Once I was free of the tunnel and on my two feet, it was easier to think. Like the fact I had a flashlight in my hand the whole time.
I leaned on my knees, taking deep breaths to recenter myself. Panic killed people faster than the elements. I had to keep my head straight.
Water pouring in around my feet helped me get moving again.
Scanning the cavern, I found myself in a deep basin shaped space. The smooth, worn walls told me that water filled in here all the time. The middle section was high above this bottom portion, and I could only assume that was my way out.
Luckily for me, I’d trained for months last year for mountain climbing to study wildlife of the Tepuis in South America. I found decent handholds to scale up the side. As I went higher, my vantage point was better. The cavern was built like a natural bowl to catch the spilloff.
It was a shame Shannon wasn’t here; this was right up her alley.
I was thankful for the camera on my shoulder and made sure to turn my body the best I safely could, so that we could get good footage of the room.
My foot slipped from my hold, and I fell downwards when my weight unexpectedly shifted. I screamed, but it was cut off by my own panic as I scrambled to recover.
The wall dug into my knees and arms as I caught myself. Nails ripped away as I regained my hold, but I couldn’t focus on the pain.
I looked down, realizing I was high above what I could shake off if I fell. Even with the water rapidly filling the bottom of the basin. My body wanted to tremble, but I focused on holding strong and regaining my calm.
“If you wanted better footage, Shannon, you shouldn’t have abandoned me,” I said to the camera for her to see later.
Every pull upwards burned my overworked muscles, and I knew I’d be hurting later. The adrenaline buffered most of the pain, reminding me that a moment’s weakness could kill me.
The wild didn’t forgive distractions.
When my fingers reached above my head and found the edge, I pulled myself up and over the cliff wall.
I closed my eyes once my body was on solid ground and took deep breaths again. My arms and legs were jelly by this point, and I knew the walk back to camp would be just as exhausting.
But hopefully, less eventful.
I opened my eyes once my heartbeat returned to normal, grabbing the flashlight from my vest. As soon as the light came on, it shined on a wall of bones that made my blood run cold. Bits of meat and dried blood still clung to the bones closer to the top, while the bottom was picked clean.
I didn’t dare go to my feet and bring more attention to myself. Instead, I strained to listen for any sounds that something might be eating, but all I heard was the cry of bats above me. The smell of sulfur filled the air, but it didn't quite hide the scent of decaying bodies.
Please, not a feeding ground.
Slowly, I went to my feet, peering over the protective wall that was at least two feet high.
It was big enough to take up the entire space. As if it was built for something bigger than a human. The entire outside was lined in bones of various animals, big and small, but I noticed alligators made up a majority of the skeletons. Probably because they were the largest predator native to the area. It made a tall lip meant to keep the young from escaping.
The center was made of branches and brush meant to soften the hard ground, but both dried and fresh blood painted every inch of it.
I’d never seen one that size, and it took my breath away.
A nest.
On one hand, if Mama came home, she’d kill me with no remorse. Since the apex predator of the area was in the nest, I could only assume she would be a big bitch. But it was also a beautiful marvel created by nature herself.
“You seeing this, Shannon?” I breathed, lost in wonder, needing someone to experience this with me. So someone else knew this was real.
What the hell could have made this?I’d studied what wildlife lived here, but I didn’t have a good answer.
The expanse of this nest took up the entire plateau. But on the other side, I saw another tunnel with a hint of light coming through. An exit.
There was one big problem.
I should avoid stepping through the nest at any cost, and my choices were to go through it or back down from where I came. I glanced down at the rising water that already reached the middle of the basin below. There was no way.
