Nature Walk – Short Story

“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.”

John Muir

“Stay in your lane,” Tom muttered, but he knew it wouldn’t matter. Bad drivers were bad drivers. He’d almost been hit by one, and despite an anxiety hangover from his near-death experience, the GPS told him his destination was just up ahead. He’d been waiting all day for this, and his descent down the final stretch was enough to keep him excited and in good spirits about his upcoming nature walk.

A friend had told him about a secluded location with a wild blackberry patch. “You can pick some, eat them, and just take in the scenery. You’ll enjoy yourself,” he’d been told. And Tom didn’t doubt it. With his love of nature, the thought of exploring and possibly finding something new piqued his interest, and he was totally down with it.

Pulling off to the side of the road, he observed a large hole in a barbed-wire fence, just as his friend had described. A worn trail extended into the opening, and a ‘No Trespassing’ sign lay twisted on the ground. Long been abandoned, the land was now free territory for all.

Tom had spent plenty of time in Louisiana’s outdoors throughout his life, so he felt right at home. Peering into the thickness and unknown ahead, he felt alive, and as he crossed the tree line, the woods let him know they were also alive. The cascading rustle of water sounded from a nearby creek. The familiar mating call of a robin comforted him, and things he did not recognize. Tom had a good feeling about where he was headed. Nothing was going to stop him now.

He walked until he felt something strange but all too familiar – an invisible barrier. Dear God. If any wildlife was around, it scattered the very instant he broke into a frenzy, wiping his face, neck, and torso to kill any bugs that had landed on him. Strange sounds came from his mouth and nose. He swatted and danced to no tune. Jeez…he stopped himself, hating to say the Lord’s name in vain. It seemed to go on forever, but he gradually slowed down and came to a halt. After examining his arms, legs, and torso, he breathed a deep sigh of relief.

 “I hate spiders,” he said, picking up a nearby stick and waving it in front of him to dismantle any cobwebs that were waiting for him.

Tom reached a point where the path ended. It’s got to be here somewhere. He searched the vicinity for a few minutes, and after accumulating scrapes and scratches through the unmanaged brush, he came upon the treasure he’d been looking for – a blackberry patch. Except something was off. The blackberries were all gone. Empty vines and briars surrounded by strange markings on the ground greeted him. Tracks? Whatever had been here must have eaten the fruit, and recently. Not even an early red berry hung from the mangled vines. Scratching his head, he bent down to get a closer look at the tracks.

The tracks were the size of a grizzly bear with a slender, humanoid shape. The toes were exaggerated and cartoonish, looking more like talons than anything, reminiscent of a large dinosaur. As he studied them, a cold chill rushed through his wavering body, and sweat formed on his brow. Whatever creature had been here was not something he ever wanted to see. Time to get out of here. In disbelief, he took a deep breath and rose to his feet.

As he stood, he felt a warm sensation hit the back of his neck, touch his chin, and rise to the front of his face. Slowly turning, he looked to see what had come upon him, and to his surprise, it was something he recognized. Red eyes stared with a gaunt look as Tom’s jaw dropped. Jagged fangs dripped with saliva and disgust as a putrid stench swirled and conquered the air. The creature’s black fur covered what looked like a human body, but this was no human. Tom had heard the legends, and now the legend stood before him. Rougarou.

Tom broke into an Olympic sprint. Ignoring the bush that threatened to tangle and entrap him, he bolted as the Rougarou pursued with a gallop not far behind. I need you, Tom. A voice from inside his head, eroding the last few pieces of sanity he had left. The howls and screeches of the monster rung with ungodly torment. Affliction, so extreme, that Tom could feel it in his bones. He ran and ran for what seemed like days, never losing speed, and never looking back to face the creature from hell.

At last, Tom cleared the broken fence, fumbled his keys out of his pocket, and jumped in his car. As the ignition turned, he glanced back into the woods. Saw nothing, except the dark woods, the broken fence, and the ‘No Trespassing’ sign.

Back on the road, Tom sped like a mad man, far away from the blackberry patch. The more he thought about what had happened, the more it didn’t make sense. In a way, he felt tricked. And after he almost hit an oncoming driver going around a sharp curve, he felt the weight of his advice. Stay in your lane.