TRIBAL
Chapter I: The Capture
- "Amazing! Loved it, keep up the good work! Brilliant and clever use of language."
- "It was one of the best reads I have read. No joke."
   Peering up from the understory, what could be seen of the rainforest sky was a deep cerulean. In the centre of this vast mysterious habitat, anything remotely visible - noticeably a large variety of lush plant life and a small stream - was within a lone gleaming moonbeam which barely pierced the canopy. It was not long until a thick slow white mist started to form which started to shroud the sky almost entirely.

   The deafening silence here struck you. It wasn't natural. So when loud and threatening voices suddenly cried out, breaking the silence all too abruptly, it was overwhelming. Chillingly recognisable by their unintelligible and deep-pitched voices echoing throughout the trees, they were a familiar sign to many that another savage massacre was near. The kind of massacres that had happened every night for the past few decades.

Fireflies disturbed by the noise bravely emerged. Their bioluminescent dance meant usually pitch black areas of the forest were now lit up, slightly revealing deviant shadowy shapes of a few of natures less proud creations. Most insane, while others better left unmentioned. Amongst all the trees of the forest, the kapok had favoured to contain these shunned beings within their likes since sundown.

   The voices became louder. So much so that most of the forest dwellers in the shadows retreated with this without a second thought. Two still remained, not moving an inch. One of them, which appeared slightly disproportioned in its silhouette, spoke to itself in a muffled voice.

"They're closer, but.. hehe.. they're not going to find me again... they can't, the torture... the torture... they won't..."

He continued muttering, looking around frantically in the silence. Suddenly, within moments, a small object dashed past a shrub. The mumbles stopped sharply and the figure fell violently, followed by twitching and quiet eerie laughs. Actually, it was strange but it almost sounded like the darted creature was the one giggling.

The second figure, still having not moved in the slightest, had observed all this. Its eyes, reflective of the moonlight which struggled through the gaining mists above, gave it an intimidating presence. It grabbed one of the wondering fireflies with what looked like a hairy fist. The light, bright enough to nearly show the face of this figure, faded as the hand squeezed on it pleasurably. It drifted its glowing eyes narrowly towards where the dart had come from. It became clearer as it took a small step forward into the moonlight; towards the bush which started to rustle. From what could be seen, it looked almost like a man who should have been in his death bed.

He placed something over his face, stood up straight and folded his arms. He chuckled grimly, before almost losing himself in his laughter, before stopping sharply. He threw the bug at the other body and started to hum.

"Around the forest some creatures dwell,
And a barrage of darts until they fell.
Rumour says I stand alone,
The one with a cruel mouth sewn.
And pupil-less eyes which always glare,
Looking into them none can bare.
I walk beneath the trees and moon,
While playing the flute, a chilling tune.
And when one does see me without a mask,
The heart does stop, your life does pass.
In this rainforest few have faith,
They can avoid such a horrible wraith."

  He chuckled. The object he'd placed over his face had been ripped from a large red native vile-looking plant, used as a mask. This covered everything but a half stitched up infected mouth and a swollen chin with splinters. He took another step, which disturbed the flow of a glistening stream, revealing his limp, feeble structure.

“Oh woe is that, pet.." he muffled, peering in the corner of his eye at the body. "Seems, them, THEM, have killed another! Another! In this fine night too!”

   Suddenly, the fireflies then swiftly dimmed and dived into a bush, losing their braveness. A feeling of having eyes rolling over the man for sickening intentions had emerged. Then, spears of what seemed to be made from rotted bones raised slowly from the shrub. The tips were covered with what was undoubtedly fresh blood. Eerie laughter, more deep and insane than before echoed loudly in every direction. He didn't know where it came from. Then without a warning, another object dashed out of the shrub. A shooting pain - a stinging feel - flowed throughout his arm. He seemed to not care, not even about the pain. He smiled, before falling to his knees, pulling out whatever hit him. It seemed to be a black dart, attached to a single large green feather.

Bloodshot eyes overgrew with veins, making them redder than anything natural as he just stared at it. The shrubs and bushes rustled excitedly as black figures emerged from them. They ran towards the man at an alarming pace. One, larger in size than the others, stood on his back and gave out an alarming shout. Before the man could see anything, the forest around him started to slowly fade until he saw no more.

Continue...