Forest of Savages - Rookie Burwick (books to read as a couple TXT) 📗

But I already told you. Just to make sure we don’t have another predator on the loose.”

 

Nick cleared his throat. “Right.”

 

 

***

 

The cool evening breeze fluttered by, whipping the fire around again. Sparks swirled as the breeze passed by, and then came to rest of the cracking, orange logs that burnt slowly. Nick shoved them a little closer together with a stick, and then leaned back onto the log he sat on. Once the breeze past, the warm evening weather returned.

 

The sky was still light enough to show the major detail of the forest beyond the clearing. Bugs swarmed through the air, buzzing angrily at Nick’s swatting hands. The night was peaceful despite the bugs, and had lots to offer. It sure beat spending another night boxed in inside his camper trailer, for Nick.

 

“The tents are ready to go,” Danny said, taking a seat on the log next to Nick.

 

“Good. Are the sleeping bags all laid out?” he asked. Danny nodded. “Yep.”

 

“Okay, that’s good. We’re doing good.”

 

Alan emerged from the trees seconds later, carrying another load of firewood.

 

“That’s enough for now, Alan. Thanks,” Nick said, fighting to hold back a chuckle. The guy had spent so much time hunting for firewood, it was amusing.

 

“Okay, got it,” Alan replied before dumping the firewood to the ground.

 

Nick took a sip from his instant coffee he’d brought along as he watched Alan’s shoulder closely. It was now properly bandaged, thanks to the First Aid kit. But, the whole thing made Nick nervous even despite it being aided. The creature that had wounded him could’ve easily passed on a deadly disease, sickness, or God knows what else.

 

“You feeling alright still, Alan?” he asked.

 

“Yes Nick. For the last time, I feel like a million bucks. Stop asking,” Alan snapped back.

 

“Sorry, just a little jumpy still.”

 

Danny snorted. “Aren’t we all?”

 

“I suppose so.”

 

“Well, I know I am.”

 

Alan took a seat on the other log, and shivered.

 

“Why are you cold? It’s one of the warmest nights we’ve had all summer,” Nick raised an eyebrow.

 

“I don’t know,” Alan said, and shrugged.

Nick eyed the bandage a little while longer, then looked down into his coffee. He sloshed it around a little.

 

“Why did the sheriff ask us to stay out here?” Danny asked.

 

He looked up into the fireplace.

 

“Prine thinks there’s something else out here, besides what we killed today. He wants us to stay a night, and see if we can’t pick up another trail tomorrow.”

 

“And if we can’t?” He shrugged. “We go back home, I guess.”

 

“You didn’t ask him?” Alan chimed in.

 

“No. Didn’t need to. He made it sound like after tomorrow, the pay would be put into our hands.”

 

Alan rolled his eyes. “Ask, next time.”

 

“If there is a next time,” Nick said under his breath.

 

“What?” Alan asked.

 

“Nothing. Don’t worry, whatever that. . .creature was, I’m sure it was our killer.”

 

“Let’s just call it a Bigfoot,” Danny said.

 

Nick looked at him. “No, that sounds too silly.”

 

“Oh please. What else can we call it? A Bigfoot is what it looks like.”

 

“You can call it a Bigfoot. I’m not.”

 

Danny opened his mouth to speak, but a terrible noise interrupted him. Alan let out a gasp. A look of terror slammed onto Nick’s face as howls erupted from the forest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FIVE

 

Panic reigned all through the camp. All three men scrambled for their rifles, and began taking aim at the trees. The howls were slow-paced, mournful, and sent a shiver up Nick’s spine.

 

Alan’s trembling hands pulled the trigger accidentally. He wasted two bullets by shooting them into the trunk of a large pine tree.

 

“Hey, save your bullets man!” Danny shouted.

 

“Sorry, I’m nervous,” Alan replied.

 

Nick shushed both of them, and listened. The howls still raged on from somewhere beyond the clearing. There were what sounded like thousands of the noisemakers, and the howls they were making were the weirdest noise any of the men had ever heard.

 

A howl went up just a few feet away from the clearing. Nick gulped, and spun toward the noise. Danny began banging away. Bullets flew past Nick’s cheeks. He froze, and waited for Danny’s nerves to calm.

 

Once the howls faded, the bullets stopped.

 

“Are you crazy?” Nick whispered angrily.

 

“Look out!” was all Danny said in reply.

 

Nick spun around in time to see a Bigfoot charging toward him, snarling loudly. He didn’t hold back. He fired bullet after bullet at the Bigfoot, but it still kept running at full speed for him. Even in the darkening light, he could still see the Bigfoot looked exactly like the one they’d killed earlier.

 

The Bigfoot roared and sped up. He turned and threw himself onto the ground beyond the fire pit, and listened to the beast running past.

 

Alan and Danny fired away as the Bigfoot disappeared into the forest.

“Dear God!” Alan cried. “Was that another Bigfoot?!”

 

Nick didn’t answer. He jumped to his feet just as another howl echoed through the forest. He grabbed up his rifle from the pine needles at his feet, and readied himself for anything.

 

The howls grew silent suddenly. The sounds of the forest returned. Crickets sang. Frogs glopped along the banks of the stream, half a mile away. Was it over? Were the terrible Bigfoots gone?

 

Something told Nick the answer was a definite “no”. They continued to listen for any further noises, but got no response.

 

“Do you think they’re gone?” Danny asked.

 

“I can only hope,” he replied.

 

Alan lowered his rifle to his hip, but kept it at the ready. Still, nothing else came from the hidden beasts.

 

A few more seconds, and Nick relaxed. “Alright, listen up. We’re going to take watches throughout the night. If anything comes out of those trees, you don’t yell or alert the others. Just start banging away. That’ll be enough.”

 

“Sounds good,” Danny agreed quickly.

 

“I’ll take the first watch,” Alan said.

 

Nick hesitated for a minute, but finally nodded.

 

“You two get some sleep. I got this.”

 

 

***

 

Nick couldn’t sleep a wink. The eerie howls kept replaying themselves inside his head. The horrible thought of there being thousands more of those beasts was far too terrible to stand.

 

He rolled over in his stuffy sleeping bag, and stared at the blue fabric of the tent. A flashlight hung down from the top where he’d place it with string, just because sleep wouldn’t come. The air was still warm outside, so his sleeping bag was wide open. The humidity was getting worse as well.

 

Questions were the only thing on his mind. Where they safe? How many more “Bigfoot” were there? Did they have an escape plan, just in case?

 

The last question made Nick gulp. Surly they could avoid any casualties. The intensity of it all drove him absolutely mad. Relaxation was no longer an option, especially when the sound of gunfire raged through the silence of the night.

 

Nick hurried to his feet and burst outside.

 

 

***

 

The sight Nick saw made him turn pale in a matter of seconds. His eyes widened with terror, and fear made him freeze in place. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t even swallow. Dozens of Bigfoot dropped to the ground from the trees, and glared back at his wide, unbelieving eyes. A few of them growled, others snarled.

Alan was bursting bullet after bullet into as many as he could, but the number was growing too fast for him to react.

“Dear lord,” he heard Alan scream above the creature’s angry noises.

A Bigfoot jumped up and grabbed a branch of a near-by tree. Using its strong arms, it began to swing through the surrounding trees, straight towards them. The other Bigfoot began letting out howls, and charging towards them by foot. The howls echoed off the trees, and vanished into the night.

Danny burst out of his tent, rifle in hand.

“Holy sh. . .” he began to cry out.

“Shut up and shoot!” Alan stopped him.

Danny raised his rifle, and fired away.

Nick was the only one unarmed. The Bigfoot were noticing this quickly. They began stomping toward him, inching their way to feasting on his throat. This fueled his ability to move. He spun around and darted back into his tent, grabbing up his rifle as quickly as he could.

More bullets flew as Nick joined the battle. Bigfoot finally started to fall dead to the ground. But not enough. More emerged from the forest off to their right, and right away started for them.

“We’re not going to make it out of this one!” Danny screamed.

Despite his attitude toward the situation, Danny kept shooting. A Bigfoot finally reached him, and swiped at his face. He toppled backwards, nearly falling onto his back. His finger pressed harder against the trigger. Nick turned and joined in, pounding into the creature’s skull. This caused it to fall dead. They paused for a moment, a very short moment, as a Bigfoot came running at Nick.

He shot two bullets into its chest before he had to reload. Panic spread quickly inside him. The Bigfoot inched closer as he jammed more ammo in. It came close enough to swipe as his face. Blood flew onto the log next to him as he came crashing down onto his back. The creature put its gigantic foot on his chest to prevent him from moving. He tried to struggle free, but it had a strong hold.

It glared down at him with its evil eyes that were darkened by the night, and all he could do was look back at them.

“Look out!” Danny said as he turned and fired at the creature. Nick covered his face, and shut the world out.

The angered Bigfoot let out a loud howl of pain as Danny shot into its chest, drawing the attention of the others.

A loud crack came from behind Alan. He spun around in time to come face-to-face with one of the Bigfoot. It used its giant, man-like hand to smash right down into his skull. Blood spilled out in showers and ran down his face. His dead body flopped to the ground and his rifle flew into the mud. Nick nearly screamed when he saw it happen. But he didn’t have much time to mourn.

Another Bigfoot came running at him. Four shots cracked into the air as Nick shot at the beast. But it didn’t stop. The beast kept coming for him, leaving him only one option.

He turned and ran into the trees, knowing the creature would follow. He dodged branches, rocks, tree roots, and everything else that came his way. He didn’t care what it was. The Bigfoot followed close behind, huffing loudly as it ran. He’d wounded it enough to cause such.

Suddenly, he heard Danny scream. Then, he knew it was all over. The beasts had won. He kept on running though, fueled by fear. Nothing was going to get him, for now.

The howls continued on into the night. Filled with rage, aggression, and hatred.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SIX

 

When Nick awoke, he found himself surrounded by nothing but thick forest. There were no tents. No sleeping bags. No camp. Nothing.

 

He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes, and trying to get them adjusted to the morning sunlight, which streamed down through the trees. His mind was still foggy in places. The surroundings and circumstances of such surroundings, he knew. He knew them too well. But simple stuff, like his home, his friends, his family, was all nothing but fog.

 

When reached up to straighten his hat, pain blazed into his skull as he did. Dried blood stained his forehead. He began looking around, and saw a large rock lying a few feet away, dried blood coating its surface.

 

The creatures had knocked him out somehow. Everything beyond the attack on the camp was a blur. All he knew was that he ran for hours. Sweat still stained his white T-shirt.

 

Just then, a loud rustling sound came from behind him. He jumped to his feet, and spun toward the noise. Nothing there but trees and moss. Taking a step back, he glanced nervously left and right. He knew those things were still out there. Now, the forest was quiet. The only sound was that of a breeze that gently swirled through.

 

A strange scent fluttered in that breeze. Nick caught a whiff, and