Enemy Mind

Maturnal Instincts

It had been twenty eight hours since I had last slept. I refused to lay down in the jungle and pray nothing eats me while I sleep. So I walked, sat down and took a break, then walked so more. I felt dead on my feet but it was better then being actually dead. I didn't care if I had to do this for another twenty eight hours I wouldn't be killed!

I had so much I wanted to do with my life. Things that I should've done long ago. I needed to be discharged some how from the UNSC. I wanted to go home and become a shop owner. Something mudane and ordinary. I think I've had enough thrills and chills in my life so far.

Every single rustling of a push or swaying of a branch had me on edge. Those fucking jackals could be hot on my trail right now. They might as well be a wild animal themselves. If I had to, I would take them down. Three to one wasn't a good number and they had energy shields, so I hope it didn't come down to that.

Today my only relief was the pouring rain. It did little to cool me off and once it stopped I would be miserable. At least I was getting the sweat and dirt washed off of me. Yet, I was making tracks even more so now. I just hope the rain will erode them away.

Another tree crashed down some five yards away from where I had stopped to lean against a tree. My eyes went to the spot in an instant. In the ground coming up was a animal. It had two fin like claws and resembled a brown whale. It snapped it's jaws onto the green part of the tree then dug it's way back into the ground. It was hug and powerful looking but I noticed that it lacked any canine teeth. It must've been a herbivore, which would explain why it was knocking trees down and dragging them under.

After it was long gone and the tremors stopped I approached where it had taken down the tree. There was obvious signs of it digging around and a large hole in the ground but no tunnel. It was like a land shark you heard about in ScFi stories.

I didn't linger much longer. I continue walking onward in the rain. It would become so strong that I would have trouble seeing or walking straight. I was wasting energy traveling in this. My justification was that the aliens wouldn't do this. That meant I was making distance between us if they were in pursuit of me.

It was getting close to sun down but the world was already shrouded in darkness. I had to bring out my flashlight to continue onward. My eyes and muscles burned from over use and fatigue. My boots were swamped and from the knee down I was caked in mud. As my light swayed in my grasp it flicked over a shadow deeper in the jungle.

At first I went still and hesitated in flashing my light over it. For a long while I looked at the shadow in fear. Then as I continued to look at it I found that it was a den. Tired, muddy, and wet I welcomed the sight almost too fast.

I almost forgot to approach with caution. I got to the mouth of the den and shinned my light inside. Instantly I caught a flash of one of those tank sized beasts. It's long trunk grabbed a hold of my leg and I was dragged in dropping my flash light in the process. I tried to escape it's grasp but I soon found myself pressed into its side.

The more I struggled the harder it held on. It wrapped it's trunk around my chest trapping one of my arms with it. My struggles became weaker and so did it's hold. He was looking at me with its one large brown eye. I stopped and stared back at it for a few moments. Then I felt something stiff and furry beside me. With my free arm I investigated it keeping eye contact with the great beast.

The other smaller thing was nestled into its stomach, lifeless. It had the same trunk and ears as the thing holding me. It was obvious when I accidentally poked it's open eye that it was dead. I connected the dots and realized that it was a mother and the other thing was it's dead offspring.

It groaned at me in high pitch and let go. Instead it's trunk traveled across my body as if exploring. I could feel the end of the trunk sniffing at me. It finally reached my face and snorted. Then without warning it rolled onto it's side more and pressed me against it's stomach. I couldn't believe what it was doing, it was trying to mother me.