Part 1

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The rainforest is beautiful.

The impenetrable green of its walls make me realise just how small, how insignificant, we all are. The trees stretch forever, and after hours of hiking today, we’ve barely seen any of what this environment has to offer. Asri’s knowledge of this place is next to none – there is no question he cannot answer. Asri has shown us how to fish and hunt, as well as which plants were safe to eat and which were not. Ketill and I spent the day asking Asri questions as we walked, mostly questions about the rainforest. We’re nearing the end of the day, and are almost back at Asri’s house, when Ketill decides to probe Asri about something else.

“Asri”, Ketill begins, “You said online that you had a son, Haziq.”

Asri continues to walk, eyes down. He doesn’t look up from his feet which continue to move one in front of the other. He remains quiet for a matter of seconds, eyes never leaving the ground. Ketill soon tries to change the topic.

“And your wife, Siti!” Ketill exclaims, qucikly glancing at me before looking back to Asri, “she is a wonderful cook!”

“Yes”, Asri quickly responds, still not looking up from the path we traverse, “she is a wonderful cook. And about Haziq, please do not ask me this again. Haziq is not here.”

“Of course”, Ketill says, clear regret in his voice, “I’m sorry, I won’t ask again.”

We continue to walk for a few more hours, and get back to the house just as Siti has finished cooking dinner.

-

I don’t see Siti much.

As soon as she finishes cooking, she sits and eats with us, and then immediately tidies up and goes into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Even after dinner today, Ketill and I had offered to clean the dishes and she profusely refused, before cleaning up everything and retreating into her room. Her and Asri also don’t seem to talk much.

It’s just something that I’ve noticed.

I stretch my legs out as I lay on the mattress, my legs sticking to it from all the sweat. I knew it’d be hot here, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad. The humidity alone would be enough to drive someone crazy – I’ll get used to it though. I’m loving this trip, and Ketill and I are getting on really well. He’s just in the bathroom right now, so I’m waiting for him to come back in and I’ll head there myself before going to sleep. I look out of a small gap in the window and stare into the night.

A few moments later, the front door opens and Ketill comes inside.

“Bathrooms all yours my friend”, he murmurs as he throws his headtorch down onto his mattress, "don't get lost."

I pick up my headtorch and strap it on, flicking the switch as I do so. I walk to the front door and push it open, walking out onto the porch and sliding my slippers on.

I stand atop the staircase, and stare into the darkness that festers below the house. With a small sigh, I begin to climb down it, careful with my step. I can only see a few feet in front of me with this headtorch, the darkness appears to swallow the light almost immediately. And that’s what it is; darkness. It’s darkness that I’ve never experienced in the past. The only light comes from the moon and the stars, but they’re almost entirely blocked by the towering trees that surround us and only allow us glimpses.

Crickets chirp as I bite my lip and start to walk toward the outhouse, which sits just by the treeline on the perimeter of the clearing. I think it's this way. With every step, the crunch of the leaves beneath my feet let me know that I’m one pace closer to reaching the outhouse and momentarily escaping the dark.

Crunch.

I’ve got to be close now.

Crunch.

Surely only a few more steps.

Crunch.

Where is it? I glance around and see the dim outline of the house behind me. I’m sure I’m heading in the right direction.

Crunch.

My light flickers for a moment. The darkness momentarily completely engulfs me.

Crunch.

It's got to be-

I see it! I was right. It’s here.

I pull open the stiff door and enter. My headlight works better in here, in this small confined place. I use the toilet and brush my teeth, and use a nearby bucket to clean my feet.

A few minutes pass, and I turn to leave the outhouse and begin the long journey back to the safety of my bed when I hear it.

Crunch.

The crunching of leaves. Just outside.

I freeze. What was that?

I consider speaking up, asking who’s there, but decide against it. I press my ear to the thin wooden door frame and listen.

Except, I can’t hear anything. I wait for what feels like hours, before slowly pushing the door open with a creak. Nothing’s there; nothing that I can see anyway. Slowly, I step outside, back into the dark. It almost seems darker.

I begin my walk back to the house.

Crunch.

I squint my eyes to try to make out the outline of the house, but it’s too dark now.

Crunch.

It’s definitely this way, right?

Crunch.

The crunching of my footsteps are the only comfort I have, the only sound I hear.

Crunch.

Wait.

The only sound I hear.

Crunch.

The crickets, they’ve stopped. Just like last night, they’ve stopped. I can’t hear anything.

I stop.

Silence. I stand for a moment, straining my ears to hear the sounds of the rainforest once more.

But it's just silence.

I remain completely still.

Crunch.

I’m frozen.

Something’s behind me.

Crunch.

It’s closer. It’s coming closer.

I can feel it looking at me.

Crunch.

It’s quiet but I can hear something else.

A long croak, a moan. The sound of someone in pain.

Crunch.

The moan continues, slowly getting louder. It rings through my ears, through my head. I need to-

CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH

It’s running at me.

I break into a sprint, running blindly into the darkness in front of me, desperate to find the house. As I run, the croaking sound behind me grows ever louder. It seems to grow in excitement.

I see one of the stilts, to my left. I must have ran at an angle. I quickly change direction, turning to my left. And as I do so, I see a glimpse of what is chasing me.

I reach the stairs, running up them at speed and losing a slipper along the way.

I burst through the door and give Ketill the fright of his life.

“Are you alright?” he asks, sitting up in his mattress.

But I can’t answer.

All I can do is think about what I had just seen. It can’t have been real, could it? I must be going crazy.

It keeps replaying in my brain over and over.

I wish I’d managed a better look at it.

A better look at her.

A better look at the woman with the long black hair and the pale face.

Part 3