The rain had slowed, but the sky was still dark, thick with clouds, and the air carried a biting chill. Zhang lay unconscious, his face pale and his body limp. Maria, Carter, and Jason gathered around him, their clothes drenched in mud and water. Carter knelt by Zhang's side, checking his pulse. "He's breathing, but he hit his head pretty hard," Carter muttered under his breath.
Jason had already dragged them out of the water to safety, but there was no time to rest. Creatures roamed nearby, their eerie growls echoing in the distance. They all knew the danger wasn't over yet.
Maria shifted nervously, grabbing Zhang's spear. It was heavy in her hands, much heavier than she expected. "I can't carry this...," she said, glancing at Carter.
Carter, hoisting Zhang over his shoulder, turned to her. "Give the spear to Jason," he said, his voice calm but stern.
Jason blinked, looking at the spear thrust toward him. "Wait, what? I'm not—"
"Just hold it steady when you thrust," Carter instructed, already giving Maria his crossbow in exchange. He took Jason's axe, gripping the handle tightly. "You can do it."
Jason hesitated, gripping the spear awkwardly. "I... I'm not built for this," he muttered under his breath, clearly uneasy.
Carter tightened his hold on Zhang, shifting his weight. "None of us are. But we don't have a choice."
Maria kept a sharp eye on the surroundings as Carter led the group. The woods felt suffocating, branches twitching with every gust of wind, as if the forest itself was alive and watching. The creatures—those grotesque figures from their nightmares—were still out there. The memory of their glowing eyes and skeletal frames lingered, sending chills down their spines.
Suddenly, Jason stopped. "We should go back to the raft," he whispered, voice shaky. "I saw them... There were too many. Moving through the woods is suicide."
Carter paused, looking over his shoulder at him. "You're sure?"
Jason nodded firmly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I saw at least a dozen, maybe more. And they're not just wandering. They're hunting."
For a moment, Carter weighed the options. The thought of venturing deeper into the woods, with Zhang unconscious and those creatures out there, didn't sit right with him. "Alright," he said, nodding. "We fix the raft and move along the river. Maybe we can avoid them that way."
They made their way back to the raft, moving as silently as they could, every step calculated and careful. The raft was battered, but still in one piece. They began fixing the minor damages, tying the broken planks with rope and vines they found nearby. The mood was tense, with everyone casting anxious glances toward the trees.
Jason unfurled the map and spread it out on a dry patch of ground. "We're here," he pointed, but then paused, frowning. "But... there shouldn't be a waterfall here."
Carter wiped the mud from his hands and crouched down next to him. "What are you saying?"
Jason shook his head, confused. "It's not natural. The waterfall—it's not on the map. It wasn't formed by erosion or anything like that."
"What do you mean?" Maria asked, her voice tight with tension.
Jason traced the route with his finger, then looked up. "It was made by something. Something huge. The water's too smooth, too powerful. It's like the river was shaped—pushed down by a massive force. That's why there aren't any rocks around it, inside or outside the waterfall."
Carter stared at the waterfall in the distance, then exchanged a glance with Maria. "You're saying some kind of creature did this?"
Jason nodded slowly. "Something massive. And if it's strong enough to create that... we're lucky we haven't run into it yet."
The wind howled through the trees, and the sound of distant growling made them all freeze. Carter stood, tightening his grip on the axe. "Let's move. We need to get out of here before we find out what made that."
They pushed the repaired raft back into the river, the water swirling around their legs. Carter and Jason climbed on first, holding it steady as Maria followed. They carefully laid Zhang in the middle, making sure he wouldn't slip into the water.
As they drifted down the river, the air was thick with tension. Every splash of water against the raft felt like a reminder of the lurking danger. The forest was still dark, with the occasional flicker of lightning illuminating their path. The only sound was the soft paddling of the oars, and the distant howls of the creatures—those tall, skeletal monsters that prowled the woods, waiting for any sign of weakness.
Jason gripped the spear, knuckles white. His mind raced with thoughts of what might happen if they were caught. What if Zhang doesn't wake up? What if those things find us before we reach safety? His heart pounded in his chest, but he kept rowing, following Carter's lead.
We just need to make it a little further, Jason told himself. Just a little further...
But deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling that something far worse was waiting for them ahead.