Nature's Call

Xavier stamped his feet with a giddiness reserved for kids. “Oh my god, it's so perfect!”

Benjamin couldn’t fight off his smile even if he tried. “Ah, ah, but first let’s do the check.” He held up his phone so Xavier could see. “Zero bars.”

Xavier returned a perfect smile and whipped out his phone. “One bar for me.”

“So, I guess we aren’t completely out of the woods yet.” Benjamin said with a cheesy laugh.

“Ha, ha,” Xavier did his near perfect Squidward laugh in return.

The two took a step back to admire the cabin. It was tall and sort of oblong looking, which was an odd shape for a cabin overall. Though it had a sort of modern, meets rustic charm.

Benjamin opened the key box with the code from the Airbnb owners and they entered. They were met by large windows that brought in natural sunlight from almost all points. The living room had a tall twenty-foot ceiling with string lights that hung down to the ground. The best part was the giant windows in the living room that gave a movie theater type view of the surrounding forest. Where the outside had a splash of modern style, inside went full log cabin.

Xavier was going through the kitchen cupboards, when Benjamin cleared his throat.

"So, since it's our anniversary and life’s been so crazy lately, not only did I oblige in getting us an off the grid cabin here. I also decided to indulge one of your weird nerdy quirks.”

Xavier raised his dark eyebrows, “oh? And what weird, nerdy quirk would that be?”

Benjamin's lips met Xavier’s for a long moment before pulling away. “Not only are we off the grid per your request, but we are also in what is called by many.” Benjamin paused for dramatic effect. “A big foot hot spot.”

Xavier’s mouth was split between saying wow or what. “What? No way? You are fucking with me, right?”

“Yes, Sasquatch, the Goat Man, the Chupacabra.”

Xavier rolled his eyes, “No really though.”

“No really though, I’m not fucking with you. Not now anyways.” he said with a smirk before flicking Xavier on the nose. “No seriously that's the main reason I chose this cabin specifically was the reported activity all over this area, and even in some of the reviews from visitors here they mentioned hearing things.”

“Well damn, let’s go outside while the suns still up and see if there’s any evidence of squatchs.”

Benjamin grabbed Xavier’s hand, “ah, ah, we still need to unpack my little cryptozoologist.”

Xavier pulled away,”Nah, we’ve been driving for two hours I think we’ve earned the right to embrace this nature, and stretch our legs.”

“Oh fine, fine. Lead the way.”

The two went outside and were greeted by a waning twilight sunset; along with the beginning stages of the forest night shift waking up. Crickets began their chirping back and forth looking for their friends and lovers like tinder dates. At least that’s how Xavier described the goings of crickets.

The two sat on a small porch as they listened to the utter deafening silence. Silence that wasn’t quiet after all it just lacked the roar of cars, planes, and people in their midst. They were no longer in the big city.

Benjamin broke their verbal silence. “You know, if you think about it although we aren’t in the city we are kind of’ in a different type of city.”

Xavier looked at him curiously raising his eyebrows with a smirk that accented his dimples. “How do you mean?”

“I mean it’s still the city, but not for us.”

Xavier laughed. “I remember my first time in a forest with no phone service.”

“No, no listen I mean it’s a city, but for the animals out here. Think about it, we got probably racoons out here getting ready to go on little raids. There are deer settling in getting ready to tell their uh, kid deer’s bedtime stories. Then of course the crickets.”

"The crickets are tryin’ to fuck!” Xavier said with a laugh, and Benjamin laughed as well. Their laughter subsided and they continued to listen to the heightened activity around them now.

Xavier said now wearily. “You know you forgot one animal in your little animal city.”

“Oh and what’s that?”

“The mayor you might call him.”

Benjamin stared as he waited for an answer.

“Big daddy Sasquatch, or BigFoot as his friends may call him. You know if it’s here it probably is watching us or knows exactly where we are at all times.”

Benjamin stymied a laugh. “Of course, so we better be on our best behavior. Come on, let's unpack before he decides to kick us out of here.”

After they unpacked the two uncorked some wine and began listening to the forest again, for what they were listening to, Benjamin wouldn't have been sure, but Xavier knew. They spoke in quiet voices.

Benjamin took a sip of wine and asked, “So besides the tree hitting noises what else are we listening for?”

Xavier held up a hand as if he heard something but then answered, “So there are the tree noises as you put it. Rock knocking or throwing.”

“That one sounds fun.”

Xavier continued, “they have their own vocalizations and sort of howls. Xavier’s hand went to the back of his neck, “some wilder claims that they can communicate telepathically.”

Benjamin had to sigh at that one.

“Yeah, I know, I don’t know about that one. Then one thing they are known to do is mimic the sounds of the forest, or of other animals.”

Benjamin sat up. “Wait so, all of these lovely forest sounds we are hearing now the crickets, the frogs, the owl, could all just be a ruse by the sasquatch?”

Xavier smirked sensing the sarcasm, “Yes, it could very well have been him this entire time..”

The two laughed and talked in hushed voices for a couple hours longer on the charming porch. After a while they both started to struggle to keep their eyes open.

Xavier knew from the change in Benjamin's breathing that he was on the verge of being asleep. He started to shake him to make that move to go to bed when both were jolted into a state of being wide awake.

It was as though someone got a good hit with a wooden baseball bat. The two sat with their eyes wide for a moment. Benjamin started to speak but Xavier held up a finger. The wilderness they had grown so fond of was completely silent now, so much so they couldn’t help but jump in surprise when there was another smack of wood that came from another direction. This time it was hit four times rhythmically.

Xavier’s mouth hung open. There was one last loud clap of wood somewhere in the distance from them. Eventually after waiting in the silence for some time the forest resumed its ambience.

“Oh my god.” Muttered Xavier. I can't believe we actually heard it, the first night no less. I mean it could be someone fucking with us but still.”

Benjamin smiled and said, “we will have to go out tomorrow and look for Bigfoot prints won't we?”

The next morning the two prepared a light breakfast much to Benjamin’s protests. He wished to have a full breakfast and chill for a little while. He didn’t protest much however, he could see that Xavier was very antsy to get outside and have a look. Everything was going how he hoped it would.

It was a brisk dew-covered morning. Benjamin threw on a red flannel that prompted Xavier to call him the red bearded lumberjack.

The two began their walk outside the house, heads angled down for any possible footprints; each step a wet crunch beneath their feet. They did not have to venture far. Maybe fifty yards from their abode they found huge indents in the forest floor. They were clear footprints for the most part, Benjamin could fit both of his own size 11.5 shoes inside of it, longways and if he put his feet together.

“I can’t believe this. This is, this is.”

“This is what?” Smiled Benjamin.

“This is freaking crazy! I never thought I would see actual evidence of BF in my lifetime. Like in person I mean.”

“BF? Oh, yeah BigFoot.” Xavier whipped out his phone and began to take pictures of the footprints. Even once holding his foot up next to it for scale.

Xavier’s eyes followed the tracks. “Let’s see how far they go.”

The two followed the tracks for an hour. They seemed to go everywhere and nowhere. To their surprise the footprints lead them to the main road from which they came on their drive. “Did BF drive here with the homies?” Asked Xavier.

“I don’t know but let’s get back and eat, that breakfast was broke too fast.”

“Okay, okay, but first let's follow them going the other way now. From where we found the first one.” Benjamin slumped his shoulders some, but he knew that this is why they were here after all.

So, they continued despite the rumble of their stomachs. The steps seemed to again go in circles. However much to the twos shock, they met up with another set of huge footprints, and then another. Three or four in total.

“Holy shit. Looks like a damn Sasquatch party here last night.” Xavier exclaimed, with a laugh.

He knelt and took more photos as Benjamin looked at the direction they went. Crazy they organized this fiesta with just a few smacks of timber.” His voice trailed off some,” uh it looks like they went toward the house.”

Xavier froze, his phone in his hand before standing back up. The two followed the footprints and came to realize how close whatever made the footprints got. The steps circled the entire house.

Xavier got closer to the house and called Benjamin over. “Oh my gosh, look at this shit. They literally got up to our windows. They came that close!”

Benjamin knelt with a blank stare looking at the footprint that was left just below the windows of the bedroom they slept the night before. “Too close for comfort.”

That night they did not have to wait long, not long after they settled outside, they heard the same tree noises, along with what sounded like rocks being knocked together. Xavier and Benjamin sat in disbelief. Xavier recorded almost all of it. Benjamin couldn't help but giggle on the inside as he watched his lover react to it all.

The noises stopped intermittently for maybe an hour, in its place silence returned.

“Are they turning in for the night?” Benjamin asked as he put his arm around Xavier.

As if they heard him say that the silence was broken by guttural grunts in the woods and surrounding the house.

“Jesus Christ.” Xavier jumped at the first ape like grunt.

Benjamin laughed; “it sounds like a bunch of gorillas out there.”

“Yeah those aren't gorillas though babe, ehh I think it's time we went inside.”

“Oh, what c’mon it's getting good!”

“You may think this is a game, but I know what those things could do to us. Let’s go inside.”

Xavier tossed Benjamin's arm off his shoulder and led the way inside.

Xavier threw back a glass of red wine as if it were a shot. “I will say though I got a lot, I mean a lot of great stuff this weekend. I mean thank you so much for this, but that was just a little too spooky.”

Xavier gave a strong hug now. Benjamin slowly pulled away biting his lip.

“So there’s something I have to tell you.”

“Okay?”

“So this trip.”

Benjamin was interrupted by an enormous crash that hit somewhere on the house. The entire house shook, and the blow vibrated throughout, so much so they could feel it vibrate through their feet.

“Woah what the fuck was that?” Both exclaimed almost at the same time.

Again, another hit this time on the other side of the house shook them.

Then another, the house shook as though there was a tremor.

Xavier and Benjamin held onto each other tightly, outside they could hear deep growls, and heavy breathing.

Benjamin pulled out his phone now and held it up to his head.

“Who are you calling? Xavier hollered above the outdoor assault.

On the third ring someone answered. “Okay that's enough! You guys can stop, stop it all now. It’s gone too far now. Okay come on in.”

The shaking continued. The house's boards creaked and groaned.

"Stop!” Yelled Benjamin.

It felt like time stood still, but just as soon as the tremor started it now stopped suddenly.

“Benjamin, what the hell is going on?”

Outside headlights lit up the windows, and the side of the house.

“Who the fuck is here?”

“Please, please don’t be mad at me; can you promise?”

“Not until you tell me what the hell is happening Ben.”

Benjamin sighed, “So this place does have BigFoot activity but they specialize in role playing it more so.”

“Role playing?”

“Yeah, like they make the noises, do footprints and eventually someone comes up in a suit or something.”

“You are fucking kid-”

The doorbell chimed twice.

“And here are the yahoos who usually do it, safe to say they got a little carried away.”

Benjamin opened the door and two men entered. One very slender who said hello with a gap in his front teeth. The other a burlier one, with a dark beard and hunters overalls on.

“Xavier, this is Ned, and Terry.”

Ned, the slender one, said hello again with a nasally voice.

“A pleasure,” said Terry, the bearded one.

“So, these are the two who been doing all the squatch things the past two days.”

“Yep that’d be us. Sorry if we got your hopes up.” Ned said with an earnest smile.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. It was just you two? The footprints, the sounds, the rocks?”

“Yep it’s a lot of running around with these funky shoes on but we got it down pretty good.” Terry held up a shoe that had an enormous foot on the bottom.

Xavier couldn’t hide his annoyance, and disappointment.

Terry put his hand on his shoulder, “hey man if you want, we can take you on a real hunt. We do that too, ya know.”

Benjamin interjected. “Yeah we will have to get back to you on that cus’ this got a little wild here.” He waved his hand around, gesturing to the entirety of the house.

“Well ya get what ya pay for I suppose,” Terry said scratching the back of his head.

Xavier cut in now, “So how did you shake the house like that? Did you just bump it with a four-wheeler or something?”

Terry and Ned's faces both scrunched up some and they glanced at each other.

Ned squeaked out, “house shaking”

Benjamin laughed trying to lighten the mood for Xavier. “Yeah, I mean it felt like a freakin' earthquake in here. That’s what made me call to stop the ruse.”

Terry and Ned stared at each other a little longer before turning back. Terry spoke now, “Eh, we didn’t do no house shaking.”

Ned, empathized more so, “yeah, we never got close to the house. We just were doing the noises and tracks out there.”

Benjamin held up both hands for pause. “Wait, wait, wait, so if you two weren’t running around the house and fucking shaking it who was?”

The four all exchanged glances. When somewhere, in the not too deep forest, an explosive howl roared angrily enough to make the group wince. A prehistoric moan it was like. As ancient as man but long forgotten. It droned on longer than what should've been possible. When it finally did stop it took with it any doubt of what had shook the house.