GlendaIV

strange things happen at high elevations in the wilderness

     Glenda sat at side of fire, staring into its mesmerizing flames. They flickered and faltered with licks of flame's tongue flashing softly yellow orange like silk into the air, released into the sky like freed fairies. She sat with coffee mug in her clasped hand. Its contents had now become cool. She dozed in and out of sleep, her head nodding, falling forward. The distant sounds of night creatures soothed her tired limbs and pleasantly numbed her mind.

     Her thoughts were sedately centered on her lone freedom. She hypnotically recalled imprisonment at home, a bondage that weighed heavier on her, juxtapositioned by her idyllic sierra mountain wilderness. 

     In her dozed state she sensed an entity staring at her from the darkness across the fire's perimeter. She gradually regained her wakefulness to a sufficient degree of awareness, realizing that something was in fact lurking there. She steadied her gaze allowing her pupils' muscular dilation in the mix of dark and light. There stood a large hulk, standing well over the height of a six foot man. Its shoulders were wider than a football linebacker. Curiously, two red orbs were situated in what must be its head. The head appeared massive. 

     Glenda fought back a wave of panic, yet she remained in a state of forced composure. She instinctively deduced sudden moves would induce a physical attack. She slowly stood making motion toward her tent.

     The intelligence moved with her. Its shadowy hulk moved as if floating. Its coal red, glowing orbs of eyes moving with it. Glenda felt pangs of fear; still able to maintain their harness. 

     More steps toward the tent. 

     More silent flotation in her direction by the beast.

     She managed to reach her destination. She steeled herself to unzip the tent's entrance. The sound of the zipper felt dreamlike, somehow it steadied her taut nerves. She hunched through the flaps and dove into her sleeping bag reaching for her machete.

     She felt vulnerable and exposed, trapped within the thin sheets of soft nylon. She grasped the large, multi functional tool by its familiar leather handle. She felt instant comfort.

     She turned sideways and upwards peering toward the fire. Midway between the tent and fire stood an immense hulk. The air smelled of fire's smoke and a peculiar animal odor, like rancid pork's grease.

     It stood there as if frozen. Waiting. 

     She noticed two large protrusions at top of its head. These flickered and swayed with the fire's convective air currents. She thought of images she'd seen on the internet. The creature made her think of Moth Man. Speculative curiosity sequestered fear; she considered the entity to be spiritual rather than corporal. Therefore, her metallic blade, though formidable would be useless. Her frail frame would be no match for such a monster's size and strength. She whispered an invocation to the Most High, her God. 

      "Dear God, please send me help. Help me Lord. I need you. I'm scared."      
       She remained hunched inside the tent. Her eyes remained fixed upon the creature and it remained fixed on her. Then it moved. It stepped forward softly, silently toward Glenda.

It stood at the tent's entrance now, standing a full, what she thought, a towering eight feet.

     It was at this point she involuntarily screamed. Her previous efforts at restraining fear culminated in her sheer relinquish to naked terror.

     These were the screams which Dan and Jeff had heard over a mile away, across the vast canyon.