Astier ran through thick undergrowth back to the village. He needed equipment.
What was that thing? he thought, It looked ape-like, sort of. It was deathly pale. Perhaps it is a ghost!
For the next month the entirety of his time was spent exploring the caves, ever listening for that eerie singing. He used a rope tied to a tree near the entrance to find his way back. He tied its other end around his waist.
At the start of his fifth week looking for the mysterious creature, he disappeared. The villagers went to the cave where he’d last been seen. The rope was still attached to the tree and they followed it into the cave. Several minutes later the light of their torches fell upon Astier, dead and mangled. The villagers didn’t stop to retrieve Astier’s body; they ran.
