Primeval Valley by Edward J. McFadden III

Author:Edward J. McFadden III [McFadden III, Edward J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severed Press
Published: 2019-05-12T22:00:00+00:00

20

Gill sat with his back to a stone, staring into the forest and listening for his companions. He felt vulnerable, and he was tired, hungry and thirsty. Loneliness seeped over him like a fever, and the tips of his ears grew hot. The pit of his stomach was cold, and angst snaked into him like a worm. He’d heard no gunshots, no cries or wails of beasts. Perhaps his friends had heard the commotion of his fight and ventured into the woods to assist him? They could have passed in the dense forest.

He got to his feet and searched the area. There were many footprints, but it was impossible to tell new from old. The tracks crisscrossed and disappeared into the forest in several spots. He’d have to follow each trail if he hoped to find which direction his friends had gone. There was no blood on the ground, so whatever had caused his friends to move on hadn’t hurt them. If Rajim and Nicki had gone in search of him, wouldn’t they return here? To his last known location? What if they’d been run off and were being pursued? They might need help. Gill sighed and rubbed his forehead.

A roar echoed off the mountains, and a shrill cry beckoned back. How long should he wait? Nicki and Rajim couldn’t have gone far, he’d only been gone an hour.

Gill was in the middle of his second search of the area when a gunshot rang out in the distance. The shot had come from the east, but in the narrow valley soundwaves bounced around. It sounded no more than a mile away. Gill headed back to the cliff face. Once beneath his rope, he eased the M16 from his shoulder and made sure it was set on single shot. He fired into the air. The shot silenced the trilling insects and chirping birds, and as if the kings of the valley had to prove they wouldn’t be intimidated, a series of squawks, grunts and primal roars replied.

He leaned his gun on a boulder, and drank some water.

An hour later his companions still hadn’t returned, and he was starting to worry. They’d surely heard his shot. Was there a reason they couldn’t come? Gill was considering going to his original search plan when Nicki and Rajim strolled from the forest.

“Thank the man upstairs,” Gill said.

“He had nothing to do with it,” Rajim said.

“What happened?” Gill said.

“Happened?” Nicki said. “We went to look for food. I thought maybe we’d find acorns or some green stuff.”

“We thought you’d be gone for a bit. We heard your gunshots and figured you were doing well,” Rajim said.

“Everything OK?” Nicki said.

“I had another close call. Spinosaurus. Thing tried to bite my head off, but I got it,” Gill said.

“Any meat on something that big and muscular?” Rajim said.

“That’s why I came back here. I need help craving this thing up. We need to hurry before the meat goes bad,” Gill said.

“You didn’t gut it?” Nicki said.

Gill sighed.

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