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Hammond's Dream
By Amber
Prologue:
“Mysterious Disappearance”
The rain was light and trickled off the canopy onto the underbrush below. It was muggy and muddy, and it had been that way all day. When Jack Fields and his wife Rebecca had come to Costa Rica on vacation from Seattle, they expected a bit more sun and relaxation. Now, on their last days before heading home, they decided to take a private tour of the Ismolaya region south of San Jose.
The couple set out on foot early in the morning with their tour guide Lupe. Lupe was in his early thirties, dark and his hair unkempt. The typical native fisherman. As a young child, Lupe had visited these parts many times.
During the day the group spotted birds and monkeys, and Lupe pointed out unusual plants and insects. The entire tour would take about two days, and the Fields were equipped with food, tents, sleeping bags, and battery-run flood lamps.
Lupe led the Fields to a river where they walked along the deep, murky waters. The quiet river was about thirty feet wide. Up ahead they heard a long roaring sound; it was a constant sound. As they walked along the river, the water became clearer and shallower, and the roar became louder and less distant. Lupe didn't seem surprised by the sound, it was like he was expecting it to be there. The water was getting rough and the roaring drowned out the sound of the rain pattering on the river. As they turned around a bend the Fields saw what Lupe was looking for, it was a waterfall about twenty feet high. Across the river there were a few peccary drinking from the river. They ran off as soon as they saw the three visitor’s approach. Lupe walked up to the falls and told them to wait there for a second. Lupe seemed to disappear behind the falls, and the Fields realized there was a cavern behind it. They entered the cave behind the defining roar of the falls. They were out of the rain in the small, muddy cavern. The cave was about thirty feet deep and very dark. It was also loud; the three practically had to shout to communicate with each other over the roaring falls.
“I used to come here when I was a young boy,“ Lupe said “I haven't been here in years.”
Jack turned and looked back at the end of the cavern. There was something there. Something was hiding in the dark. Suddenly it charged out at full speed toward the three. Jack leapt back as Rebecca shouted. At the last second it turned direction and leapt out from the cave, through the waterfall. It was a peccary.
“Stupid pig.” Jack grumbled. Lupe stood at the cave entrance grinning at the couple’s expense.
“Actually, it’s a peccary. It’s like a wild pig, but with longer legs and a thick mane along its back.” Lupe took out a flashlight and shown it into the deep end of the cave. Jack sat down for a breather as Lupe showed Rebecca some drawings on the wall he had done years ago. There were chalk drawings of names, and animals, birds and plants, and some sort of lizard.
“Have you seen all of these animals drawn here in the rainforest?” Rebecca asked Lupe.
“I have seen most of these animals, I drew some of those there on the wall. But this, this strange looking lizard I did not draw. One of the natives from a local tribe must have drawn it. It is a strange looking lizard, only standing on its back legs, with large teeth, I have never seen it. Some tribes worship these animals of the forest, they believe they are spirits, or guardians of this land. This forest is so thick, you can walk within ten feet of an elephant-sized animal and not know it was there.”
“I like this monkey, it’s cute, and this cat, is it a jaguar?” Rebecca asked, trying to hide her bleak knowledge of the Costa Rican ecosystem. Lupe nodded in agreement. The cave was black, unbelievably dark at the end. Anything could hide there and no one would ever know.
Jack watched specks of light dance on the cavern walls as it passed through the falling water. It reminded him of the french doors in his dining room, which had the same effect. He wondered if that meant the rain had stopped and the clouds had cleared, but before he could stick his head out of the cavern he heard Lupe calling him.
“Okay, lets move on, I want to be out of this area by nightfall,” Lupe said.
No, it was still raining, Jack thought to himself. As they left the cave and walked out Lupe turned to the river to fill his canteen. Then he suddenly stood up; almost losing his balance and falling in.
“What is it, Lupe?” Jack shouted.
“Look, down in the water,“ Lupe said as he pointed down at the bank. There was a reddish looking piece of a carcass dripping blood into the river.
“What was it?” Rebecca asked.
“It was the peccary we saw in the cave,“ Lupe replied. All that was actually left was a piece of a leg and it’s fleshed out skull.
Lupe turned to Jack. “Jaguar must have got it, they are silent beasts. Usually aren’t around these parts of the jungle, they are a threat to livestock, so they’re hunted by the farmers.” They continued to walk along the other side of the river. Lupe caught a glimpse of Rebecca giving Jack a worried look.
“Do not worry, I doubt we will see any large animals today, I personally haven't seen a jaguar in about a year.” Lupe said comfortably.
By about four in the afternoon the light drizzle had become a torrential downpour.
Lupe decided he would radio ahead to the village and check on the weather.
“Yes,” he said.
“Si - fuerte - pero no puedo - si - gracias,” he said, then put down the radio.
“ I’m sorry but we’re going to have to set up for camp right here and stay put for the night. We were supposed to be closer to the village by nightfall but there is a storm coming and it’s too dangerous to move on.”
Jack wasn’t too happy about setting up so far southwest of the village from where they started. Jack also noticed Lupe seemed uneasy about staying, and this made him even more nervous.
“How bad, exactly, did the village say it would be?” Jack asked his guide.
“Frequent showers, lightning, and strong wind. It doesn’t sound bad, but being out in the jungle during those conditions is a dangerous circumstance to be in.”
They were at the edge of the mountains and if they tracked west they would be entering the deepest and darkest part of the Ismolayan rainforest.
Nightfall approached fast and in the darkness small monkeys began hooting and howling. The rain was now pouring which made putting up the tents an even harder task. There were a few battery run flood lamps, but one short out in the rain.
Dinner wasn’t exactly a gourmet meal; it was composed of bread, apples, water, and trail mix. There were three fires burning around camp that Lupe had started. According to him it would keep out any animals that may be dangerous.
By now the rain and the monkeys ceased, and there was an eerie silence shrouding the jungle. The three explorers became exhausted after dinner. Jack saw Lupe was
still looking a bit troubled, he decided to go talk to him.
“Lupe, I wanted to ask you something. Are those fires you set up enough to keep away any dangerous animals?”
Lupe looked at him with confusion. He didn’t expect that kind of question.
“They should. The only animal around here that might cause us any danger is a jaguar, and the only time it will attack a man is if it is injured and has trouble hunting. But these fires should keep them away, like I told you before.” Lupe said.
Jack was tired and he decided to hit the sack. After a few minutes Rebecca joined him in the tent. Lupe also thought it was time to turn in, and so he did.
All three fell asleep with the soft patter of rain falling on the tents and no other interruptions with the exception of a strange grunting noise in a background of crackling flames.
The ground was still damp in the morning when Jack Fields stepped out of his tent, drenched in sweat. A few times he was awakened by the frequent showers and the sound of Lupe’s tent rustling in the howling wind. Jack felt groggy and tired; he hadn’t slept well at all. The sun was barely showing over the treetops and the thick canopy was blocking most of the light. The air had a musty smell, and it was hot and damp. Jack grumbled as he picked twigs and leaves from his sticky arms and legs. He was about to go back in his tent where Rebecca was resting when something caught his eye.
Lupe’s tent was wide open and torn along the side. Jack looked inside at the disturbing mess. His flood lamp was broken in half. White stuffing was thrown everywhere from the slashed sleeping bag, some of it stained red. The tent had an odd stench of decay. Lupe, on the other hand, was not there.
Jack looked around the area the tents were in and he was nowhere to be found, he seemed to have disappeared. On the ground near the tent there was a puddle and in it was a footprint. It had two toes and was about seven inches long. Jack couldn’t tell what kind of animal it was. Earlier the other day he had seen peccaries, but these prints were too large to be from those animals. The ground was covered with foliage and a group of leaves seemed to have been disturbed in the pattern of a trail leading into the forest. Rebecca crawled out of the tent and took a look at Lupe’s tent.
“Rebecca, stay there, Lupe isn’t back yet. Go back in the tent and get some rest.” Jack tried to keep his tone at a normal level, but his wife caught the agitation in his voice.
“Jack, where is Lupe? I mean, he wouldn’t just leave us here. And what is wrong with his tent?”
“No, just stay in your tent, I,” Jack didn’t want to alarm Rebecca, but he knew something was wrong.
“What is it, what’s wrong,” Rebecca mumbled, becoming worried.
“Someone was here last night, or something, Lupe is gone, and I don’t know where he is.”
Rebecca looked down at the ground and saw the trail of leaves, she looked at her husband and turned toward the direction of the forest. As she walked into the dense foliage she could here her husband calling her, pleading with her to stay, but she did not. The two followed the trail about thirty feet into the underbrush when they came upon a piece of cloth. It was a piece of torn khaki shirt. They recognized it as a piece of Lupe’s shirt; it was stained reddish brown.
“What is it Jack, is that Lupe’s shirt?”
“I think so, with, I think, dried blood.”
3/25/2003 10:35:36 AM
(Updated: 3/25/2003 10:43:33 AM)
(Updated: 3/25/2003 10:44:10 AM)
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