The foul creatures breath filled my nostrils, making my stomach start to crawl into my mouth, though it was stopped short in my chest as the beasts enormous paw pressed down, threatening to crush my rib cage. It's sharp claws extended and pierced my skin, then, quickly slashed down, tearing through the thin fabric of my shirt and slightly sunburned skin beneath. Oh, I could feel the blood bubbling up through the torn skin, and I knew it was supposed to hurt, but being paralyzed with fear, I felt nothing. I just kept my eyes closed and prayed for a quick, painless end.
In nineteen eighty-four, I was eighteen at the time, I received a letter from a man who owed my father much, wondering if I was interested in going on a cruise. Naturally, I was delighted and took him up on the offer. Three days later I packed my bags and boarded a train down to the dock where the SS Enterprise was waiting. I, along with so many other passengers, boarded the boat with high expectations for this "cruise of a life time". Little did I know, it would be a life changer.
I remember that night clearly as if it had happened to me a hundred times over. It was a dark night with no lights but those coming from the boat. The passengers, all gathered on the deck for a late night concert, were completely oblivious to the horror soon to come. Without any warning, a terrible storm came crashing down upon us and passengers were urged to go inside and stay in their rooms. In a panic, people began pushing and shoving their way through the mass of bodies. I, unfortunately, was cast over the side of the ship in the mayhem and was sent head first plummeting into the freezing waters. At first, it all seemed so calm, I thought I was dead, but when I came back up for air I was hit by a massive wave and was once again sent under, blacking out.
It was growing late in the evening, the sun past the highest point of it's perch in the sky, when I awoke. The ship was nowhere to be seen, the only sign of it's presence being a few bits and pieces from the ship floating about, and a body of a man who looked to be in his late thirties floating in the water. On shaking legs, I stood up and looked around, hoping to find something that could tell me where I was and where I could find help. The island, at least I assumed it was an island, was nothing but thick forest once you passed the beach line and I knew right then that I must have been the only one there. I was on a deserted island with no food, no water, and no way to get home.
As I was essentially writing my last will and testament (which I knew no one would read), I heard a noise that shook my very soul. It was neither man nor beast, nor any creature known to mankind. It was ungodly and could surely turn the bravest man's hair white. Whatever ghastly beast hid within the growing darkness of the forest, I knew it must have been enormous. It's heavy footsteps seemed to make the ground shake in terror, the trees quicker at it's low growl, and the darkness shied away from it's large ebony green eyes as it reached the edge of the tree line. We stared at each other for a moment, its green eyes never moving from me, but when it seemed certain that I was of no pressing danger, it slinked back into it's dark kingdom.
Only when the heavy footsteps had receded to nothing more than a soft rumble did I dare breathe. My legs seemed to have turned to jelly and when I finally let the air out of my burning lungs, I collapsed onto the soft sand. I could feel my heart pounding in my ears and I feared it would surely break through my rib cage and rip through my chest. When the initial terror had subsided and I could once again feel a steady heartbeat, I stood up and began walking down the beach in hopes of finding someone; anyone. As the sun began to set and night began to take the sky, I could feel a new fear began to crawl into me and give my bones a chill. As I turned to look at the tranquil sea, I stopped abruptly.
The sand was cooling slightly as I leaned against a nearby tree, watching the setting sun being to pull its blanket of colors down over it. In front of me stood a stranger by the waters edge, crooked cigarette in hand as he gazed off into the horizon. A soft breeze blew in, tasseling his hair lightly, making the light smoke he exhaled seem to dance as it reached for the sky. Everything seemed so much more exotic, temporarily making me forget the fear I had faced only moments ago. I remember sighing at the beauty before me, which seemed to alert the man to my presence. He stood very rigidly befor me, allowing his cigarette to burn slower.
"You do realize that there is no way to get off of this island," he spoke is a husky voice, startling me slightly "Don't you ma'am?"
"Well, I suppose since you put it like that, I do now. What's your name and where did you come from, if you don't mind me asking."
"My name is Tucker, Tucker Scáth," he spoke slowly as if he was not eager to give out that sort of information. He took a minute to take another slow, deep inhale and an even closer exhale as he let the wisps of smoke slowly crawl up to the darkening sky before he spoke again.
"As for where I am from, that is quite a vague question. I have been everywhere and seen everything, never staying in one place for every long. I suppose, if I must pick a point of origin, I came from Hell and was cast onto these unforgiving shores."
"You're a bit dramatic, aren't you?"
He flicked the butt of his cigarette out into the water and turned towards me, scowling. His ebony eyes shown with flecks of amber shining brightly, as if they held a burning fire within his soul. As he came closer, he began to tower over me in a menacing manner, causing me to shrink away from his sight. Tucker stopped, staring oddly at me for only a moment, then promptly passed me in long swift strides. "Come, we must get shelter before it is dark," he growled softly and I thought I caught a glimpse of a smirk upon his full lips. Shaking my suspicions away, I followed him as he moved away from the sea towards the tree line.
"What about the beast?" I called after him as I scurried to keep up with him, my heart racing more at the thought of facing that great beast than the physical exercise it took to keep up with the man. Tucker laughed and continued forwards, not stopping for a second as he crossed the threshold into the dark eerie forest.
"The beast? What beast do you refer to ma'am?"
"You have lived in these woods for how long and you have not come across the creature?" I bellowed,unsure how this could have happened.
"These are thick forests, ma'am. You are more likely to see the same tree twice than to see the same species twice. This place holds a magic all of it's own."
I looked up into the forests canvas, watching unrecognizable creatures crawling and jumping about, alert to our appearance into their domain. Big yellow eyes stared into mine as I walked beneath them, and curious creature followed slowly behind without a sound. Suddenly, my shoe got caught on a root and I fell forward, startling myself and the creatures as well, making them scatter. When I looked up, however, everyone, including Tucker, were gone. As I stood up, I noted the unnerving silence around me, like that before a storm. Before I had a chance to breathe, I was knocked backwards by something big, hairy, and unnatural.
The foul creatures breath filled my nostrils, making my stomach start to crawl into my mouth, though it was stopped short in my chest as the beasts enormous paw pressed down, threatening to crush my rib cage. It's sharp claws extended and pierced my skin, then, quickly slashed down, tearing through the thin fabric of my shirt and slightly sunburned skin beneath. Oh, I could feel the blood bubbling up through the torn skin, and I knew it was supposed to hurt, but being paralyzed with fear, I felt nothing. The creatures eyes, a soulless ebony, stared into mine before I closed them, praying silently for a painless end since help was no where to be seen.
