The expedition

20 Years Later

'You're one of our best brains, Arnav. And you know that uncovering stuff like this has always been your favourite. Nows the chance to prove it. Your success on this one will be very important, especially for this locality.'

'I'm telling you, this isn't any everyday creature that roams around in its home sweet home to hunt for its prey. Its a live, highly intelligent being were dealing with. And it doesn't mind having 2-3 people for dinner. Its too dangerous.'

'Look here my boy, I offer you $ 250,000 for leading this expedition. And its success means a lot, to me, to you, to everyone who's heard your story. This supposedly ' Jungle Dweller ' is a new species, we could have it named after you if you could get more info. Imagine the fame, the money, the reputation you could get from this.

'I said its final. I'm not risking a few lives just to discover any god forsaken species. I'm not going.'

'So fine. Go. You yourself will regret it later on.'

I left the laboratory in a hurry. I got out of the complex, drove home and got into bed. Started thinking. These guys are ready, I thought. All they need is my help. I should agree with them. Its could be successful.

Next day, I entered back through the same doorway I had left in so much a hurry yesterday. I entered to see Mr. Brown, my multi millionaire employer, beaming at me. He had guessed by my look that I was ready, ready for the expedition of 11 people who were to follow me to the same forest. For the very same creature with which I had my worst experience.

The expedition was to begin the next day itself. We entered the jungle. Reached my same old campsite. And near there was the creature. Before anyone could tranquilize him, he had lunged at me.

I woke up. Since my childhood experience nightmares like this had been plaguing me.

We all left with full equipment- tranquilizer darts, syringes, ropes and all. We had started entering the trail. We reached a ditch where a broken cycle lay. I guessed that it was my old friend's one. We went further till we reached back to the campsite. All our equipment was left there. We went further till we reached the same spot where I had first seen the creature. The body was still there, but no longer a bloody one, it was a skeleton. I ordered my colleagues to take samples of it for further research.

One of my boys, was asked to guard the camp. We were still investigating the area when we heard him scream. We rushed back to his post to find him gone. On the wet ground were a few footprints of an apelike creature. And where they stop was a deep mark, the body's imprint. The deep mark continued till the bushes, obviously meaning his body was dragged along by the Dweller. We followed the trail till we reached to a spot where a black cloak was found draped around his body. This black cloak was the creature itself, whom we shot at. The creature was able to escape.

I bent over the body. He was still living, but on the verge of death. He said his last words ' Save yourselves '. This freaked out the youngsters in my company. They ran back to the camp. We followed them. We reached the camp to find them gone. We traced their footsteps and followed it till we reached the skeleton. Next to him were our three more companions.

But the thing impossible was that how could they all have been killed by a single creature if they were far off from each other. There was only one way, there are more creatures than we had thought of. We had expected one, but now there were numerous.

We returned back to the campsite. 4 out of our remaining total 7 were freaked out. They left us. And that would mean lesser people to fight off these savages. I too was about too leave when I saw an old man come up the road. He came straight up to me, to speak to me. And he meant business...................

......................To be continued