The river's current was steady, but the tension was thick as Carter and Jason rowed in silence. The moonlight flickered through the trees, casting shadows over the dark water. Maria sat at the back of the raft, her eyes shifting between the horizon and Zhang, who was still unconscious, his face pale under the dim light.
Her gaze lingered on Zhang. He had always been strong, the one to lead them, and now he was lying helpless. It made her stomach turn with worry. She brushed her hair back, feeling the cold wind bite at her skin. She scanned the landscape, her eyes narrowing as she noticed something up ahead.
"There," Maria whispered, pointing into the distance.
Carter squinted, following her gaze. Jason glanced over his shoulder, gripping the oar tightly. In the distance, they saw it—a campsite. Or at least, what was left of it. Tents and vehicles were scattered, torn apart, and smeared with dark streaks of blood. The once orderly campsite now looked like a scene out of a nightmare.
"What the hell happened here...?" Jason muttered, his voice barely audible over the gentle splash of the oars.
Carter brought the raft closer to the shore, his eyes scanning the area cautiously. "Tie the boat here. We need to see if there's anything we can use. Medicine, food, anything."
"Should we leave Zhang here?" Maria asked, her voice trembling with concern.
Carter looked at her, then at Zhang, his face conflicted. "He's not waking up anytime soon. Stay with him. Jason and I will check it out."
Reluctantly, Maria nodded, her hands trembling slightly as she adjusted Zhang's blanket. She watched as Carter and Jason stepped off the raft, their footsteps sinking into the muddy shore. The air felt heavy, oppressive. The campsite looked like it had been abandoned in a hurry, though it was clear something had hunted down whoever was there.
Carter took the lead, his axe ready. Jason followed close behind, his eyes darting nervously. The smell of decay and iron hit them as they approached the torn tents, and Jason gagged, covering his mouth with the back of his hand.
"This...this is bad," Jason whispered, his voice shaky. "Really bad."
Blood spattered across the ground, mixing with the mud. Clothes, personal belongings, and broken supplies lay scattered everywhere, as if the people who had been here had no chance to defend themselves. The vehicles were smashed, windows broken, doors ripped off their hinges. Deep claw marks gouged into the metal sent shivers down Jason's spine.
Carter knelt by one of the tents, lifting a flap cautiously. His eyes darkened at the sight inside—a body, torn and mangled, almost unrecognizable. The stench of death was unbearable.
"Don't look," Carter whispered, his voice strained. "Just...look for supplies. We don't have time."
Jason's heart raced as he rifled through the debris. His hands were shaking, but he pushed through the fear, searching for anything they could use. He found a few cans of food, a first aid kit, and some water bottles. His mind kept replaying the scene—the blood, the destruction. What could have done this? he thought. What kind of creature was strong enough to tear through metal like that?
As they regrouped near the wreckage of a torn vehicle, Jason found himself whispering, almost to himself, "Do you think whatever did this...is still here?"
Carter didn't answer right away. His eyes were scanning the treeline, his grip tightening on the axe. "I don't know," he finally said, his voice low. "But we can't stay. Let's get what we need and go."
They quickly gathered everything they could—food, medicine, tools—anything that might help them survive. As they finished looting, Carter stopped and glanced back at the campsite. His thoughts were running wild. This wasn't just an attack... it was a massacre.
Jason followed his gaze, a lump forming in his throat. "What now?" he asked quietly.
Carter didn't respond immediately. He looked at the bloodstained ground, the shredded tents, the silent vehicles, and the empty, lifeless sky above. "Now," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper, "we survive."
They hurried back to the raft, their footsteps quick and nervous, the weight of what they had seen hanging heavily over them. Maria looked up as they returned, her face full of questions, but Carter shook his head. "We found some supplies. That's all that matters right now."
Jason kept his eyes on the water, trying to push the images from his mind. But they lingered—the torn tents, the blood, the thought of what might be waiting for them in the darkness. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, fear gnawing at him.
The raft pushed off from the shore, and they continued their journey down the river. The water was calm, but the tension was not. None of them spoke for a while, the weight of the gruesome discovery hanging over them like a dark cloud. Every sound from the forest made their hearts race—the snapping of branches, the distant growls of unknown creatures, the rustling of leaves.
Carter glanced at Jason, then at Maria, who sat close to Zhang, her eyes full of worry. "We keep moving," Carter finally said, breaking the silence. "No matter what happens...we keep moving."
Jason nodded, but deep down, he wasn't sure how long they could keep going like this. He glanced over his shoulder at the campsite, now fading into the distance. What did we just survive? he thought. And how much longer can we keep running?