Beasts of Bonnie Hill

Camp happenings

          "Damn look at this massive slug!" Dylan called from the front of the group. James ran up to him.
          "Wow that thing is huge and gross," he said.
          They had been hiking for a couple hours now. They hadn't realised how much the trail elevated. They were practically in the mist and fog now. Everything up there was wet and it was very cool. The boys, with their large bags full of supplies and water bottles, could feel the weight steadily increasing as they climbed. They got were getting more and more tired.
          "I think we shoud find a spot to make camp soon," Talon suggested from the middle if the group.
          "We're still going up," Dylan pointed out from the front.
          "Yeah we should wait till we find a flatter spot to camp," Nate added. The group agreed on that. The underbrush was very thick, consisting of ferns, bushes, small trees, and rocky outcroppings, but mainly ferns. The forest was green, the deepest green the kids had seen in a long time. The tree towered like tall spires of wood creating a deep shadow below. The group hiked on the edge if a sheer drop off. They could see nothing below, just fog. It was beautiful.
          "It's really nice here," James commented.
          "Yeah, I wonder why we've never heard of Bonnie Hill national park," Dean added, "well I guess it seems like no one comes around very often," he told himself.
          "Maybe," Dylan said, then he stopped, "It gets pretty flat right here, and there's less underbrush," He pointed out, "We could make camp here,"
          "That would probably be a good idea, look at that cliff," Dean then pointed a finger at where the path went.
          "Holy shit," Dylan gasped. The path became very narrow and a wall of rock and earth jutted up steeply from left while it fell away sharply to the left. The path itself was only about 3 ft wide. "That looks pretty dangerous," Dylan said.
          "Yeah I think we should maybe rest before traversing that," Talon said, "we are already all pretty tired from hiking all-wait do you see that?" He suddenly asked. Talon was staring at the misty cliff path. The group tried to follow his gaze. "Do you not see that?" He asked again.
          "Talon," Nate said, "I only see a foggy cliff pass,"
          "No no, it looks like there's someone there, someone really tall..." Talon said. He saw a figure, vaguely human in shape but obscured by the fog. "They're just standing there,"
          Dylan looked from Talon to the path and back to Talon, "I don't see anything,"
          Talon watched as the figure seemed to shorten and then fade away. He stood there baffled. One second a figure was looming in the fog, then it wasn't. Maybe his mind was playing tricks. But just as he was thinking that the sound of rocks tumbling came from the path.
          "Ok now I definitely heard that," Dylan said.
          "Now do you believe me?" Talon asked making a gesture to the path.
          "That could've been anything," Dean said, "a squirrel or bird maybe,"
          "Yeah or maybe it's just the altitude," Nate said not even phased.
          "Well that doesn't explain what I SAW!" Talon pushed.
          "Like Nate said, maybe the altitude, and or maybe a bear," Dylan said, "that means we'll have to tie everything up tonight,"

          That night was cold and dark. The moon was nowhere to be seen and the clouds and fog blanketed the ground. The inky blackness painted the beautiful forest with a more sinister look. The only light came from the fire and a couple lanterns.
          James cooked some food on a griddle while Talon and Dean played a card game. Dylan and Nate sat at the edge of the cliff a little farther away from the group. They discussed the day and it happenings. "Do you think what Talon said earlier is anything to worry about?" Nate asked, a hint of worry already in his voice.
          "Nah, doubtful," Dylan replied throwing a rock into the forest below. "If it WAS anything it was probably just a bear or some animal. I highly doubt there's anyone out here, you saw how rundown this place is,"
          Nate chuckled, "yeah I guess you're right,"
          "One thing I do want to bring up though is Cayden," Dylan began.
          "What about him? Him and-"
          "No not that, haha, but the way he's been acting. This morning he was all squirrely and didn't want us to split up,"
           "I bet he just didn't want to have to pick a group," Nate said not paying much attention to it, "I best he's happy with the group he got though," Nate smiled.
          "Yeah I bet he is, but he said he warned us, didn't he?" Dylan recalled.
          "Yeah something like that," Nate said with increasing interest, "I just find it weird we're in a place on no maps, and everyone is seeing things,"
          "That was one time," Dylan interrupted.
          "Yeah but what about my voice? We heard it at that weird pub the other night," Nate said.
           Dylan thought on it for a while and then said "I don't know, but it's late and we got a lot of walking to do tomorrow, we should get some rest,"
          "Yeah you're probably right," the two boys got up to go help tie up everything for the evening and get the boys in sleeping bags.

          Dylan and Nate shared a tent while Dean, Talon, and James all crammed into another one. They all huddled close in their sleeping bags for warmth. The moon poked throught the clouds illuminating the clearing just enough to see.
          Talon woke up suddenly. He didn't sit up or scream, his eyes just opened. He wasn't sure what had woken him up but he felt uneasy. He sat there and then he realised why he woke up. A sound. He could hear something rustling just in the camp. He strained his ears, and then heard it again. Whatever it was was being delicate and trying to to be heard. Talon was smooshed in the middle between Dean and James. He started to wiggle but that made the sleeping bags rub together. The rustling stopped. Then a new sound came...from behind the tent.
          It was a deep sniffing noise. It came irregularly and then really fast like a dog. Whatever it was was taking in the sent. Talon nudged James. And pushed him again, James groaned. Talon shushed him but James rolled over making even more noise. Cold beads of sweat now trickled down Talon's scalp as he staired at the top of the tent. The sniffing had stopped but now he could hear the soft crunching of leaves around the tent. It was circling them. He was so focused on what was circling them that he didn't hear the trash bag ripping until he heard its contents spill onto the ground below. Something had tore open their food items. Something really tall, the figure on the path rushed back into Talon's mind. He shoved James so hard he pushed into the side of the tent. All the sounds outside ceased. James woke up now. Before he could say anything Talon shushed him.
          "Sh!" Talon let out the quickest and sharpest shush. He said so quietly that he was basically wording the words he was speaking, "there's something outside..." he said. James roled his eyes and went to move until another step came from outside. All the color drained from Talon's face. James turned to see the side of the tent being pushed in. The tent was pushed in at a point and the sniffing came again. This time much slower and deliberate. A low growl followed, Talon's eyes watered. Then it was gone. The side of the tent was normal again and the footsteps lead away from the tent. Towards the trash pile.
          "What. Was. That." James asked as quietly as his vocal cords would allow him.
          "I don't know..." Talon wept, "but it's still out there..." the two sat in silence for a second realizing they were the only ones awake. The only ones who might be able to do something. Then a strange sound echoed through the clearing. A growl and then a high pitched whine followed by "voices". The sound sounded almost like a hyena but echoed at different pitches as if you put a record into a blender. Talon and James turned to each other, pale as ghosts. The "laughter" continued, on and off while they heard rummaging in the garbage pile.
          More curious than anything Talon began to slowly move toward the tent flap. "What are you doing!" James hissed.
          "I need to see what that is, it could be a...a new species or something," Talon said inching closer, James began to follow. They got to the tent flap and stopped. Talon's arm reaching for the zipper. He waited, breathing and then started to unzip slowly.
          The sound seemed deafening but Talon continued. When there was enough space for their heads to peep through they looked out into the campsite.
          Everything seemed in order. All seemed quiet. Wait a second, Talon thought, there's no noise. He couldn't hear anything, no night animals but also no rustling, rummaging, or "laughing". Then he noticed James was staring across the clearing to where the bag was hung up about 70 feet away. Talon strained his eyes, he couldn't see much in the moonlight.
         He froze.
         Staring back at him from just in the shadows were 4 glowing orbs. Eyes reflecting the moonlight. He could make out the dog like shapes attached to them. They were two massive, 5'5" dogs. They sat motionless, staring back at Talon and James. He was transfixed, he had no idea what to do. Something told him that he wasn't in danger but he didn't quite trust it.
          James quickly retreated back into the tent. As he did one of the creature turned and took off into the as fast as it could, and it was fast. Inky the larger one remained now, watching Talon with moon reflecting eyes. The air seemed still and the forest stayed quiet. It seemed like and eternity when it was probably only a few second until James returned. He held a large flashlight and pointed it at the thing. Talon went to stop him but it was too late, the light flicked on.
          They got a good look at it now. At first Talon was relieved to see it was only a large brown tawny wolf with a fluffy mane and weirdly long legs. Relief washed over both of them...
          Until it stood up.
           The creature rose on its hind legs and its shape became too human. The boys gasped and watch open mouthed as the thing stood to about 11 feet tall. Then it dropped to all fours again and ran off into the darkness. A guttural howl echoing through the trees as a warning...