The Incident at Templo Techo De Nubes (365daysofwriting)

Nightfall

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'I guess this'll do.' Alexander thought to himself as he huddled impatiently under the giant neon green elephant ear like leaves of a hulking colocasia plant. The thing looked like a hold over from the jurrasic era and he was hoping that its broad leaves would do something, anything, to sheild him from the mid afternoon rain and oppressive heat that tortured the jungle at this elevation. It was hard to believe they were infact only in a highland valley and that, although they had climbed for two days, they still had much more to go to reach the summit of the jagged mountain before them that peeked out in between openings in the rain clouds. The rugged peak was a beautiful but foreboding juxtposition of deep jade dominated by silvery anglehair like strands of waterfalls that cascaded down its steep sides. Beyond that ridge, somewhere, was what they had spent the last week clawing their way through the inpassable jungles that made up the bulk of the territory for the Republic De Nueva Costa.

He sat there watching his father further up the trail who had his face buried in a map, an intense look of concentration on his furled brow. Slowly a wisp of cloud like mist snaked out from the nearby trees and enveloped his fathers body from the waist down as it passed by. The opaque tendrils felt their way around the man before eventually continuing deeper into the jungle beyond.

"I think if we can just get to the top of that peak by sundown tomorrow we will be able to see the temple just to the north of it. We're not far! maybe only a few miles! We should set camp here for the night, it will be dark in an hour" Alex's father Dr. Harold Lewellyn said excitedly.

Sighing Alexander began to shrug off his backpack full of camping supplies. This was the last place he wanted to set down for the night. The deep cacophony formed from the birds and insects that surged seemingly from every level of the foliage was unsettling enough. Whether it was the mosquitoes exasperating his situation or the birds darting ominously out of the treetops announcing their presence wherever the two of them trode. There was still a seperate darker feeling this place evoked.

There was more here than just the wildlife. he could sense it. He had a feeling his dad did too. Just a few days ago before setting off into the jungle the curator of the capital's anthropology and history museum warned them from trying to locate this temple his father was so set on finding. He still remembers the old mans tanned, wizened face as his eyebrows lifted up in exclamation when his father told him they were seeking the fabled Templo Techo de Nubres. 'Too dangerous! Too many disappearances and dark stories.' he cautioned. That the forest was 'possessed by the supernatural.' "There are reasons we locals dont go up there Dr Lewellyn."

At one point even the the main lieutenant who ran the small Republics military stopped them in the streets of the half run down town with his convoy in tow and told them to not go looking for the temple. The row of jeeps and their scowling men cradling their machine guns a glaring contrast to the quaint colonial architecture of the modest town.

The eerie feeling worsened as the sun began to sink below the mountains smothering the valley in darkness from the deep shadows of the surrounding mountains. The inky twilight crept across the valley like a hungry demon.

While trying to build camp they discovered the wood of the forest was too wet to form a fire. There would be no light to keep the jungle at bay tonight. The single tent was all they had to keep whatever dark presence was in this valley from besieging them.

The entire time they fumbled with the tents assembly a lone spider monkey sat perched on a nearby tree, head cocked to the side, watching them. His expression one of incredulity at these two fools daring to wander into this secluded valley's realm let alone choose to stay for the night. Alex gawked back disconcerted by the line of leaf cutter ants crawling across the creatures paws and body. But the monkey seemingly aloof to the pests stood there like a stature never once breaking its stare.

As alexander stood around the camp watching the night fall and plunge them into darkness his conscious was unrelented in voicing its concern. He did not feel good about this location at all.

"alright lets get some sleep Alex. Tomorrow will be the hardest part of the accent up that peak. We should know by tomorrow evening if I was right about the temples location. We're close son, i can feel it!" Harold spoke.

"I can feel something alright. It doesnt feel good." Alex hissed back. "Look Dad, we only have three days more in supplies. We should turn back now and return with more men." He pleaded. Anxiety and surpressed anger spilling out of each word.

"Its all just myths son. Theres nothing out there. Now get some sleep." Alex looked down and watched his fathers shoes worm through the zippered entry of the tent and disappear.

Suddenly a strong breeze started to whisper through the leaves and the insects immediately quieted in reaction.
"Thats strange" his father murmured as Alexander looked around. Further down below the trail somebody was approaching their camp.

"Hey dad somebodys coming!" Alex said nervously in a low tone while reflexively crouching beside the tent as if to make himself smaller and hidden.

As he squinted to see better whoever it was that was coming up the trail he could hear his dad beginning to crawl out of the tent. There in the interplay of shadows and dappled rays of moonlight along the trail a pair of legs calmly walked their way towards him. Just legs. Like half the torso of a human body.

Momentarily confused shock came over him as he realized there was no upper body. With the sensation of icy cold prickling down his back his heart stopped as he finaly understood he was seeing an apparition. In the dead quiet, frozen in place, he watched as the spector walked within ten feet of him through their camp heeding no attention to them at all as it passed calmly by and continued walking up the trail eventually flickering out as the shadows swallowed it up again.

"What is that!!" Harold gasped breaking the silence and startling Alex.

"Its a ghost!" Alex stammered.

"NO! That!" His dad pointed frustratingly towards the sky. "There!"

Alex followed the line fathers shaking arm had delineated up towards a clearing in the canopy. There hanging below the dark grey clouds a lone orange orb skittered around like a water droplet on a hot frying pan before its wild jittery movements calmed to the point it was standing perfectly still. Just fixed in one spot below the low clouds above...hovering.

The two stood there staring at the light for a few breathless moments when it suddenly lurched a short distance across the sky and paused again scintillating brightly in the night. With a blink of pseudomption a second orange ball of light dropped from the heavens, through the clouds, and into the same space formally held by its companion. The two orange spectacles hung in perfect stillness for what felt like several moments as they took turns flickering light back and forth to each other in a call and response as if communicating.

Then one slowly drifted off in the direction of the peak they had been hiking towards. The other waited another minute before suddenly glowing brighter and heading off in a direction that would take it towards the coast and presumably over the ocean. Its movements a odd pulsing, stop n go, shuffling motion as it made its way over the horizon.

Both men stood there silent for a short while collecting their wits when Alex finally broke the spell and mustered a few feeble words. His throat suddenly dry. "This is not normal Dad. We should leave the second the sun comes up. This place doesnt want us here."

Smiling simply Dr. Lewellyn turned to his son "M'boy! Those lights have been reported in this valley for centuries. We've just seen one of the legends. This is a good sign! It means we are on the right path!"

"What about the disapperances! The warnings! We should leave. I just saw a apparition moments before this omen from the sky showed up. It's all bad. We need to turn around! Even the animals think we are crazy!" Alex cried out, pleading with his father.

With a stubborn crazed look his father talked down to him "Nonsense! You're just experiencing exhaustion from the conditions of our hike. There was no ghost! Now come on. We need to get our rest for the climb tomorrow. "

Grudgingly Alex crawled his way inside the tent too. Laying on his bedroll he couldnt sleep as his eyes wandered wearily around the inside of the canvas shelter. Alert to the peculiar dead quiet of the night and strange lack of animal sounds that told his senses that all was not right and that something was still out there.

• To Be Continued

(all photos from Pixabay.com)

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Hi guys! Hope you guys liked the first instalment in my response to the ancienct ruins of Machu Picchu photo from the 365daysofwriting challenge.

Theres a part 2 coming in a few hours with the conclusion to the adventure.

Best,

Steemydave