Phobia

35. The Hole in The Ground

Grey was strolling through the forest when he saw the hole in the ground. It was cleverly covered up by a draping of leaves stuck on a thin net, but for a hunter like Grey who was experienced in setting traps, the hole stood out like a sore thumb from its surroundings. He was about to turn away from the pit when someone shouted for help. 

Hesitant, he paused, then turned back and marched straight to the hole. Kneeling down on the ground, he pulled away the covering, revealing a man stuck inside the hole. "Please Help me!", he cried out.

Grey peered inside and asked the man how he had fallen inside the hole in a stern tone. He replied," I'm a tourist... I really wanted to explore the forests behind the resort, and the next thing I knew, I fell in. I don't even know how long I've been in here for."

Grey surveyed the hole. It was about sixteen feet deep and too constricted for a grown adult. He sneered. This is why tourists should stop being so damn curious about everything. As he squinted at the man, he felt sure he had seen him before. But that wasn't possible, he was a tourist, and Grey never talked to any tourists. They were the reason he couldn't hunt in half of the forest, as it was reserved for their 'sightseeing'. Too bad this one broke the rules of sightseeing boundaries. Grey smirked at the weak excuse of a human being in the pit. He switched the gun on his shoulder to the other one and his eyes devoured the delightful sight of the man flinching. Smirking once again, he untied the rope from his belt and tied one end of it to a tree. Before tossing the rope into the pit, he paused. "Why should I help you? I could just walk away and leave you to rot, and no one would come to help you. So what's in it for me?" 

Panic clouded the man's expression, and he knelt down, clasping his hands together. "Please... I'll give you anything you want. I have money and acres of land. Just help me, and I promise I'll give you anything."

Grey pretended to mull it over, but his mind was already made up. The possibility of acquiring so much enticed him. Finally, he nodded and said - "Alright, that's fair", and he tossed the rope into the pit. Relief was evident in the tourist's expression as he began to climb the rope. As he drew nearer to the mouth of the pit, Grey's face stilled. The man - he had seen him before. He remembered then, but it was too late. The tourist clasped his hand and pulled him into the pit. The crunching of bones was audible as Grey hit the floor of the pit and fell still.

The man climbed out, took out his phone from his pocket and dialled a number.

"Yes, hey, another one down. This one didn't even notice I didn't have injuries after supposedly falling into such a deep pit. Man, they're so naive. You know, for a second there I thought we were done for because I had sold ropes to him the other day in the market. But he didn't even recognize me. After all, who remembers vendors? Also, get back up. He's a bit too heavy to carry alone. I bet we'll make a fortune off of this one."

Cutting the call, the man walked away, leaving behind a dead hunter in the pit.