. Afterwards we had to help him walk back to
camp at the pace of a snail, every hour became two as he limped back, being
flanked by Lisa and Keith who supported him at each shoulder. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Martin and I kept trying to call
emergency services on our phones to arrange either pick up at camp or at the
minivan but we couldn’t get a bloody signal out here. We were too far in the arse end of nowhere to
reach anyone we needed, and to make matters worse? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">At the pace we were walking it would
likely be almost nightfall when we reached camp, and the four hour journey to
walk back to the minivan might easily become an EIGHT hour journey if we hobble
along at Fitzy’s limping pace. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">There’s no way we’d be able to do that
in the dark… This meant that Fitzy would
likely have to grit his teeth and suffer with it for the evening until
morning. And I sure as hell didn’t want
to be the one to have to tell him that…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> By
the time we managed to shuffle back to camp it was just after 7pm and the sky
was already turning a faint orange over the distant horizon. We’d at least made it back to our tents, but
our elation quickly turned to bafflement, then to anger and further
disappointment by what we found.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Three of our tents, including my own,
had been torn apart and trampled to the ground, Martin’s sleeping bag had been
ripped to shreds and the entire campsite was speckled with the tiny white
feathers held within. Our bags had been emptied;
their contents littered around the campsite, much of it our spare clothes and
food.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “No
bloody way…” Paul sounded out in a gasp,
almost ready to break out into a cynical laugh of disbelief.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Martin
shared a knowing glance with me, and I felt we were both thinking that this was
the work of that fellow who ran from us yesterday at the riverbank. I just shook my head, not in disagreement,
but more with shared disbelief at our sudden turn of bad luck.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Guys,
I think we’re fucked…” Paul stammered as
he picked up the remains of his backpack.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Calm
down.” Keith stated flatly, helping
Fitzy over to one of the fallen logs to rest his foot. “Some asshole vandalised our camp and fucked
up our stuff. It happens; you just need
to get over it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Oh
yeah? And what if he comes back? What if he’s a bloody psycho and he’s
armed?” Paul shot back again, quickly
checking his phone hoping to see a signal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “We’re
armed as well.” Martin announced angrily, unclipping the hatchet from his
belt. “If it comes to that, we’ll deal
with it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Look,
nobody’s chopping anybody!” Keith spoke
aloud, trying to talk over the discord of angry complaints. “If he shows up, then yes we kick his ass for
wrecking our stuff. But leave the
hatchets and blades out of it!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Martin
and Keith continued arguing over the necessity to dispense justice on our
“visitor”, who I assumed would be watching now and giggling at everyone pissed
off at his handiwork.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Little did I know that he actually WAS
watching us even now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Linda gasped with fright and pointed
frantically into the woods and our heads followed her finger to the source of
her concern. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">There stood a man in the distance,
standing still like a statue and just staring, staring at all of us in the
small clearing amidst the remains of our gear.
He wore a dark jacket with the hood covering his head and faded grey
jeans which looked soaked around the legs with mud and water.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Martin
charged after him like a raging bull with hatchet in hand and I gave chase,
worried that either his anger might get the better of him and he does something
stupid with that hatchet or he might need help if the guy was indeed armed or
more dangerous…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Standing nearly seven foot tall with
arms as thick as my waist, Martin was not a flimsy guy like me and living in
the area of the city he did, I knew he’d be no stranger to a fight. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">He certainly ran fast for such a big guy
too… He outpaced me in nearly the blink
of an eye, barrelling forward to the silent stranger who had watched us bicker
from afar. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I called out after him once I saw he’d
stopped running but I was struggling to catch my breath and could only call out
his name. At first I thought he was just
talking with the guy, but I noticed instead he was looking… up?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> I
arrived huffing and wheezing, not sure whether to expect a confrontation or indeed
the aftermath of a confrontation and one guy lying bleeding from an axe
wound. But it was just Martin and I.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Where
is he?” I asked, still looking around
for our intruder. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Up
there…” Martin said in an almost
confused yet childlike manner, pointing up towards the nearby tree with his
axe. Puzzled, I looked upwards but
couldn’t see anything but before I could even ask what the hell he was talking
about, he stated again. “He went up the
tree.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “He
climbed the tree?” I asked sceptically.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Climbed? He fucking ran up it like a spider
monkey!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “I
don’t see him…” I muttered as I looked
up towards the myriad of branches and leaves towering above us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Neither
do I, but that’s where he went…” Martin
and I continued staring for what seemed like ten whole minutes, both in
confusion and disbelief. And at that
moment I wondered if we were seeing things, if our imagination was playing
tricks, or more likely Martin just lost sight of the guy or misinterpreted what
he saw. After all, there was no way anybody
could physically climb a tree like that, that quickly, and then just disappear…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Back
at camp we began clearing up some of the mess left behind by our friend the
“vandal”, seeing what was salvageable and what was still left intact. But it would be likely we’d only be able to
take back what we could carry anyway, the rest would still have to be
abandoned…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It was also going to be dark soon, and
despite a few complaints of having to spend the night here with some asshole
harassing us, none of us wanted to hike through the woods in the pitch black of
night. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">So to compensate, we’d take shifts
staying awake and watching the camp.
Martin and I would take the first shift and then Keith and Paul would
take over the second, we’d keep a campfire burning through the night and at
first light we’d get ourselves to the minivan and into the closest town.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">While Keith stated flatly that it was
just the work of some guy who just wanted to dick around with us, I still feel
that he felt this guy, whoever he was, could be dangerous. A shift system was a good idea in that
eventuality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Other
duties were handed out by Keith in the meantime, Paul was to fetch more
firewood for the campfire, and we’d need a LOT more lumber than we had if we
were to keep a fire going the entire night.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Fitzy and Linda stayed huddled up in
their tent and tried to get some rest, Fitzy in particular would have it rough
tomorrow when we began our trek back to the minivan in the morning. The walk was long and arduous, and on a bad
leg it would be absolute torture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Martin kept watch around the campsite,
doing odd jobs and keeping an eye open for our guest to return or start more
trouble with us. He kept a hold of that
hatchet like it was a child in his care, which I assumed made Paul’s job a
little bit harder, since it was the only axe we brought with us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Keith and I
were mainly cleaning up the place, looking for whatever could be taken back
with us. There wasn’t much left…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">One backpack had one of its straps torn,
but was in serviceable condition to carry some goods; our pots, pans and
canteens were slightly dented and covered in mud but in otherwise working
order. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Our clothing was scattered around but
was surprisingly not torn or ripped like the rest of our gear, instead some of
it was polluted with some kind of greasy oil.
It wasn’t sticky or viscous in any way; it had more of the consistency
of cooking oil but with none of the smell.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In fact I couldn’t smell anything from
it whatsoever, it was another oddity which nagged at my sense of reason that
things were getting VERY strange.
Stranger than us being screwed over by some prankster with too much time
on his hands, everything just started to feel wrong to me by this point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I kept shrugging it off as best I could,
I was getting anxious, there was nothing more to it than that, my imagination
was wandering into the fanciful and out of the bounds of reality. Sure, you hear of strange tales from books,
movies and games about people encountering weird situations and all hell
breaking loose, but those are works of fiction.
They’re not real.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Even
though I kept telling myself this, it didn’t dispel that feeling that I have
even now, that something was just not right. There was something going on that was beyond
us and we were in serious trouble. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Keith put on a brave face, but I could
see he was feeling it too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It was panic that our visitor wanted, he
wanted to scare us, make us angry, distraught with our predicament. He was definitely messing with us, but to
what end we would have to wait and see.
To see whether he continued his interactions or started getting violent
with us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Calm was the order of the day, so long
as we maintained our composure we’d be fine and not give this guy the
satisfaction of seeing us frightful and bitter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> By
eight thirty in the evening, we’d assembled what we could and Paul had returned
with a bindle packed with sticks, twigs and dry leaves. More than enough lumber to keep us going for
the evening and beyond, he even found Keith’s jacket somewhere out around the
woods near our campsite. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Unfortunately the inside of it was
coated in the same oily mess much like our clothes were, and it understandably
dissuaded Keith from wearing his reunited parka. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Paul pretty much just went straight to
bed after that and Keith soon followed, they’d both need as much sleep as
possible if they were to wake up early enough to relieve Martin and I from
watch duty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> The
sun eventually receded, changing the fading skyline from a fiery orange to a blinding
black, there is no moon tonight and the claw-like branches of the tallest trees
kept our prying eyes from seeing any distant stars. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The woods themselves were smothered in
darkness like a black curtain that blocked our sight from beyond the campfire’s
glow, and the crackles and pops of smouldering twigs are the only sounds
tonight besides hushed conversation between Martin and me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Not a sound beyond that treeline, not of
nocturnal birds hooting, or chirping insects or even a hint or sign that our
guest is out there watching us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We were sitting on the old gnarled logs,
our eyes flitting back and forth from one dark corner to the next as the
shadows moved to the embers of our campfire.
I grew more and more worried that one of these dancing shadows may
indeed belong to some dangerous invader who would cause us harm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “No
offence mate, but I’m never going camping with you guys ever again.” Martin speaks in a subdued grumble, still
keeping his small hatchet in hand. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “After
this, I’ll be sticking to the city too.
It’s bloody creepy tonight.” I
admitted, thinking about all the hassle we’ve had so far and hoping for a
better day in the morning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Aye,
it’s like a Blair Witch project out here.”
Martin grimly snickered back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “By
the way I meant to ask, did you get a good look at that guy?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “The
tree guy?” Martin responded, pointing a
thumb back in the general direction where he disappeared. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Yeah,
was it the same guy from the river yesterday?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “I
don’t think so, but I do know he moved up that tree like nothing I’ve ever
seen.” He shook his head at the
recollection and stared thoughtfully at the burning fire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “You’re
sure he went up the tree? I mean, does
that even make sense? You think you
might have misjudged it or something?” I
tried again, hoping maybe Martin would admit to something he missed or reassure
me that what he saw could be wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “I
know what I saw.” Martin growled
back. “The guy bounded up there like it
was nothing, he just…” Martin motioned
with his finger in an upward flick to demonstrate the speed this guy
ascended. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> I
sighed defeated, maybe he DID climb up the tree, and maybe he was a frigging
parkour master or had something more elaborate to help him up. Martin seemed convinced of what he saw but I
couldn’t tell if his conviction was truth or just him trying to save face for
letting the guy get away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We’d been talking away for around an
hour or so to pass the time and at some point during that time of our
conversation, for who knows how long, he’d been sitting there beyond the
campfire’s glow. Perfectly still,
perfectly silent, caked in shadows and watching us as he did when we first
noticed him earlier. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Our mystery guest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The moment I
noticed and realised he was actually there I fell backwards off the log crying
out in fright, I scrambled back to my feet but he was already gone, vanishing
with a rustle of leaves into the night. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Martin had clearly seen the guy dash into the
shadows beyond the clearing, and he stood brandishing the axe threateningly and
bellowed into the darkness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Aye,
you better run you chickenshit!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Linda
and Fitzy were the first to rise from their sleeping bags at the sound of the
commotion, poking their heads out from the tent with wide eyed stares. Keith
was next to follow out in sleepy strides, clearly irritated by the persistence
of our intruder, carrying a flashlight in his hands. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The beams of light did not travel far in
the omnipresent dark; and there were too many places for a man to hide out
there. There were too many trees to hide
behind, too many shrubs casting long shadows, all of it working against us as
we stood by the reassuring light of our fire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Our
best pal is back.” I uttered to Keith as
I pulled out my own flashlight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Yeah,
I figured.” Keith murmured before
calling out to the forest. “We don’t
want any trouble, just fuck off and leave us in peace!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “You
really think this guy is gonna listen to that?”
I asked sceptically.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “If
he doesn’t, he’ll listen when I introduce my foot to his arse and wear him like
a bloody stocking!” Martin yelled aloud,
loud enough to ensure that our visitor would hear the threats directed at him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> After
a moment of sullen silence, Keith asks a question which sets me even further on
edge..<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Where’s
Paul?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “You
tell me, he was sleeping in your tent!”
Martin yelled back, his anger clearly growing with every frustrating
minute.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “You
mean you two didn’t see or hear him leave the tent?” Keith grunted disapprovingly, still keeping
his eyes on the treeline with his flashlight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Well,
did you?” I shot back, and Keith never
bothered answering me, instead he started shouting out Paul’s name, calling out
to him in the forest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “What’s
going on?” Linda asked, fearing she
already knew the answer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Paul’s
missing.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Our
voices fill the forest as we call out to Paul, I’m getting incredibly concerned
by this point. Not just at our situation
which is growing more and more ominous with each minute, but for Paul’s
welfare. I’d known that guy since my
early years of school, I dragged him out on every outing and every hike I’ve
ever done. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And now he was in trouble, and it was
likely my fault just for bringing him out here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Keith
suddenly hushes us for a moment, motioning us all to be quiet with a frantic
wave of his hand and we all fall still like trees to better hear the sounds of
the forest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And then we hear it, it’s faint, but
it’s there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It’s Paul’s voice, but instead of
rushing out to help my missing friend, something puts me ill at ease, it’s a
question which holds me in place and roots me to the ground.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Why is Paul yelling his own name?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> I
share a confused glance with my fellows, and it seems like they too share the
same thoughts. The voice is getting
closer and growing louder from in front of where we stand, and even though it
was our friend, who may be injured, who was lost and may be returning to
us. We all seemed to take a step back
almost instinctively, as if this voice of our long-time friend was now a
threat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Paul,
is that you?” Fitzy called out as he
tested fate and hobbled a step further. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Another
voice replies angrily, this time far to our left. “Better fucking run!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> And
then again, back in front of us from the shadows. “You Chickenshit!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> I
turn to look at Martin who’s staring at me with the same dumbfounded expression
I must be wearing, “That sounds like you…”
I comment, and everyone shares a frightful glance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “The
hell is that supposed to mean?” Martin
accuses angrily.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Paul’s
voice interrupts us all once more, it sounds dry and crooked, like he’s being
choked or struggling to speak clearly against a sore throat. It’s all around us now, never staying in one
spot before announcing another comment, such as “Is that you?” Or “The hell is that supposed to mean?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Nobody
move from the campfire!” Keith barks to
us all, “Whoever this guy is, he’s just fucking with us, if we stay lit and
together he can’t do shit.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Dude,
do you even hear what’s going on right now?”
Fitzy stammered, his eyes struggling to pick out anything, any clue
which may betray this phantom’s presence in the darkness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “And
what about Paul?” Linda cut’s in before
Keith could reply.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Look,
if we start wandering arou-“ At least, I thought it was Linda who cut him off,
Keith cut himself off and just stood staring towards one of the trees behind
us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I turn to catch a fleeting image of
Paul, and at first I think he’s just upside down hanging from the tree by his
ankles, but he scuttles around out of sight like a spider on the bark, quickly
and silently almost like a ghost. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “Tell
me I’m not fucking dreaming…” Fitzy
blurts out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “That
was NOT Paul.” Keith stammered, his
voice shaking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “It
bloody looked like him.” I whispered blankly in disbelief.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> “IT’S
NOT PAUL!” Keith yells back and suddenly
we hear Linda and Fitzy scream.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> The
next thing we knew, Fitzy was on the ground and Linda was being dragged by her
heels towards the treeline at great speed.
Keith, Martin and I make a scramble towards her as she reaches out for
dear life; I throw myself in a lunge to grab at her and pull desperately at her
clothes and shoulders, trying to pull her towards the light of the
campfire. And I almost let her go as my
eyes meet with the figure pulling at her legs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It was Paul.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">His long hair was covered in dried
leaves and broken twigs, stained with soil and mud from the forest floor, while
his skin was pale and oily but his expression was blank and his eyes almost
dead or even completely alien. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The campfire’s light wasn’t perfect and
the struggle was hectic so I’m not sure what I saw exactly whether it be true
or not, but I will describe what I “thought” I saw. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I remember his lips just hung open
limply with that blank stare of his, but inside his mouth I could see
teeth. Teeth like silvery needles
arranged in dense rows and sealed tightly shut.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I remember it more like a snapshot in my
memory more than a sequence of events, because as quickly and desperately as I
had managed to grab at Linda, Martin also delivered a solid kick to “Paul’s”
face, sending him reeling into the thicket of shadowy shrubbery bordering the
clearing around our campsite.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Linda scurried
back to her feet and towards Fitzy, the leggings of her jeans were sliced and
bloodied, but Martin bounded into the shadows after Paul, swinging his hatchet
in wild strikes against the clawing branches and smothering leaves only to find
nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Instead of a body, we heard a yowling
groan from the other side of the clearing, sounding like a strange mix of a
distressed cat or bleating goat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Within
moments the forest was alive with unnatural sounds like garbled deer calls,
shrieking birds, off key dog howls and even a facsimile of Linda’s screams was
repeated to us all from everywhere around us.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The sounds of leaves rustling and
branches breaking forced us to huddle together in the centre of the clearing,
like we were sheep being herded by a Shepard’s dog. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And then suddenly we were met with
silence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We waited for another call.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We prepared for another attack.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We watched the shadows intently for the
slightest clue to deliver Paul’s whereabouts to us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Nobody slept that night.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Even as the sun rose beyond the horizon,
we still waited. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We were just too scared to move. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Sunday Smilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12189154783715661955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720869596630450448.post-80690617523701238152015-12-05T05:50:00.001-08:002015-12-05T05:50:38.582-08:00Copy Cat - Chapter 1<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Baskerville Old Face","serif"; font-size: 24.0pt;">Copy Cat<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Baskerville Old Face","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Chapter 1<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Baskerville Old Face","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">By
Sundaysmile<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">When I was a
boy I was never drawn in to the spectacle of football or any sport that would
demand competitive athleticism, I was always that kid who skipped P.E. in
school and at the weekends I’d be watching movies, listening to music or
reading comics and books instead of running around playing or stirring up
trouble like other kids in my neighbourhood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Though after high school and as I grew
older, I felt drawn to change all that and simply just get outside and try to
improve myself physically beyond the body I was born with.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">I stand less
than 6ft and weigh around 140lbs, so I’m relatively skinny and wanted more than
anything to change that. But not so much
that I’d want to humiliate myself in front of body builders and fitness nuts in
my local gym, or by biting the bullet and start playing all the sports I grew
up hating, so I went for a different approach.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">I went Hiking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Rural Scotland
has no shortage of hills, valleys, forests and grand vista’s to explore, and for
years I’ve now spent my free hours traversing trails and uncovering beautiful
landscapes I never thought my eyes would ever physically witness. I loved the outdoors, and while a lot of my
friends didn’t share the same enthusiasm, they’d still tag along for an outing
simply because it was a rare chance to see one another again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">In our later
years, we’ve all had busy lives and finding the free time where we could all
get together and share a laugh and a drink was a rarity at best. So for me, trekking off into the heart of
nature was truly my heart’s desire, I loved it.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">And now, I’m terrified of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">A few months
ago in the middle of spring, it was one of the warmest we’d ever had, as spring
in Scotland often means rain, more rain, and yes. Even more rain… But this time we’d lucked out, Mr. Weatherman
had forecasted a week long heatwave and I had some time off work for Spring
Break, so we were going to take advantage of the glorious weather and head off
on a weekend long trip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Three days and nights in gorgeous
sunshine with clear blue skies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">And better yet, a friend of mine had a
great place in mind for us all to visit.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">He said he was
recommended to visit a Gorge by an online buddy of his, a place where a river
cuts through a layer of scarlet sandstone and orange clay and when it hits high
noon and the sun shines directly overhead, the sunlight beaming down turns the
river blood red!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">It sounded awesome! And I was eager to explore it and the supposed
caves which accompanied it, because rare places like these were exactly the
reason I enjoyed these expeditions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">So we got to
packing and prepping for the journey, there were at least six of us going so we
had a lot to bring along for the time we were spending out there, food, water
and especially booze were the required necessities of our little fieldtrip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Our motley list of explorers consisted
of myself, who had a fair amount of outdoor experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">There was Keith who was the most
experienced of us in the group and was probably the one who got me interested
in hiking in the first place. He also
happened to be the one who found out about the gorge we were going to visit, so
he was leading the way this time around.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">My other buddy Paul was coming along and
he was not as enthusiastic about the great outdoors as I was, but he was a
long-time friend of mine since primary school and he loved an excuse to go out
and get drinking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">He was bringing along a buddy of his;
Thomas Fitzpatrick or “Fitzy” as we called him, who was a good guy to have
around on the longer treks, he was pretty chatty and would talk up a storm
about pretty much anything you could imagine.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Linda was Fitzy’s Girlfriend and I’m
pretty sure that she was only coming along because she thought Fitzy might have
gone looking for girls behind her back or something… She was an odd one; after all we were going into
the woods, not a bloody strip club...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Anyway, lastly we had Martin who was a
work-mate of Keith’s from the factory.
He stood nearly 7ft tall and was built like a brick wall. Though he’d never been camping in his life
and seemed eager enough to give it a bash.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">We drove for
around three hours in Keith’s minivan, a relic from the Scooby doo era of
psychedelic colours and even more psychedelic substances. And even though it looked like a dumpster
with seats and a steering wheel, it was a hardy little thing and I’m damned
surprised it managed the journey to our destination. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">It was the
crack of dawn, we’d need plenty of daylight to reach our camping spot, and once
we’d get there we’d set up the tents, get a fire going and have some hot grub
and maybe a few drinks around the fire too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Tomorrow we’d set off to the gorge,
explore it to our leisure, maybe even go swimming, and then head back to camp
for dinner. The next day we’d pack our
gear and head back to the minivan at first light.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">At least that was the plan anyway…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Instead I’ll recount events as they
actually happened. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">We stopped off
the main road at a small dirt pathway flanked by dense rows of spiny pine trees
and this was to be our parking spot. And
while the minivan survived the three hour drive, it would never survive a drive
over this kind of terrain… We would have
had better luck riding in a shopping cart instead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">The walk to
our campsite would take approximately four hours including time for some breaks
to have a snack and catch our breath, and as long as we stuck to the deer
trails and made it to the river, we wouldn’t even need to look at our maps, or
so Keith said. A pretty straight forward
affair, with the only real issue being the time the journey would take. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Grabbing our
bags and following Keith, we wasted no time moving briskly down the muddy road
and crossing over into the first trail, letting the woods swallow us one by one
as we broke past the treeline. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Above us, we could hear the birds
protesting our invasion with loud chirps and I remember clearly seeing a hare
gallop away like a stallion in the distance as we plodded along at a steady and
clumsy pace. Our two newcomers, Linda
and Martin seemed to be having a good time at this stage, and I was glad to see
it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">But anyway, as I was saying…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Two hours in
and we took our first break for lunch, my shoulders showed their gratitude the
moment I slid the backpack to the ground, and that bloody cramp which had been
building in my back from hauling the extra weight was finally allowed to lay
limp. And I just let myself sink into a
sitting position near a hollowed out log.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">“I am bloody
knackered already…” I heard Paul grimace
with a laugh as he too let himself drop onto a patch of moss like it was a
freshly made bed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">“If you have a
heart attack by the time we get there, I want your boots.” Fitzy chimed in as
he started throwing a chocolatey snack bar from his pack to Linda. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">“Sure, you can
have them; there’ll be nothing left of them when we get to the place.” Paul laughed before turning to Keith. “By the way, how much father is it?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">“About an hour
or an hour and a half, I think.” Keith responded. “We’ll chill here for a bit and then head off
when the feeling comes back to our legs again.”
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"> Nearby
while we snacked on chocolate and sugary treats, I could hear the faint gushing
roar of water in the distance and pondered whether that was the river Keith
said we would be following to the campsite.
I excused myself to check it out and Martin pepped up that he’d come
with too, he was a city guy like myself, but I don’t think he’d ever been close
to an actual river before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Surprising since he was like the oldest
out of the group by around ten years or so, I would have thought he’d have travelled
some at least once…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">We followed
our ears towards the sound of rushing water as we awkwardly stepped up a steep
hill of moist black soil, using branches from crooked saplings to pull
ourselves upward and onto a small trail which bordered the riverbank.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Once we got to the top, the roaring
sound of water seemed to engulf my ears completely and Martin and I had to
shout to one another just to hear each other.
The water flowed in a torrent which would likely sweep away anything
caught in its grasp; it splashed onto nearby rocks with explosive white froth
and I remember the air was filled with the scent of fresh water and wet soil.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"> “Keith
tells me that the gorge flows into that.”
Martin shouts loudly casting a hand towards the river. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"> “Aye,
but I’ll be damned if I’m going swimming in that.” I shoot back and start following the
riverbank to get a closer look.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"> “Well
you can jump in easy enough, but getting back out that’ll be the hard
part.” He laughs back, following along
as we start exploring the sides, snapping a few photos of the gushing river on
our phones as keepsakes for later. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"> It
was just then as I was scanning the sides and fumbling past some of the water
slick stones, I noticed an immediate foreign presence ahead of me on our side
of the riverbank. It was a sudden clash
of neon yellows and pinks’ which were totally out of place from the usual
natural greenery of the forest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">It was a man, dressed in brightly garbed
clothing you typically associate with hikers and usual outdoor enthusiasts,
also wearing a small black woolly beanie on his head which hugged tightly like
a little crash helmet. He seemed to be
just staring out towards the river, presumably just admiring the view like we
were.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">I sounded out a Hello, and his head
snapped to look at us like a deer struck by oncoming headlights. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Without saying anything he simply turned
and ran, dashing along the riverbank before breaking to the side into the
forest, vanishing from our sight. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"> “The
fuck is his problem?” Martin asked
bluntly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"> “I
dunno maybe he thought we were gonna start some trouble with him or
something?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"> “Probably
just a homeless dude, like he’s gone Schizo after years of wiping his arse with
leaves. I know I would…” Martin turned and motioned to follow back to the
rest-stop where we never said a word about the guy to anyone. I didn’t think it was too important at the
time and we couldn’t waste too much time if we wanted to get to camp and get
everything set up before sunset. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">It’s none too fun trying to set up a tent
in the dark…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">But the dude didn’t strike me as a
homeless guy; his clothes looked like the typical flashy super expensive
outdoor gear that you pay like several hundred quid to purchase. It would be the urban equivalent to see a
junkie dressed in an Armani suit…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">I shrugged it off, it wasn’t our
problem. And if it became a problem,
there would be six of us to deal with it.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"> Following
the river, we wearily lumbered through the last stretch of our march, led
forward by Keith’s insistence that we were nearly at our prime camping
spot. We didn’t have a lot of
information about the place itself, I was mainly sold on the fact we were going
to explore a gorge with the blood red river, but Keith reassured us that we’d
also have a decent place to pitch our tents as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">And after maybe another hour of walking
up a steep incline, we’d finally made it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">A small
clearing, perhaps no more than fifteen to twenty feet of flat ground and in the
centre was a small circle of stones for use with a campfire, even near that
were two fallen logs acting as makeshift benches.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">The place had obviously seen use in the
past by other campers, and for the six of us, it would be a tight fit to get
all the tents set up, but we’d manage.
After all, some of us were sharing tents anyway. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">After taking a short break to catch our
breath, Keith, Fitzy and Linda began setting up our tents, Paul and I were on
firewood duty and I can’t remember what Martin was doing at the time, but I
don’t think it’s important right now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Paul and I started wandering around the
outskirts of our small clearing, and armed with a small hatchet we started
hacking apart dead limbs and smaller saplings where we could find them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">It was Paul who noticed it first though.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Around many of
the trees we’d visited, much of the bark was missing in long vertical gashes which
had a series of gouges cut deep into the inner wood. And it wasn’t just one tree which had been
vandalised in such a way, but pretty much all of them around our campsite. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">At the time, we’d chalked it up to
either badgers or deer marking their territory in this area, I’d heard of bears
having similar behaviour, but Scotland doesn’t have much in the way of deadly
wildlife. Unless you count the Midgies… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">But thinking back on it now, I can’t
help but wonder if it was related in some way to our incidents. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">It just seemed, unusual.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">But once we
had our firewood though, the rest of the evening played out like many of our other
excursions. We ate meals around a
blazing campfire, told stories of past embarrassments and whatever tall tales
that carried a healthy dose of humours with them. We drank, sang songs off key, made up new
lyrics to replace the ones we forgot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">And as the sun set and the shadows crept
and spread throughout the forest, we retired to bed in a drunken stupor. Hangover or not, we’d need to be up early if
we wanted to catch a glimpse of the gorge at high noon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"> Of course, as drunk as I was, I was
awoken in the middle of the night by the very urgent need to empty my
bladder. It was pitch black and despite
the warm spring air we enjoyed during the day it was surprisingly cold, so with
shivering steps I tip toed outside the warming embrace of my sleeping bag and
stepped into the night before I pissed myself...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Although
something almost immediately caught my eye as I left my tent, and there on the
logs by the ashes of the campfire, sat Keith slumped over and staring at his
feet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">I greeted him but got no response and
just assumed the silly bastard had fell asleep sitting by the fire, and I would
have attempted to wake him but I had bigger things to worry about. One bladder sized problem that needed to be
relieved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">But after I had finished “marking my
territory”, I returned to find that Keith was no longer present by the
campsite, out of curiosity I decided to check his tent, hoping he hadn’t woken
up, wandered off and gotten lost. But
there he was, lying snoring in his sleeping bag.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"> Again, at the time, I thought nothing
of it, because in my head, Keith fell asleep by the fire, woke up when he heard
me pissing and then went to bed and fell back asleep. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">That’s what made sense to me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">But today, I wonder if that was really
Keith I saw that night…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Sunday Smilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12189154783715661955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720869596630450448.post-29922886416548380362015-07-24T06:29:00.000-07:002015-07-24T06:29:37.688-07:00Welcome!<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">So yeah, I made a blog.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">This is a place for me to post my own works of cruddy fiction whenever I please, most of which will be short horror stories or whatever strikes my fancy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Critiques are welcome, though I'd rather anyone <u>NOT</u> take any of my works and start hosting it elsewhere where they please, if you wanna post any of my crap then all you have to do is ask. But if I don't reply then please don't think that's permission to do so either.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I've even been hearing some disturbing things about Youtubers or Story Narrators taking works without permission and doing readings of them, even going so far as to change the original material. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">So yeah, not cool.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Other than that, I hope you enjoy, if not, then sorry for wasting your time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I think the first one I'll be writing will be my own take on a Skinwalker tale, so for those interested, stay tuned. I hope to have that one done sometime before Halloween.</span><br />
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<br />Sunday Smilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12189154783715661955noreply@blogger.com0