FIVE MILES UP into the wilderness of Wolf Creek Pass in South Western Colorado, twigs and branches cracked and broke as three men ran through the thickness of the forest. They ran for their lives as they heard heavy footfalls behind them. Something was chasing them.
Deep-throated growls and grunts had their adrenaline pounding through their hearts as they fought their way through the thicket. The glow from the flashlights bounced from left to right, barely lighting up the trees and branches in front of them to see their way. Their rifles slung over their shoulders. Their backpacks and gear were strapped to their backs.
Out of fear, they were cautious not to fall or run into something for fear of being torn to shreds by whatever was chasing them. Their imaginations ran wild. What they had planned to be a fun hiking trip had become a scene straight out of their nightmares.
Three days ago, all three men, at the peak of their lives in their mid-thirties, had planned a hiking trip with ever so much enthusiasm for being in the wilderness, away from the hustle and bustle of their lives in the big city. Now, Denver seemed like thousands of miles away. How they wanted to be home in the comfort of their families. They wondered if they’d ever get to see their wives and children again. Whatever was behind them, chasing them into the darkness filled them with doubt.
One of them, a six-foot-three individual called John, stopped in his tracks and shot rounds of bullets into the thickets, in the hopes of chasing away whatever it was out there. They heard a loud growl, a mournful cry that echoed across the mountains and through the forest, sending shivers through all three of them.
Once the echo of the bullets settled, silence took the rule of the night. Whatever was after them had come to a halt, leaving them time to catch their breaths and regain their composure. Each of them directed the light from their flashlights to the forest surrounding them, seeing nothing but trees and bushes. The grunts and growls had ceased.
They drew a deep breath of relief when they realized they may have scared away whatever was hunting them. At least that was their hope.
All three stood peering into the night. Not a sound was heard, only the crickets which had slowly returned, along with Nature’s nighttime sounds. That told them that the danger was over for now.
John reached for his binoculars, scanning the haziness. The full moon gave them ample lighting to see a distance. What he saw made his skin crawl. He thought he’d seen a large figure of a man or something in a clearing, carrying something. But the figure was far too large to be a man. A few steps and the figure turned as though to face John in warning that it’d be back.
“I think it’s gone. Whatever in the hell it was. I think I saw something, but I’m not sure what,” John said. “Let’s figure out what the hell to do now.”
“Do we set up camp?” Luke, another six-footer asked. “What was it you saw?”
“Looked like a large man carrying something. But it wasn’t a man. It was far too big for that. Yeah, let’s find a spot. A spot where we can have a view from all angles,’ John said.
“Well, maybe we scared it away. Whatever it was. At least the full moon is giving us some light,” said Lucas. “I’m still scared shitless!”
“Yeah,” Luke said. “I wonder what in the hell that was. I don’t think it was a bear. A bear can’t run on two feet. And, it sounded like there was more than one.”
“At least we have plenty of ammo,” John said. “We’ve got to use it wisely until we get the hell out of here. Tomorrow morning we’ll get started back down. That’ll take us a couple of days if not more. Why in the hell did we come up so far to begin with?”
“We all decided that our chances of finding something would be greater. Strange though, we haven’t seen a single deer or elk,” Luke remarked. “Doesn’t that seem strange to you guys?”
“It does to me, but I didn’t notice it until you said it,” Lucas said.
Finally, they came across an opening where they could set up camp. It not only gave them a view of all angles but was also out in the open where the moon gave them light. The night was still calm. They were miles from where they parked the truck, all downhill. At least that would make it better and easier for them. The uphill hike was difficult for them. After experiencing what they had, all three were eager to get home, away from whatever was after them.
They set up for the night. Each has their rifles within reach. They were exhausted and needed rest. The burning campfire cast mysterious and eerie shadows against the trees, making them nervous at some point when they thought they’d seen something. They were still shaken and spooked. Glowing eyes from the owls in the trees made for an interesting night. The owl’s calling only added to the mystery. Nature had set the stage.
After they bedded down for the night, they couldn’t help but wonder and worry if whatever chased them would attack during the night. They lay back gazing up at the stars in heavy thought, then soon dozed off to sleep.
Nature’s nighttime melodies soothed their troubled souls. Each tossed and turned, awakening at the slightest noise with the rifle at the ready. They slept with one hand on their rifles. They weren’t taking any chances of being caught off guard. Not after what they’d been through.
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