A Failed Expedition Part 1
Fresh tracks, broken shrubs, blood. It’s been through here.
Two months since we started the expedition. Two months and nothing but false leads, empty forests and aimless treks, but now we have the chance to catch it. A new large mammal species, the first of its kind discovered this century, we’ll all be famous.
A team of 3 trying to find this thing seems crazy, but it’s all our funding could get us and I’m not complaining, Johann’s good at surveys and Manuel knows the area pretty well so we’ve been in good shape.
“Maybe we should try the areas around the coast, it might be by the seaside.” I hear Manuel say from a distance.
“I don’t know about that, my grade in Marine Science was always below C-Level.” Johann says another one of his terrible puns, but it helps clear the boredom of another day of tracking so I let it pass.
I look around and survey the destruction the thing left in its path and it just doesn’t make sense. It looks like an herbivore, just like a normal cow, but its behavior is almost predatory. Small deer were crushed by large teeth and what almost looks like tusks. Maybe the locals were mistaken and this may be a kind of aggressive elephant… that may get me a lot of magazine covers. I shrug off my excitement and remind myself not to count my chickens before they hatch. I need to be patient.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
No. This isn’t right. How could we not have heard it. The thing smashes Johann into a tree and breaks him in half before chewing on his arm. I can see it now, in full flesh. Hairy, rough skin, giant fangs that are like tusks, I can’t tell if it’s bovine or something else. But it’s definitely a meat eater. And hostile.
I slowly move away, trying not to alarm the animal with fast movement, but I stop dead in my tracks. The thing calmly dropped my friend’s arm and walked towards me, calmly. It looked me in the eye and I swear its eyes weren’t like anything I’ve ever seen an animal possess. It was almost human. The thing looked me over and it was almost like it was smiling at me.
Manuel fired a few rounds from his shotgun and it scared the beast away, but I was still shaken. A lecture hall can never prepare you for that kind of savagery. He rushes to my side and tries to see if I’m okay, but I don’t think I can be.
“We need to leave before it comes back.” My voice is shaking and it’s the only thing I can manage to say.
“It’s not going to come back, you’re just in shock.” Manuel tries to reassure me.
“You don’t understand.” My voice is trembling now, it’s hard to me to form the words, but he needs to be warned.
“I think it’s hunting us.”
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Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Story inspired by the Mantahungal entry in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.
Mantahungal illustration by Leandro Geniston fromAklat ng mga Anito
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