The air was thick with tension, the only sounds around them were the soft creaks of the wooden raft and the faint rustling of branches overhead. The moonlight shimmered on the water, casting long, eerie shadows across the riverbanks. Every now and then, the crew could hear the faint growls and screeches of unseen creatures hidden deep within the forest. Zhang and Carter moved the oars slowly, keeping the boat steady and avoiding the narrow streams that forked away from the main river.
Jason sat quietly, his eyes darting toward the dark treeline. He whispered, "I swear I saw something moving back there." His voice was shaky, barely audible, as if speaking louder might bring the shadows to life.
Maria leaned forward, her eyes wide with fear. "You're not the only one. Something's been following us for the past mile."
Zhang tightened his grip on the oar but kept his focus ahead. He had noticed it too—the way shadows flickered unnaturally along the banks. Something was out there, pacing them, running alongside the river, keeping just out of sight.
"They're fast," Carter muttered, glancing nervously at Zhang. "Whatever they are, they're keeping up."
"Stay calm," Zhang replied in a low voice, trying to steady his own nerves. "We're almost past the cliff. We just need to get out of this part of the river."
The sound of rushing water grew louder ahead of them, and the moonlight revealed the faint outline of a waterfall in the distance. The current was picking up, pulling the raft toward the drop.
"We're getting too close," Maria whispered, panic rising in her voice.
"I see it," Zhang said, his voice sharp. "Carter, grab the tree! Now!"
Carter leaned forward, reaching out as the raft drifted dangerously close to the edge. His fingers were just inches from a thick, sturdy tree branch that jutted out from the cliffside. The roar of the waterfall was deafening now, and the raft was moving faster, threatening to plunge over the edge.
Just as Carter was about to grab the branch, Zhang's eyes caught movement—something fast, something dark. Without thinking, he yanked Carter back by the collar, his heart pounding in his chest.
A creature launched itself from the treetops, a twisted, snarling thing covered in scales and matted fur, its eyes glowing a sickly yellow. It landed on the raft with a thud, its claws outstretched, aiming directly for Carter.
"Get down!" Zhang shouted as he drew the dagger from his belt in one fluid motion.
The creature let out a guttural scream, its mouth full of jagged teeth snapping wildly as it lunged at Carter. But Zhang was faster. He drove the dagger into the creature's throat, twisting it with brutal force. Blood sprayed across the raft as the creature's body convulsed, then fell limp, sliding off the edge and into the water below.
Carter gasped, stumbling back in shock. "That thing... it almost had me."
Zhang didn't have time to respond. He tossed the bloodied dagger aside and grabbed an oar, holding it like a spear. His eyes scanned the treetops, expecting more of those creatures to leap out at any moment.
"We need to move, now!" Zhang shouted over the roar of the waterfall.
The current grew stronger, pulling the raft faster toward the edge. Carter and Jason frantically tried to row against the current, but it was too late. The raft was swept up in the force of the river, spinning uncontrollably as it hurtled toward the waterfall.
"We're not going to make it!" Maria screamed, clutching the side of the raft as it tipped dangerously toward the edge.
"Hold on!" Zhang yelled, gripping the oar with both hands, his muscles straining as he tried to steer them away from the cliff. But the river was too strong, and in an instant, the raft plunged over the waterfall.
The world around them turned into a blur of rushing water and chaos. The crew tumbled into the churning waters, the raft spinning violently as it fell. Zhang felt the cold sting of the water engulf him as the raft plunged into the abyss below.
Everything went dark for a moment, the only sound was the deafening roar of the waterfall above them.