Wonder Pit

Peter Grayson thought with diamonds.

The Oxford-educated businessman adored them. If it was of no intrinsic value, it was of no value at all to him. So when he heard of a legendary treasure, deep within a South African cave in Richtersveld, he was determined, to come back either a wealthy man or a dead man.

However, he was far from walking in blindly. Hundreds of maps and diaries from prospectors, he’d read. He’d learned African languages and customs to get whatever information he could from the natives. According to some of the villages he visited, the cave was guarded by large serpents, but that would not deter him. For he sought after the treasure in the cave of Richtersveld.

Grayson knew that despite all his preparation, a team was needed. After his research, he set sail to the north-western corner of South Africa with six companions in the summer, arriving in the lush Orange River territory. Peter was confident that he had prepared to the best of his abilities, and that he would return as rich as he had boasted.

The first companion died the night they arrived due to a lion attacking their camp and taking them by surprise. It killed him and severely injured another man, before they managed to kill it. The first day wasn’t even over and morale was low throughout the expedition group. Peter however, remained confident that he would get his riches. He’d often remark to his companions, how he could practically see a pair of shining diamonds waiting for him in the distance where Richtersveld was.

Over the next few days the lush Orange River territory they walked was replaced by flat, sandy coastal plains, going further from the boat they sailed on. These were territories expected by the group, but being one man down and having to compensate for the injuries of another made it far more difficult. A third companion however, died on night three. The team suspected it was either the bite of a venomous insect or a snake bite.

The fourth night held no respite as one companion became horribly sick after traversing into craggy sharp mountains. Peter thought it a disease caught from a cloudy yellow pool making it clear that some sort of animal had been there. The man had carelessly fallen into it earlier that day, which the rest of the team mocked him for due to being careless. The only upside was that there was less wildlife in that area. The fourth man was delirious and desperate, and begged to be taken back to civilisation. He would scream for hours, his pleading never ceasing. The remaining two companions stepped up, volunteering to take the sick and wounded men back to the nearest village, but deep down they were happy, all but ready to leave anyway after the clear failure of the expedition, the sick and wounded giving them an out. They urged Peter to come with them, but he refused.

“I can do this on my own,” Were his last words before the guides left him alone.

He traveled for three days, before making his way to the cave. Though, it was more like a large hole in the ground. He saw a sign next to it, and looked at the writing for a moment, translating it to "Wonder Pit". It was far too dark to see the bottom. He got a rope ladder out of his rucksack and nailed the top parts to the ground. He then threw it down the entrance, before climbing down himself, ready for the beautiful pair of diamonds he had envisioned.

When his feet finally touched the ground, he jumped and gasped, perceiving the sound as louder than it was. The echoing of the cave didn’t help. He then reached and got out a torch, turning it on. The walls, everywhere around him was much wider than the entrance had been. The large hole he had crawled down through in question, he could barely see. It was comparable to a dot in the sky. Or in this case, blackness.

Peter paused for a moment, marvelling at how far down he was before sighing. He wasn’t here to gawk at entrances, after all. He shone his torch into the cave and began walking, the sounds his footsteps made in the otherwise silent tunnel unnerving him. The promise of riches ahead however, steeled his nerves. He could practically see those shining gemstones in the distance and walked forward.

As he kept walking thought he he saw something silhouetted in the distance. Something just beyond the range of his torch. But one thing that was clear were two shining gems. Peter paused for a moment, before taking a step forward. The pair of eyes instantly receded back into the darkness, a sliding sound only just heard by Peter. He stayed silent, but got out a machete. He hadn’t completely disregarded the stories of snakes, after all.

He proceeded through the cave, machete still in hand until objects shone on his torch. His eyes widened, as he got closer. Diamonds. His mouth grew into a smile. The sight of it all, was almost too much to take. Everything he had worked for, worked toward, was standing right in front of him. To say he was ecstatic would be an understatement. He shone his torch all over the walls, relishing in the moment. However, the largest seemed to be a pair of diamonds in the distance, shining all the same whilst not directly in the light. Despite not remembering seeing such large diamonds when he first stepped in, he was too happy to care.

In a moment, he cared once again.

What he thought were gemstones, were a pair of large eyes that, on very first glance appeared to belong to an elephant. Its body was grey like an elephant, it had tusks, a trunk and ears like an elephant too. Where it stopped being a elephant however, was its body. It had no legs, no stocky body with stubby feet. Instead, was the body of a snake. It was gigantic. He couldn’t see where it ended. He didn’t want to be anywhere near where it began either. His memory drifted back to a legend that he had stumbled across in many of the nearby villages, of the cave being guarded by a giant snake. He remembered the word they all used; Grootslang.

His breath was shaky as he backed away, pointing his machete at the beast. Whether it was more elephant or snake, he didn’t want to find out as he turned and ran.

He heard a loud hiss behind him, echoing through the cave. He dared to look back, seeing the one part of its head that was more snake than elephant. The Grootslang’s mouth opened up wide, exposing fangs that were each at least the size of his hand. He only saw them for a second as they attached to his leg.

Peter screamed as he fell over, his wails echoing as well. It ripped its fangs through his flesh. It was a pain indescribable. He didn’t dare look back to see the Grootslang with its teeth in his leg. He tried do move his leg out of its mouth, resulting in another scream. He clawed at the ground, and raised his free foot, to try and kick at the creature. It did nothing, but make it sink its teeth further. Tears streamed down his face as he felt its teeth tap on his bone. It did more than just tap though. It applied pressure to his bones, slowly squeezing and scraping them under its fangs.  It made sure he felt every bit of it, and savoured it. He once again tried forcing its mouth open with his other foot, but it just bit down even harder. It kept pressing, and pressing.

Snap.

His eyes widened and cried out. He wailed and called for someone, anyone to come and help him. It let go, towering over him, just staring down at him. Peter wasn’t sure why, but he didn’t waste any time pondering it. He crawled, gripping the stony ground as best he could. His destroyed leg shifting on the uneven ground made him gasp and scream every few seconds. He looked back as he crawled, seeing its eyes glow, watching him leave a small trail of blood. He dragged his way through the tunnels, as the Grootslang slithered towards him. Its giant head hovered over him. He tried dragging himself quickly, but it didn’t help.

It didn’t seem to be doing anything. Just looming over him, watching him crawl. He saw its fangs seemed to have a liquid building up on them. It seemed to be building up. A drop went on Peter’s hand, which suddenly began turning red, becoming riddled with blisters. More venom dripped onto his back, making him feel like his body was on fire. The cloudy yellow venom slowly showered him as he screamed out, begging for help, for anyone, who by the slightest chance might happen to be near the entrance to hear him. No one.

Peter wasn’t sure how long he crawled for, but he could feel whatever adrenaline rush he had dying down. He saw a light ahead shining down, and began to smile. The entrance, he was close. He would get out. His voice had become hoarse from the screaming, For some reason, it wasn’t attacking him, so he should be able to leave. When he got a better look at the entrance, he found out immediately, why it had spared him.

The ladder was lying on floor, pulled down. His heart sank as he watched, just stared at the useless coils of rope that were his only exit. It wanted him to see this. He heard another hiss above him, one that he could tell was happy as his torso was bit into, and Peter Grayson was dragged away.

Echo in the Forest

We snickered and chuckled as we climbed over the park gate.

“Sshh!” Tom said. “There might still be people here.”

“As if anyone’s here at this hour.” I said, and Tom pretty much shut up. He always was the careful one. We got out a torch and followed the path as best we could. It was difficult in the dark. After getting lost a few times, we made it there. A simple cafe. But despite being simple, they’d thought themselves too good for us and threw us out during the day. Pretentious shits.

I snorted, before kicking at the door and punching a few windows. After a few kicks the windows were shattered. It felt pretty good. The others got in on the action a bit after me too. Breaking the windows through completely. After a while we panted, and I grinned.

“Heh, fuck them.” I said; “Let’s see them clean this up.” I looked at my work, and sighed again. I was a little less satisfied. I was used to being on top of things. Used to being the one people were scared of, and didn't dare cross. But that had been changing more as the years went on. I wasn’t used to this; being the one who got pushed around. And these guys, they thought they could just throw me out, like they were better than me.

I watched the cafe, still. It was completely shattered. Every window shattered, every outer wall defaced, the door cracked and splintered. I let out a chuckle, the satisfaction returning a little. However, our laugh stopped when he a twig snap.

“Shit!” John whispered. “Let’s bolt!” He then began running, as did all the others. “Oi, get back here!” I yelled, but they didn’t listen. I heard the slow footsteps getting closer, looking between the nearing footsteps and the distancing footsteps of my friends who were bolting without even listening to me. I grit my teeth before running after them.

I could still vaguely hear them, I thought. But I knew when I found them I’d give them hell. I heard them going through the birch woods, their legs slamming into twigs and echoing through the night. It’d probably be silent otherwise. I couldn’t hear anyone behind me though, must’ve meant I lost the witness.

As I ran, I could hear their footsteps dying down. I couldn’t even tell which way they were running, as if they’d split up for some dumb reason. I looked around quickly, stood there unsure which direction to go. The echo of trees blowing and branches hitting each other was drowning out the footsteps until before I knew I couldn’t hear them at all. In fact, I could barely see anything either. Not even a street light in the distance just outside the park.

“Shit…” I grumbled. Completely lost. In front of me it was difficult to see… but it was nothing but trees as far as I could tell, so I decided to get walking. At the very least, I knew I’d get out of here if I kept moving in one direction eventually.

***

I’d been trudging through these damn woods for what felt like hours. At this point it felt more like a forest. Using my phone as a torch had at least helped me see where I was going. But the clock was broken on it, no matter what it was always 3am. This, along with the fact that despite feeling like hours the sun never came up was getting to me, but not as much as my appetite was. Doing nothing but walk aimlessly through the mess of trees that felt exactly like the one from hours ago felt like shit. My eyelids were heavy and my stomach felt like a desert.

I tried calling my so-called friends, but none answered. They’d probably have a laugh if they saw me so tired and sweaty. I suppose that made part of me glad it was still dark, so no one would see me like this. But that was just more reason to get out of here quickly before it got brighter, and the park reopened. Then I’d be seen a mess out here by someone if the park groundskeepers didn’t find me first and arrest me for the cafe ordeal.

I shook my head as I kept walking, before I heard a twig snap behind me and I quickly turned around. I heard footsteps as my ears were suddenly sharper, especially since I hadn’t heard so much as a cricket since I got here. Footsteps, running away from me over a mess of branches. I shined my light in their direction, but I couldn't see them. But that didn't mean I wasn’t going to follow my ears, as I ran as fast as I could.

I ran over logs and twigs, making noise myself. Whoever this was, they were fast as I heard the steps getting farther and farther away, but that didn’t mean I was about to give up so easily as I put everything I had into running. I was getting closer, I could feel it, I could hear it.

Suddenly, the footsteps stopped, but I didn't. I kept running for awhile, but no one, nothing. The snapping echoed out through the forest again. To my left. I felt a second wind and ran in that direction, but the snapping of twigs then came behind me. Despite spinning around as quickly as I could, no one was there. It came from my left just as I was about to run forward. All around me, there was clicking and snapping, Left and right, front and right, behind and front, behind left, twice to the right. I looked around me, unsure of which way to go, and my torch sure as hell wasn't giving me anything to go by.

As I got more confused, the sounds got louder, echoing all around me. I had to cover my ears to make it more bearable.

Then it all stopped, all the only sound left was my ears ringing.

I was sweating like I’d been running for my life, my eyes were like globes. I was taking a lot of breathes, in and out. My hands slowly lowered. Back to the silence. The shock had died down with the ringing in my ears. I paused, before scowling at the trees around me, and whoever was behind them, hiding from me.

“You think this is funny?!” I was turning, no snapping around every five seconds. “You think you’re some sort of comedians?!” Get your arses out here before I find you and clock you myself!” No answer. “Fine! I’ll find each and every one of you myself! I’ll drag you out, away from those trees and you’ll be sorry you were born!”

At first no one answered, but then I heard something faint, something that made me boil. Laughter. I could barely hear it, but I knew it was there. A raspy laugh that slowly got louder, but it didn’t make my ears bleed like that constant snapping. This one stopped at a certain volume, echoing through the woods but not blaring. As the sound picked up, the trees rustled. I didn’t feel a wind, but their branches shook all the same. I noticed this, but I didn’t care.

I ran once more, after this comedian. It was loud, but far away. I knew where I was going. As I ran, I noticed the thing. Leaves falling off the trees. IA wind might’ve picked up, but thI couldn't feel any. Mostly because I was running. As I got closer to the laughter, more leaves fell. By the time the laughter was close, practically all the trees were bare.

I was panting, but smiling. The laughter died down, but it was still just up ahead. I walked forward and, surprisingly, it was one guy. Standing in front of a huge tree.

“Where are the others?” At this point, he’d gone quiet and stopped laughing. I remembered my phone and held it up, the torch still on. I dropped it from shock a few seconds later.

It was thin, it had a jacket and trousers looked like they could fall off any moment. I wanted to call its skin pale, but I couldn’t even label the chalk white surface as that. As for why it was difficult to call it skin… Skin was elastic, the closest comparison I could think of is rubber. This thing’s ‘skin’ looked tough, kinda course, with cracks in it. Almost like sandpaper… Or bark. Its cheeks seemed to droop like the loose skin it was imitating, and the forehead had patterns that mimicked wrinkles. Its eyes and mouth… Well, where its eyes and mouth would be, were a trio of black expressionless patches that absorbed the light of my torch.

I stumbled backwards. It stepped towards me, its torso lengthening and its body hunching over like an old man. It made a sound like wood snapping with each step. It out with the mess of branches it called a hand, that was riddled with black patches that multiplied the more it moved, looking like the trees around me that shook and rattled as he walked. It grabbed me and threw me into a tree, its sharp branches covering my neck and face with cuts. It kept me like that, letting me bleed out before dropping me.

I scrambled up to run away, but it didn’t follow. I would’ve counted myself lucky if I hadn’t heard another creaking sound. I turned my head to look as I ran. I immediately wished I hadn’t. A tree, bending down towards me. Its branches were open and outstretched like a giant skeletal hand. Before I could gain any distance, it wrapped around me, the smaller branches digging into my body. The thing held me rightly, choking me slightly. I kicked my legs out and attempted pulling my arms out in vain. The tree slowly began to retract into the ground, with me with it. I screamed and shouted, hoping someone would come, anyone who wasn’t that thing, who stared at me with a shit-eating grin. The last thing I saw as I was dragged into the ground was the empty night sky.

Frostbitten

I remember when I was a child, how I'd play in the snow. It was lovely, like nature's blanket that covered everything. I loved to play in it with my family, my friends. How I'd always try, and fail, to make a perfect spherical snowball like those I saw in my favourite cartoons. It didn't matter, I threw them all the same. Either that or I'd try to roll them up into a bigger ball to make a snowman. Heh, it was magical, even when it was crappy.

Now, I can't stand the sight of it.

I was about eight when my mum, dad, younger sister and I decided we wanted to spend our winter in the countryside. The city didn't get nearly as much snow as it used to. Carbon emissions, I suppose. We took a train to town near some fields. The snow there was nice as it was everywhere else. Four inches deep apparently. Whoever had shoveled off the tracks really did their jobs. I looked around, a few cars, pretty small road though.

I could hardly wait to go to the Bed and Breakfast mum and dad had rented out for the next few days. We took a taxi out to the end of town, and I watched the people go by. It made me smile and think of Santa's elves, and I was in his village. As we went over a bridge, I looked down to the mostly- frozen water of the river. My mum was currently talking to the taxi driver.

"Have any plans to see your family?" She asked. I couldn't see it from the back seat but it was likely with a smile.

"Yeah, got a train ticket reserved for tomorrow." He replied. "How long are you all planning on staying out here?"

"About two nights." Mum replied. "Not much snow out in London, so thought we'd come out here."

As they reached the Bed and Breakfast, the driver wished them well and set off back to town. The owner, a man who was probably in his 40s from what I could tell. Him and his daughter, who was at least 10 years older than me, helped us move our bags into our rooms.

"Hope you enjoy your stay." The daughter smiled.

"But just so you know, I should warn you. Keep the windows closed after dark. And even more important is that you don't look out them." The owner informed us. "After 11,make sure everything is shut and unable to be seen through."

"Why?" My mum asked with a frown. He then told us about animals that could get agitated if they were seen. Accepting this, we headed to our rooms. My sister, Lyra, stayed with my Dad whilst I had a room with my mum. There was a TV that only really showed a few channels, some tea bags and milk in packets, a kettle and a bar of candy that seemed to be an odd old brand that you didn't think still got sold but, low and behold, it was still good. I finished it and played my Game Boy whilst mum read.

When my mum told me I had to go to the bathroom to clean my teeth, I wasn't very co operative because of not wanting to move from my spot. But since she was still my mum, she managed to coax me out of the covers. I ran to the bathroom, but stopped once I took that first step. I withdrew my foot once I felt how cold it was. The sudden lack of heat overwhelming me. It felt like the tile I stepped on was a block of ice. But, I walked in once I got my bearings. Rummaging in my toiletry bag for my toothbrush. I looked to see a small opaque window open. The cold feeling made sense to me. Probably there for the summer, since a bathroom could either be really hot or really cold. Try to guess which one this was.

I went to close the window, before pausing and sneaking a peak out. The snow was such a wonderful sight and wanted to get one last glimpse before I went to bed. It was beautiful as ever. It had stopped falling for the night though In the dark however, I noticed something I almost didn't catch. A woman, standing under the trees. I couldn't see much of her, but she had long, black hair, wore a white dress and her arms were pale. As she turned her head I quickly shut the window, feeling bad for eavesdropping.

I ran back to bed, where my mum turned off the light. Though in my bed, I started to shiver slightly. cold had followed me, it seemed, and I couldn't shake it, no matter how thick the duvet was. I tried to ignore it, but my attempts to tough it out failed. Moving around helped a little bit, but that was it. Of course, mum was already asleep, just like that. I didn't want to wake her and I was too cold to leave my covers.

***

I lay in my bed, curled into a ball and still feeling the cold under my covers. I was unsure whether or not I slept. I had my coat and gloves ready as we were heading straight out after the breakfast. I had some slices of toast with jam, Lyra ate cereal whilst my parent both had their respective Full English breakfasts. After that, we walked into town instead of a taxi. It was pleasant. I looked to the river bay we drove by. The woman didn't seem to be there this time.

It was a wonderful day for us, walking around the town doing a bit of shopping, through the fields for a walk. I enjoyed every minute of it, even when Lyra pushed a snowball under his hood and the snow went all down my back.

Once we arrived back at the Bed and Breakfast, I decided to go out again later. Lyra came too. It was 15:30 so it would get dark pretty soon at this time of year. We had a pleasant stroll to the park. We walked in the woods nearby when it got dark pretty quickly, but not that it mattered to us. Though, we had to promise to be back quickly because of the owner's warning.

In the woods, we came across an cottage. It looked pretty abandoned so we entered. It looked like some of the snow from outside had gotten in the door, probably from the shattered windows.  A chair was sprawled over in the corner, one of its legs having given out, the wood old and splintered. There was a table in the other room though, albeit on its last legs. A ceramic figure stood in the centre. I walked around, coming across a door. It was the only room that was locked. I looked through a keyhole in the door. Aside from all the snow in the room, it was empty. There was a bed, a nightstand and a cupboard. They were all, of course, old and worn down. The entirety of the room was covered in a dirty sheet of snow. Nothing notable besides that. Well, there was one more thing actually. A single window; the only one in one piece.

I looked out and saw an eerily familiar sight; the woman from the window standing a few metres away from the house. Getting a clear look at her, I could see an white gown that I saw in old pictures. For a moment, it seemed like the dress was a part of the snow itself. Her skin was a sickly pale. Her long, black hair stood completely still, only shifting occasionally. She stood in place, staring right back at me with blank, soulless eyes. A slight smile was on her face. In a moment, it has seemed like all my curiosity vanished in the wind. The familiar coldness I'd suffered through last night returned and I began to shiver, as if my coat, gloves and hat were non-existent.

I ran to Lyra, who was still looking around the house. I grabbed her frantically and ran out. I bolted out the front door, despite the protests she gave. I ran through the woods as snow began falling, but it didn't seem so beautiful to me. I dashed and fell in through the front door of the Bed and Breakfast and went to my mum and dad. Terrified, I held onto my mum and cried as I told her everything. My parents hugged me and reassured me.

“Don’t worry.” Mum said.

“We’ll leave tomorrow and forget about this.” Dad continued, giving me a tight hug. "I promise we'll be here for you. Everything will be fine." You have no idea what I’d give to forget.

***

I never left my mum's side all through the night. We stayed in and ordered a takeaway from one of the local restaurants. I was shivering even more, but it wasn't just because of the cold. No, the woman's image was embedded in my mind, like a brand that froze instead of burning.

"You're really cold aren't you." Mum said and wrapped her arms around me. I was still freezing but... It was comforting. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for sleep. As I drifted off into my dreams, I found myself in the cottage once again.

Like last time, I ran to the door, but was locked. Even the shattered windows, which I would’ve taken my chances with at this point, were no longer shattered, but completely fixed. I began to hear footsteps outside, scrunching in the snow. Even that young, I didn’t need to guess who it was. With each step, there was a small pause. Each gap mocked me, daring me to try and find a way out. I ran around her house, trying every door and window there was. Anything that might’ve been strong enough to break the window I was too weak to pick up. It was then that I noticed the table. The ceramic figure still lay upon it. I grabbed the figure immediately and tossed it to a window as the door handle in the front door turned. The window shattered and there was one final pause.

I slowly opened my eyes. The sound of whistling and flapping in the air met my ears. Once again finding myself shaking, I looked to the foot of the bed. She stood there, staring right back at me. Except, she was different. Her skin, it was tinted slightly blue whilst her hair, once straight and black, was now white and messy. Her nails, once clean and short, were sharp and messy. Claws, would be a better name for them as they were. Mist was released from her mouth. and had already spread across the room. Her eyes, once whitewash and blank, were now yellow and glowing. As she took a step towards me, I screamed as loud as I could, trying to wake up as many people as I could. Unfortunately, no one seemed to hear my calls. The wind increased, letting what was essentially a snowstorm loose inside the room.

My mum woke up at my sudden movement and screamed upon seeing the beast in our room. She... No, it's eyes turned to mum for a moment. As she sat up quickly, it drifted to the side of the bed and leaned over at us. My mum tried to find something to grab, she found everything on the side was frozen. It let out a large breath, the mist covering mum completely. Almost instantly, she began to shiver. Mum’s own breath was shaky, her eyes widening. She looked down to her hands and screamed more. Her fingers were turning blue, and it was spreading. Soon, her arms, legs, waist chest and her head were covered. She dropped dead, having been claimed by frostbite. She looked to me, her yellow eyes glowing even brighter than before it all but blinded me.

I looked around and it was gone, along with mum’s body. The snow was still everywhere, the curtains on the window still flapping. I simply sat in place, attempting to process what had happened. After a few moments that might’ve very well been eternal I quickly ran to dad and Lyra’s room. I threw the door open and entered. Same snow, and the same lack of people. I fell back, my breathing shaky. Tears welled up in my eyes.

***

Now I walk through my house, a weary look on my face. My body shivers. I consider turning the heating on but I know it won't help; it never helps when it's near, and It's always there. Even after taking everything from me, it watches me. Sometimes I can see it, sometimes I can't. Sometimes in a snowstorm I see its shadow out my window. Vague, but just enough to remind me who was there.

Sometimes I dream about being back in those woods, the cottage even being still there. The police couldn't find it when I told them about it. I'd found it was gone too. I remember holding the expression of shock, one that soon turned to pure and utter disgust as in the cottage's place was nothing but a thick sheet of snow. Despite that, she's still there. Always there. I always hide in the cottage. A way out is impossible, in more ways than one.

As make my way up the stairs I look out the window. Through the wind, it's right outside my yard, its misty breath covering most of the front. But even despite that, I can still see it staring back at me; smiling.