The Extinct

CHAPTER
50

The kill was hauled back to a small encampment near a hill. As night fell, the bushman lit an enormous fire in a pit the women had dug out with their hands. They stabbed sharpened sticks through the meat and cooked it over the pit until it was crisp. Tuu’ gave their guests the biggest portions of meat.

The food was good, a bit like sweet spicy beef. Eric ate two large slabs quickly and felt sick afterward.

The bushman were kind to the point of being flawed. There was enough meat to go around this time but Eric had a feeling that even if there wasn’t they still would’ve given the biggest portions to them.

After the meal the group sat around in a circle in front of Tuu’ as he spoke. His speech was peppered with noises and hand motions and the group was fully entertained. Their attention never wavered from him. Not to the bright glowing moon or the shimmering stars blanketing the sky. They seemed to have an ability to focus completely on what they were doing at any particular moment.

Eric watched Tuu’ with a sense of wonder. The way he moved and spoke reminded him of some ancient shaman, sitting around a cave telling his tribe about the wonders of the world outside.

Just behind Tuu’, in Eric’s peripheral vision, he saw movement.

It wasn’t much at first; just a blurry streak. Then Eric made out a moving shape. It looked like it was moving slowly but as his eyes adjusted he saw that it was traveling from a great distance through the grass and barreling toward them at incredible speed.

“No!” Eric shouted as he jumped to his feet.

Before the tribe could respond the beast bit down on Tuu’. The flesh on his shoulder and back tore as he let out a scream and was dragged backward into the night. It was hard to make out much more than the head of the creature, but it was massive. Its eyes glowing a faint red in the darkness. Tuu’ flew backward into the bush as easily as a leaf being blown by the wind. He was dragged fifty feet in a couple of seconds and disappeared. His screaming didn’t stop but slowly dimmed to nothing, like a passing ship in the night sea.

William was running past the fire and into the bush. He leapt over some thick shrubbery and continued sprinting, the thorny vegetation tearing at his clothes and skin. There was a trail in the dirt where Tuu’ had been dragged. It went into the tall grass about a hundred feet and then stopped near a dark circle. William bent down and touched the circle; it was wet and had a coppery smell. There was no sign of the man other than one of his small leather pouches. William picked it up.

He searched for paw prints to follow but could find none. Before long, he realized it was hopeless and began walking back.

A thought struck him as he made his way back to the fire; the tribesman didn’t help. Some of it was the speed and surprise of the attack of course, but even after that, they didn’t do anything. He approached them now and they still sat in the same positions, looks of terror across their faces. The only ones that had moved were the women who had encircled one of their younger members that was weeping. Perhaps Tuu’s’ wife, William thought. He handed her the small pouch, and walked over to Eric. “We need to leave,” William said. “What? Now?” “We’re a danger to these people, Eric.” “How? That thing could’ve attacked-”

“That animal’s following us. These people aren’t safe while we’re with them. They’re clearly brave but none of them ran after that thing. They’re either scared to death of it or think it’s some deity or something. Either way, we need to get outta here.”