Encounter In The Dark

Walking through the woods in the middle of twilight as darkness was about to consume the heavy air, the sound of crackling dry branches and leaves beneath my feet, there had been no rain for days, and the wildlife around me was keenly aware of my presence, but they let me know by making their respective sounds. Once my bearings have been regained to feel safe enough so long as I’m always on my guard, I begin walking along the path I initially started, but I take my time keeping my eyes and ears peeled to my surroundings.

Several minutes pass I kept walking moderately but tentatively encase there may be any unexpected or disturbing movements of concern. Until all of a sudden, I hear sounds of life, human life. After a few seconds, I smell smoke of a campfire, with the crackling caught in my ears. Not knowing who or what lurks ahead, I post up behind a large, thickened tree to poke my head and eyes out.

Suddenly a dark figure the size of a man from the fire became alerted to something. Although I didn’t get a clear view of the figure, it returned its attention to the dancing, wafting, orange fire, I made a quick glance and then I repositioned, sneaking and creeping behind another tree, a tree closer to the fire without being spotted or noticed visibly and without trying to step on a twig to make a loud snap.

By now, I can make out more human figures bobbing my head out again. There appear to be four (maybe five), and the far side of the fire remains elusive and bright. The atmosphere began to turn more nerve-racking, and chills began crawling up my spine with hints of fear, after the sky turned grey and roared from above with the sound of thunder beginning to emerge, it then started to rain but only lightly at a slow pace, the temperatures of the air started to decrease minorly with a chill which made it more than unbearable to receive shivers and goosebumps upon myself at a disturbing and vigilant situation in the middle of the woods at late.

I try to ignore the weather conditions, but I am unable to see or identify any of the dark figures’ faces as they are wearing dark clothing with hoodies to shelter them from the light droplets from above.

By now, I feel as though this is the time and chance to take my leave silently without making a disturbing sound of commotion to spark dooming trouble, as I feel twice as nervous as ever as the vision of my surroundings to darker from the side I walked from and dimmer but brighter to where the dark figures were standing by the fire, as night has already approached without realising.

Overhead though, a buzzard perches violently upon a branch just several feet above my head, sending a wave of ice-cold blood running rapidly through my arms of shivers.

Immediately I hide behind the tree in full cover, I don’t risk sticking my head around the tree to take a peek, but just as my head pokes out the side of the tree, I see four figures looking directly at my position. I don’t think they’ve seen me clearly without being noticed in the dark, but my heart was already in my mouth, and I tightened my grip on the tree with my eyes widened. The buzzard ruffles its feathers and takes flight as the fear dial turns up a notch. This is exactly what my research had warned me of. These specimens were highly proactive once their senses had been alerted. They’ve rarely passed up opportunities to progress their skills, skills to hunt, skills to kill. My gut begins to wrench, I fight the urge not to.