The raft glided silently down the river, but the calm felt deceptive. Carter, Jason, and Maria were quiet, the tension from the horrifying campsite still lingering. Zhang remained unconscious, his breathing steady but faint. The supplies they gathered lay beside him, and though they had what they needed for now, no one could shake the feeling that something terrible was closing in on them.
Jason gripped the spear tightly in his hands, his knuckles white as he scanned the treeline. The soft rustle of the leaves, the occasional splash of water, and the distant howls of unknown creatures echoed through the forest. His mind raced. What kind of monster did this? He could still see the bloodstained tents, the claw marks on the vehicles.
"Carter," Jason whispered, his voice barely audible over the sound of the water. "Do you think… it's still following us?"
Carter didn't answer right away. He kept his eyes forward, the tension visible in his jaw. He hadn't said much since they left the campsite, but Jason knew he was thinking the same thing. Something was out there, watching them, waiting for the right moment to strike.
"I don't know," Carter finally muttered, his voice low. "But we need to stay sharp. Whatever it is… we can't let our guard down."
The raft drifted through a narrow bend in the river, and suddenly, the moonlight vanished, swallowed by thick clouds. Darkness wrapped around them like a suffocating blanket. Maria's breath hitched, her fingers tightening around the crossbow.
"Did it… just get colder?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Jason felt it too. A sudden chill swept over them, making the hair on the back of his neck stand up. The air felt heavy, thick with something sinister. It wasn't just the cold—it was the feeling of being watched, hunted.
Carter raised his hand, signaling for them to stop rowing. The raft slowed, and the silence became unbearable. Not even the wind stirred the trees now. The only sound was their own breathing, shallow and uneven.
And then, they heard it—a low growl, deep and guttural, coming from the forest to their left. Jason's heart pounded in his chest as he turned his head slowly toward the sound. His grip on the spear tightened. Maria's eyes were wide, scanning the shadows.
"There's something there," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Something's… moving."
The growl came again, louder this time, followed by the unmistakable sound of branches snapping under heavy footsteps. Jason's pulse raced. Whatever it was, it was getting closer.
"Stay low," Carter ordered, his voice steady but tense. He grabbed his axe, his eyes darting between the trees. "If it comes at us, we fight."
Jason swallowed hard, his mind racing. His hands were shaking, and he could feel his heart beating in his throat. We're not ready for this. We're not ready to fight… whatever that is.
Suddenly, there was a flash of movement—a blur of black darting between the trees. Jason barely caught a glimpse, but he knew it was fast. Too fast.
"It's circling us," Carter whispered. "Be ready."
The creature moved again, its silhouette flickering in the shadows. Jason tried to track it, but it was too quick, disappearing into the darkness just as soon as he saw it. His heart hammered in his chest as fear crept in. This thing… it's toying with us.
Maria raised the crossbow, her hands trembling. "Where is it? I can't see it."
Jason could feel the cold sweat dripping down his back as the growling grew louder, more intense. It was coming from all sides now, echoing through the trees. His grip on the spear tightened, his eyes darting back and forth, trying to catch sight of it.
And then, without warning, the creature struck.
It lunged out of the darkness, a blur of claws and teeth, slamming into the side of the raft with terrifying force. Jason stumbled back, nearly falling into the water as the raft rocked violently. Carter swung his axe, narrowly missing the creature as it darted away, its growl echoing through the night.
"What the hell is that?!" Jason shouted, his voice cracking with panic.
"It's not just one!" Maria cried, pointing to the shore.
Jason's blood ran cold as he saw it—multiple pairs of glowing eyes staring at them from the treeline. Tall, lean creatures with skeletal frames and glowing red eyes. Their jaws hung open, revealing rows of sharp, crooked teeth. Their long, bony fingers twitched as they moved, making them look like something straight out of a nightmare.
Jason's breath caught in his throat as the creatures began to advance, stepping onto the riverbank with slow, deliberate movements. They moved like predators, stalking their prey, their glowing eyes fixed on the raft.
"Jason, hold steady!" Carter barked, swinging his axe at one of the creatures as it leaped toward them.
Jason thrust the spear forward, just as Carter had taught him. The spear pierced through the creature's chest, but it didn't stop. It let out a hideous screech, its jaws snapping wildly as it thrashed, trying to claw its way closer.
Carter swung again, severing the creature's head. It collapsed into the water with a splash, its body sinking into the dark river. But more were coming.
Maria fired the crossbow, hitting one of the creatures in the leg, but it barely slowed down. They were relentless, crawling over each other, their glowing eyes filled with hunger.
Jason's hands shook as he pulled the spear free from the water, his mind racing. We're not going to survive this. There's too many.
"We need to move!" Carter shouted, slashing at another creature. "Now!"
Jason didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed the oar and started rowing, his arms burning with effort. Maria fired another shot, hitting one of the creatures square in the chest, but they kept coming, their growls growing louder, more ferocious.
The raft lurched forward, cutting through the water as the creatures followed, their long fingers clawing at the edge of the boat. Jason's heart raced as he rowed faster, desperate to put distance between them and the monsters.
But then, just as they thought they were getting away, one of the creatures lunged, its claws digging into the side of the raft. Jason let out a cry as the creature's face appeared inches from his own, its glowing red eyes burning with hunger.
Carter swung the axe, splitting the creature's head in two. It fell back into the water, but not before its claws tore a jagged hole in the raft.
"Damn it!" Jason shouted, watching the water rush in.
"We're sinking!" Maria cried, panic rising in her voice.
Jason's mind raced as the water filled the raft. The creatures were still following, their glowing eyes watching from the shore. There was no way out. They were surrounded.
And then, just as all hope seemed lost, the sound of something massive moving through the trees echoed across the river. The creatures froze, their heads snapping toward the sound.
Jason's heart pounded as the trees began to shake, branches snapping under the weight of something enormous. The creatures let out a series of screeches before retreating into the shadows, disappearing as quickly as they had appeared.
"What… what was that?" Maria whispered, her voice trembling.
"I don't know," Carter muttered, his eyes scanning the treeline. "But whatever it is… it scared them off."
The forest fell silent again, the only sound the gentle lapping of the river against the sinking raft. Jason's breath came in shallow gasps, his hands trembling as he tried to process what had just happened.
But deep down, he knew—they weren't out of danger yet. Not by a long shot.