Camping Alone is Not a Good Idea
First Night
I hate to bother with word processors and draft writing and all that. So this story is typed directly into aff textbox. If you see this story a lot in the archive index it means I am writing and editing and revising and publishing it again and again. LOL. Sorry for the inconvenience. Just ignore me ok? I promise I am not trying to annoy anyone.
First NightThe driving, the hiking, setting up, and now making the bed had drained him thoroughly but it was worth it, he thought. Night had fallen a few hours ago. It was quiet but for the howl of the wind. His mind was still in chaos but it's easier now to ignore it. He woud sleep peacefully tonight. Or so he hoped.Since it's winter camping in the mountains he did not bother to strip off, just bedded down like that in his warm wool layers. The sleeping bag is a little musty but somehow the familiar smell led him into slumber without him realizing it.
"Jim, stop it. It's cold..." he mumbled as the cold air hit his skin. He reached out with one hand to ward him off, and his bare fingers encountered some weirdly cool limbs that immediately retracted itself.
"Jim, what..." He opened his eyes and saw only darkness. Reaching out for the light, his fingers encountered more cool limbs moving about. He jumped up in bed and shrank into himself. Only to realize it's not even a bed. It's the hard floor, and his sleeping bag. Then everything rushed back to him right then, up to when he bedded down in the tent. Except now he was pretty sure he's not in the tent, and his clothes was askew, revealing his skin to the cold air.
And there's someone else there with him in the dark.
"Who... who are you? Who is there?!"
No answer, but he could sense movements a few feet away and some faint rustling sound. Alarmed, he gathered the open sleeping bag around himself. The chill now was not just caused by cold air.
He was sure it's not some animal, because there was no growling or hissing. And he was still in one piece. Plus animals don't have opposable thumbs to open the sleeping bag - not animals in this part of the mountain anyway.
"Who are you?! Answer me, damn it! What do you want?!"
The silence was deafening after his loud outburst. Gathering up his courage, he scooted away inch by inch from the rustling sound, feeling exposed to some unknown danger, all the while wondering where his things were. Where the hell was the Ka-Bar when he needs it?
"Look, I don't want any trouble. If you'd just let me leave I'll make sure not to come here again. Okay? I'm leaving right now. Just let me get my boots." He was proud of himself for keeping his voice level. He knew if they were poachers he might not get away alive. But how was he going to search for the boots in the dark? Slowly crouching up, he stepped away from the sleeping bag, his heart in his throat.
Suddenly the rustling sound intensified and rushed towards him.
"AHHHhhh.....!" He turned away in panic and made for the darkness behind him as fast as his socked feet could carry him. His heart tried to beat his feet to it, his throat clogged with a scream, he ran blindly into the dark. And hit a wall of vines so thick he thought he was hit by a semi truck.
"RGHHHH! Arhgggggghhh.....!" He was on his back on the floor, stunned.
"Ugh....! " Struggling to get up from the dirt floor, he felt the hanging vines moving around him. Moving in to surround him. And they made the same rustling sounds.
"What the... ahhh! Oy! What the eff...!" Some vines had wrapped itself around his feet and pulled him up. Now he was hanging upside down