Valley of Thracians by Ellis Shuman

Author:Ellis Shuman
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Tags: Mystery, Europe, Action & Adventure, Travel, Thriller & Suspense, Literature & Fiction
Published: 2013-01-25T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 37

Clouds have appeared out of nowhere. The first drops of rain strike me as I approach the meadow at the edge of the woods. The darkened sky matches my mood, for my mission in the village was unsuccessful. Just as I was hooking up to the Internet, Boris and Katya had arrived, upsetting my plans. Instinctively I feared these people would harm me. If they discovered that I was sitting in the mehana going online in attempts to recover my identity, it would not end well at all. Lacking money and the knowledge of who I am, my only option is to retreat temporarily to the minimal safety offered by my isolated cabin.

And now it is raining. This is typical for a Bulgarian summer day. It can start out with a totally cloudless sky and end with a torrential downpour. Even now, the rumble of thunder is growing louder, echoing through the mountains like an approaching army. Lightning flashes, illuminating the pine trees and capturing them in its photographic lens.

I reposition the backpack on my shoulder, hoping that no rain will seep in to damage my laptop. I feel cheated and uncertain how to proceed. I need money, and I need to escape. But apparently today is not the day that will bring me the freedom I seek. My immediate mission is to get out of the rain.

It is coming down heavily. I make my way into the woodland alongside the muddy path in a desperate search for cover from the rainfall. A branch scrapes against my face, and I grimace as I brush it aside. The trees offer me their protection; the leaves above serve as a partial umbrella. I am out of breath and a bit hungry. I reach into my pack and take out one of my apples.

As I bite into the fruit, I hear a noise nearby. I spin around, afraid that I’ve been followed from the village. There is a rustling in the bushes. I look through the trees and am sure that something is moving through the undergrowth, pushing aside the scrub bushes. I wipe the dampness from my face and edge closer, curious as to what I’ve discovered in the mountain forest.

Steam is rising amidst the thick vegetation. Patches of dark brown fur are partially visible between the moist leaves. It’s an animal of some kind, and it looks like quite a big one. As I part the bushes, more of this creature comes into view. It resembles an oversized shaggy rug, one that has been left out too long in the rain. The animal is sniffing and searching in the underbrush; heavy grunts mark its efforts.

I stand frozen in place when I realize fully what I’m seeing. It’s a bear—a large, wild, and slightly damp brown bear. Vapors are rising from its matted fur like the heated fumes from a subway vent on a New York City street. There is an unpleasant smell—one that can only come from the wet coat of an enormous animal.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.