My Peculiar Family by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Supernatural, Dark Fiction, Short Stories, Anthologies
Goodreads: 31336667
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 2016-07-26T23:00:00+00:00

The trudge back to camp was long. There was no trail, and he frequently had to climb trees to get a feel for the topography. His goal was to find flowing water, and walk it back to any kind of settlement. Then he could speak to the locals about reuniting with his guides, assuming they had not left already with his cargo.

With his knowledge of plants, he was able to forage when his rations ran out, even found some new specimens to harvest. The blowgun was devilishly easy to use. Birds, reptiles, small mammals kept him from starving to death. Rain, channeled by giant leaves, supplied endless streams of water for his canteen, and after a time Victor began to think he had found a rapport with the deadly wilderness. He had lost track of time, however, and he missed his family, missed the shop with its bottled varieties, missed the quiet comforts of home. So when he found flowing water, at last, it came as a relief that his journey was ending.

To their credit, the guides were waiting many miles downstream. They had chosen a wide spot in the river and anchored their boat in the middle, as a precaution against predators or pilfering visitors. Victor tied a strip of colored cloth to the tip of the bow then held it high at the river's edge, waving it back and forth until he saw the boat haul anchor and steam toward him. At first they were angry, demanding immediate payment for their delay. But when Victor produced the Jaguar pelt, they lost the aggressive tone. Moreover, they regarded the young man warily, seeing the long bow and arrows, wondering how he had gotten them. Whether by guile or by force, the American had journeyed where they feared to tread and came back with treasures. Here was a man they would not intimidate.

On the journey back, Victor shared most of his discoveries with the guides in hope they could save him a lot of guesswork. One, they told him was a pretty flower but held little other value. The others were beneficial when combined with other herbs.

While waiting for Victor, the men had done some foraging of their own and were proud to show what they found. They agreed to trade, such that all came out with a larger assortment, and that made them quite happy with one another.

Despite their amicable business relationship, Victor could not speak of the abandoned village. To do so would tip his hand that he had not encountered the native tribes, possibly encourage his new partners to try their luck at robbing him. Neither could he bear to share his saprophyte flower. That was his. All his.

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