Uncanny Encounter

I was on the edge of my seat, waiting impatiently for something to bite my bait. I had no idea how long I had been sitting here, and it didn't matter. I have no intention of giving up on my life, even if I have to harm someone else in the process. When I was about to commit my first crime, I felt like a petty criminal in the making. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but I have no choice if I want to make it through this. Even if these scenes continue to haunt me in my dreams, I'm confident that I will be able to overcome them once I've made it through this ordeal.

"Don't worry, Eli, everything will be fine," I told myself. Despite my repeated assurances to myself that everything will be alright, a weak laugh escapes my lips. This isn't convincing in any way, shape, or form! My heart pounded uncontrollably as I forced a trembling breath from my lungs.

And if only the Rotters had not been nearby, everything would have been fine. For the umpteenth time, I aimed my gaze in the general direction of the noise. In the heat of the moment, I was clinging to the crude sling I had hurriedly constructed. Because of the forest's eerie silence, I can hear everything as if it were being broadcast at full volume, which terrifies me to the core.

I could hear them. From the faint but harsh snarls, the sound of rustling leaves and stomping feet as they clumsily navigate the dark foliage, and the scraping sound of skin and flesh being torn from their bones grating my ears.

I desperately wish I could scream "Time out!" and beg the horror film director to take me off the casting lineup, but that would be too far-fetched. For now, this is my reality.

Another long sigh escapes my lips, and that's when I suddenly pick up a faint sound from my right. The sound of hooves is steadily gaining speed, and I carefully positioned my body to get a better view. My heart suddenly thrashed violently against my ribcage when I spotted a silhouette from a distance. As expected, one of the noble pricks, in his full glory and arrogance, nonchalantly heads towards her trap while his eyes are transfixed on the smoke wafting like a waif in the dark sky. His mount slowly moves into a full totter while the rider scans his surroundings.

Did he notice the growling sounds coming from the hunting ground of the Rotters? From his movement, it doesn't seem like it. He is heading near the small bonfire I created just a few meters away from those Rotters.

If he's truly confident or just plain naive, I don't have the luxury of delving too deeply into this. Using a sling, I lifted the jagged rock and aimed it directly at the mount's most vulnerable area, its face. Upon releasing the sling, the jagged rock sailed right into my target.

Because of the horse's shock at the sudden attack, the rider let out a shocked scream before collapsing to the ground. A few seconds after the mount took off, a cry could echo through the night, waking the slumbering creatures.

When I looked down, I could see the noble stiffen like a rock on the ground, and I could hear the Rotters steadily advancing on us. Because of the darkness, I could not see his face, but it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that he was too terrified even to get up and run away from the scene. All he could do was feebly move his body, and crawl on all fours, a poor attempt for an escape.

Before he could even begin to put any distance between himself and the monsters, the horde of Rotters descended on him from all sides. His earth-shattering scream is instantly muffled by the shrieks and growls of the monsters feasting on his flesh, and all I can do is stay rooted in my hiding place until everything is over.

In the beginning, I'm afraid that I won't be able to bear to see him die. I was going to close my eyes tight like a coward to protect myself from the horrific reality, but I couldn't believe that I had just done the exact opposite of what I had intended to do! It's as if an unstoppable force has taken control of my body and the gory bloodshed has me spellbound. My heart is racing, and I'm dizzy from the sudden influx of blood into my brain. My fingers, which had been numb from the cold, became stiff and frozen as a result of my fear. Watching them violently sink their sharp and jagged teeth into their dying victim like rabid animals, each one of them took an enormous bite.

After a while, I noticed that the horde seemed slightly different from the one I encountered in the lake. While those from the lake look like they are a bunch of decaying corpses jolted from their eternal slumber six feet under, this group seems slightly more human-like than I had expected it to be at first glance. Their face and body are intact though signs of early decomposition are present because of the blackening of their skin. The only things that differ are that their fingernails are sharpened like claws, and their eyes are white. That explains why they were moving like they were blind. Blood was smeared all over their faces that I could barely make out their profiles aside from their razor-sharp teeth and gleaming sinister smile against the dark.

I had a strange sensation, but I couldn't place it. The more I tried to hold onto it, the more it seemed to elude me until I felt like someone was staring me down from across the opposite direction.

When our eyes met, I had to use every ounce of willpower I had to stay upright in my precarious hiding place. She stood there like a statue, bearing an uncanny resemblance to the other Rotters but acting entirely different. Although we were a long distance away, I could still feel her intelligent eyes curiously examining every part of me. And so, as if to say she was done, she gave me an unsettling smile.

My heart dropped to the ground in a loud thump when I realized something too late. My body lurched forward as I examined the swarm in front of me. This is what has been bothering me since earlier!

Those Rotters… were all women!

Hearing my thoughts, the swarm reflexively stopped in their tracks and simultaneously turned their heads towards the tree where I was hiding! My mouth hangs open in utter disbelief!

"They heard me? No way!"

I vehemently shook my head. This isn't the time to get rattled. They can't see me, but they can probably smell me even from this distance. My only wish is that they weren't clever enough to be able to scale the trees. I don't know how good their hearing is, but I must keep my mouth shut. I place one hand on my mouth to keep any sound leaking out; even a whimper is inexcusable. I can't allow myself to get scared now, even if I just witnessed the remains of what was once a human body as nothing but tatters of clothes soaked with blood.

"Please, leave me alone!" I fervently prayed inside my head when an unexpected reply appeared without warning.

"Fine. We will leave…for now," a harsh and raspy voice answered inside my head.

My blood runs cold while my mouth moves like a fish out of water. My body became rock hard because of the surprise. "Who the hell are you?"

A short silence ensues. And I was grateful for the brief reprieve before the mysterious voice appeared again. "This is not the right time. I will be back for you."

And just like that, the Rotters begin to withdraw into the forest's shadowy depths. As quickly as a puff of smoke, they vanished.

For the first time since that night, my body relaxes as I lean on the tree for support. However, my thoughts have been racing so fast that I'm on the verge of passing out.

I lowered my gaze to the person whose body I was temporarily inhabiting and shook my head. I couldn't help but let out a frustrated scream.

"Just who the hell have you been associating with? Answer me, hmmm? Whoever is the owner of this damn body?!"