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Tik-ti-iiik ikk...
I was woken up by the sound of wild fowl early in the morning. Since I didn't have much to do, I decided to check out the area where the light and sound had come from the night before.
I told the guard where I was heading and instructed the other teachers to continue with their chores, assuring them I wouldn't be long. Then, I slung my backpack over my shoulders and prepared to ascend the hill right behind my camp, which would give me a good view of the area around us.
As this lake was right next to the reserve forest, various trails led to different checkpoints. It was not hard to navigate through them since this was not my first time here.
I took the middle path out of the three, as it wound its way toward the hill. The incline was steep, so I walked slowly, savoring the clean, fresh air. After half an hour of climbing, I reached the halfway point, where an observation deck was built into one of the tallest and biggest trees in the area.
As I climbed the ladder towards the platform, strange noises—like people talking—echoed from the creek marking the boundary of the hill.
Upon reaching the treehouse platform, I grabbed the binoculars hanging around my neck and directed them towards the creek where the noises were coming from. What I saw left me frozen in place.
Down below, five massive women were standing by the water, wearing leather tunics with cuirasses over them. I considered myself tall, standing at 175 cm, but next to them, I was a mere child. Four of them wore leather helmets that resembled Viking-style headgear.
The first woman to emerge from the bushes looked around cautiously, as if checking if the coast was clear. After a few moments, she mumbled something, and the others stepped out behind her. Two of them crouched down to drink water with their hands while the other three stood guard, alternating roles.
Once they had all finished drinking, a woman—who was the only one without a helmet—stepped in front of them. She had brown hair, but I couldn't see her face as her back was turned towards me. She seemed to say something that cheered up the others before they began moving downstream.
But just as they were about to leave, she suddenly froze—as if realizing something—then turned her head in my direction.
I immediately ducked under the railing.
"No way... That can't be... There's no way she could have seen me. The distance between us is almost a mile."
Slowly, I lifted my head above the railing, just enough for my eyes to peek over. I raised the binoculars and focused on the creek where they had been—but they were gone, as if they had vanished into thin air.
Terrified, I got up and climbed down the ladder as fast as possible. Reaching the ground, I started descending the hill at a quick pace.
"Are those things Phûng?" (According to legend, they were similar to Western trolls, but all Phûng were female.) "Or could they be one of the Lasi?"
Those thoughts raced through my mind as I hurried down. According to our ancestors, these legendary beings had once roamed freely before humans settled on this land. Over time, as people expanded their territories, forests were stripped of their great beasts and ancient trees, and it was said that these creatures disappeared completely. However, rumors persisted—whispered warnings that sometimes, they would return, appearing out of nowhere to snatch away unsuspecting souls.
With my mind on high alert, I finally entered the lodging area. Most of the students were already awake when I stepped inside.
"Where are the Miss and Madam?" I asked.
"They're in the washroom," the children answered in unison, pointing towards the lodge.
"Miss Melody! Please, all of you come out as soon as possible!" I nearly shouted as I called them.
"What happened?"
"What's going on?"
Two women stepped out of the washroom—Melody and Judith Sangpuii.
"Where's Madam Duhsaki? Is she inside?" I asked urgently.
"Yes, she's inside. What's happening? Is something wrong?" Judith inquired. She was the oldest among us, nearly in her fifties.
"I think we need to leave this place immediately."
I avoided mentioning what I had seen and instead made up an excuse about my father being ill, saying I had to get home as soon as possible.
"Oh! Is that true? How's he doing? How serious is it?" Madam Judith asked, visibly flustered. She knew my father—she had been his junior in high school, and he had helped her a lot during those years.
"It's nothing too serious, but I have to leave right away. Can we pack up and head toward the village?"
"If that's the case, then we're good to go. Duhsaki!" she called out to the other woman still inside.
"If you're done washing up, come out! We need to pack. Dennis's father is in an emergency."
"Not that seriou—" I tried to clarify, but she cut me off, instructing me to pack up and tell the students to be ready to leave in half an hour.
"Sorry, Dad." I quietly apologized in my head for using his name as an excuse. But to be honest, I was paranoid. No—I was terrified. Something had happened in my childhood and teenage years that made me lose trust easily. Even trusting those closest to me was sometimes difficult.
I reached my camp and hurriedly packed up the tent and other equipment, dragging the folded tent and gear toward the pickup truck I had rented for the camping trip.
All the children gathered near the truck and car. After taking attendance and ensuring all 18 girls and 7 boys were present, they climbed into the modified pickup truck and took their seats.
Mr. Sakilua, the guard, was also present with his black Jeep, mentioning that he needed to gather some medicine and food seasonings from the village. As usual, I attempted to take the driver's seat of the pickup, but he tapped my shoulder.
"I'd like to drive the pickup," he said. "You can drive my Jeep instead."
I hesitated. "It's fine, I can drive the truck—"
"It's been a while since I've driven one," he insisted.
I tried to argue, but he stood firm. Since he was older than me, I eventually gave in.
And so, our convoy set out. Madam Judith Sangpuii led the way in her car with three students and Madam Duhsaki inside. Behind them was Mr. Sakilua in the pickup truck carrying the twenty-two students. Lastly, Miss Melody and I followed in the Jeep, which could only seat two people.
The journey started smoothly. The only sounds were the hum of the engines, the occasional startled bark of a deer or stag, and the rustling of the forest.
But after taking three turns away from the lake, an unsettling feeling crept over me—like something was watching me.
A chill ran down the back of my neck.
Unable to shake the sensation, I glanced at the rearview mirror.
And then I saw her.
The woman from before—the likely leader of those creatures—stood at the edge of the forest. Her piercing brown eyes locked onto our vehicle with a strange intensity. In her hands, she gripped a war hammer axe.
And just as we were about to turn another corner—
Something enormous burst out of the forest and slammed into the pickup truck ahead of us.
The impact shook the vehicle violently.
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