THE CAMPFIRE TALES
[Kiyoshi]
“I can’t believe we got cigarettes…it’s a shame the whiskey isn’t Irish,” “Oh please Aednat, we have two packs of cigarettes and a fifth of Canadian Mist. I can’t take anymore arguing let’s just enjoy what we got while we have it ok?” Chris finished with a shake of his head and a drag on the cigarette as silence filled the group. The minutes passed until Chris said softly, “I’m glad we popped that thing now. There was no way that we could have continued on.” Jacob was sitting with his back on a tree inhaling a cigarette as if he was smoking the finest cigar Castro could provide. “Well I told you didn’t I? I said tactically it was the worst move we could have made.” “We could have killed the creature Anton,” “there you go Jacob…could have…could have is the reason that we are here right now.” Taking a swig of whiskey Raska laughed, “I’d love to know what type of combat this white boy has been in, probably daddy parting him from his check book!” The group laughed and even I cracked a smile. “My soldiers and I were in the Battle of the Compound against American SWAT and ATF. We thought we had found the blood heir to the Fourth Reich…turns out the guy we kidnapped wasn’t a match but still we lasted a whole…”
Aednat snatched the bottle from Raska and took a swig deciding to cut off Anton. “So what’re we going to do with that big motherfucker Mwai?” Anton snorted at her interrupting him but fell silent immediately. Aednat passed the bottle to Hakeem. Chris took a drag from his cigarette then with a shake of his head, “I don’t know…I don’t know…thank god Nikki finally woke up though, one less person to drag. Hakeem don’t put your lips on that!” Hakeem’s eyes narrowed as Chris watched every movement. Hakeem tilted the bottle above his mouth letting it pour in slightly. He quickly screwed the cap on and handed it to the Russian. He was fiddling with his ankle as his sock was soaked with blood. Aednat gave him a disgusted look and then turned back to the rest of the group, “I don’t know Mwai doesn’t look like he is going to make it through the night. Listen to him over there!”
Mwai was rolling on the ground feet from the group. He was rolling clenching at his skin winching as his breathing had turned into a loud wheezing. “I have no idea what is wrong with him. He started all that moaning when we popped the ball.” She looked at everybody in the group, “he needs a doctor if he is going to live. Look at his stomach his veins are all black.” Chris shook his head, “like I said I have no idea what is wrong with him. I have only ever seen dead veins like that on heroin addicts. Whatever is happening it’s in his blood stream now.” “Well I am just going to keep him over there, let’s go through the rest of these crates and see what we have to work with.” Chris smiled, “Yakov there’s something I want to ask you, how old are you really?” Yakov snarled up from his wound, “none of your business boy!”
The sun had disappeared from the sky and a weird greenish gas was being emanated from the stick. It surrounded us continually moving through the forest creating an invisible dome around our group. In the supply dump we found ammunition for some of our weapons, some food, ten blankets, huge first aid kit, and three gallons of water. As we all gathered around the fire, we began to converse and drink more. “What do you think…Mind, is it? What do you think is going on?” Raska was smiling towards the bald headed white boy. “You been bragging about your fucking mind the entire day. Acting almost as smug as that other white boy over there,” Raska pointed to Anton who looked up from cleaning his boots. “Yeah I’m looking at you,” I turned and saw Hakeem mutter, “Racist shit!” Shaking his head Chris took the bottle, “you wouldn’t believe me…even if I told you.” “At this point white boy I think I am willing to believe anything.” Raska’s statement seemed to express the feeling of the other members of our group. Chris shook his head, “no, I’m just a conspiracy nut and nobody wants to listen to those types of people.” “Well we all don’t have any ideas anyway,” Aednat said snatching the bottle away from him and taking a swig.
Chris took a drag of his cigarette and moved closer towards the fire. “I can fi rst go over what I already know, or what we should already know.” I watched him stare at every one of us before he continued, “We know that we are here for a game…a hunt as that arrogant bitch said. We know that we have supposedly three days to survive. From what I can guess this game involves a lot of wagering and gambling…betting and odds.” “How do you know,” Aednat’s question was met with a smile. “Please Aednat with everything going on you don’t think there wouldn’t be betting. But here’s what confuses me is the connection. I’ve heard of some of you but there is no connection between us.” “How can you say that,” Aednat’s sweaty face was covered in matted red hair. She flung it back as her eyes went wide with suspicion, “because I haven’t met any one of you before.”
I noticed how silent we all became even the Russian who appeared unconcerned throughout the entire day now started to find something interesting. Pointing to the cringing Mwai, “him I have no idea….her,” pointing towards Nikki who was stabbing a stick into the fire. “Her, her I have read about. She has been all over the news…she is the Russian Black Widow.” Raska snarled, “She’s just another blonde bimbo.” Nikki gave a cold stare to Raska, “I shov u londe bimbow!” Chris started shaking his head, “blonde bimbo or not she is a dangerous woman. You my friend you’re Lord’s Resistance, if anybody didn’t already know that. You have been shouting it all day, and their colors are painted on your AK there. This other white fish that you don’t like, he is a skinhead.” Shooting up he straightened his dark gray uniform, “I am not a skinhead! I am Anton Koppe Supreme Group Leader and Colonel General of the Waffen-SS Werewolf. I’m also Supreme Commander of the Fourth Reich…one of the youngest to have received a 2nd class Iron Cross from Odessa…” Every member of our group yelled in unison, “SHUT UP!” Fixing his hat he gave a snide, “I’m just saying I’m not a skinhead is all!” Returning to the giant log he had been sitting on, he straightened himself again before Chris continued.
“As much as I hate to admit it, but I have read about you Anton. You’re not a dangerous man, but you are a despicable human being…even compared to all of us.” Pushing Aednat slightly, “you’re obviously I.R.A.,” scoffing Aednat took a heavy drag of her cigarette. She swung her black scarf to the back “RIRA!” Shaking his head, “whatever Irish, whatever.” Aednat pointed towards me cigarette between her two fingers, “and who do you think he is?” “I think he is Triad, but I only say that because that is the only one I can think of. He’ll never admit to it though, look at his fingers.” I waved my hand at them, “What the fuck are you saying Chong? We don’t understand you!” Raska was snarling at me as Chris sniggered, “Raska he’s saying that he understands me…he’s not stupid.” Taking a drag of his cigarette Chris chuckled slightly, “that motherfucker makes me laugh. Anyway this guy Hakeem in the blue and red dreads here, I have no idea possibly Haitian. The colors in his dreads don’t mean anything or at least from what I can tell. I definitely have no idea about him. Yakov there has been in prison for a very long time. He is old as hell too I’d say 75 at most.” It was Raska’s turn to laugh. He saw Jacob drop a little whiskey in a piece of metal shaped like a bowl. His emotion changed, “hey Dundee you’re wasting whiskey on that f i lthy beast? I should strike you down!” Jacob moved his hand towards his large knife, “you see this son? No matter how big or bad you think you are, Lefu and this knife are the tools to your salvation…and your destruction.”
Raska wiped his nose as he began to check his AK, “lucky I got stocked on some more ammo.” “What good is your ammo going to do for you my loud mouth friend when you’re asleep? Lefu here is better than any motion detector anybody could provide.” Aednat growled “alright guys, Raska will you shut up! If you aren’t going to contribute anything right now just shut up.” “Why are you sticking up for this white boy Irish? Why do you care what he thinks? He even admits he’s guessing.” She turned to Chris and then back at Raska, “Because he solved the riddle and the rest of you fools couldn’t. His nickname is ‘The Mind’. Which means,” “Which means nothing Irish, he could love to give brain!” The circle erupted in laughter as the bottle of whiskey was continually passed around. Even the white boy Chris gave a little smile at the very idea. “My IQ is 186 and I was going to receive a full scholarship to…” raising her hand towards Chris, “whatever just finish with what you’re thinking.” “I keep telling you all, I think we are dead and that demon out there is judgment!” Raska snorted in anger, “oh there goes Hakeem again! We are not dead alright you dirty mother…”
“Shut up Raska,” silence grew again as Chris continued, “Like I said Yakov has been in prison for a long time.” “But how can you tell,” I watched Chris slightly laugh at Aednat. “Well, look at him…look at how fit he is for his age! The only reason could be is that working out is the only thing that he is able to do ALL day. If I knew his full name maybe I would know something more about him.” Aednat turned to him with a military stare, “yo Yakov what’s your name…your whole name?” Yakov, who now held the whiskey bottle in his hand exclaimed, “what is the meaning of this….I mean, what is the point of all this? You want to understand Yakov…you want to cling to the knowledge of the American education system? In the end he’s just as blind as we are.” Chris gritted his teeth, “look Yakov we’re trying to find a connection, and I can find one if you just give me your stupid name!” “Go to hell American,” Chris shook him off, “I don’t want to fight! I really don’t Raska wears me out enough.” “What the hell did I do white fish? Just remember I still got unfinished business with you…never forget that!” Chris smiled as he pointed his finger at Jacob, “he’s an animal poacher and based on his African Wild Dog there I’d say South African.” “Is that what that is,” Aednat blew out a cloud of smoke as she stared at the creature lapping up the whiskey in its little makeshift bowl. “Yeah but you can’t train those things,” Jacob smiled, “Lefu here is probably the second smartest thing in this group.”
“You’re an idiot Jacob that thing will probably turn on you and us in middle of the night!” “Lefu here is going to keep you alive tonight Raska…and what about you baldy? I hear you talking about all of our backgrounds, which I can agree on but you haven’t said anything about yourself.” “I would have said more if I wasn’t getting interrupted every two seconds!” I watched every pair of eyes move to him, “I am an Elder in DMI or Dead Man Inc. That’s all you need to know. But you see this is my point we’re all from different walks of life. The pieces of this puzzle don’t seem to make sense. I’m assuming that you guys had a man on a tablet that explained…” “He didn’t explain anything Chris! He was just some arrogant guy that knew Hakeem. Also we got to ask him one question.” Chris nodded, “yea we did too Irish. We asked him how to survive needless to say the arrogant prick said we couldn’t.”
Chris lowered his head as he seemed to be talking down into a whisper, “If I had to guess it would be that everything we were told by the people on those tablets was true. We have been brought here for something, a purpose. A purpose that they are calling a hunt. If you noticed everywhere we have gone today is visible by cameras. Even now look around us,” I watched as many eyes wandered to the forest surrounding us. “That bastard on the tablet said that we are here for a hunt. Well a hunt seems pretty obvious, but the question that really gets me is who…after all who would be capable of doing this. Who would be capable of bringing all of us together?” I saw Jacob stroking his dog’s head completely uninterested.
“Hand me another cigarette will you Irish,” Aednat snorted at him. She tossed him one of the two packs of cigarettes, and he took another one himself. “I don’t think you are ready for this.” Aednat grabbed his wrist, “I have sat here listening to you this entire time. I usually think of this stuff by myself, but I think I can speak for everyone when I say we are all out of our league here. I think we all can be open-minded at this point.” “Speak for yourself Irish,” Aednat turned to Raska who was now loading bullets into the magazines that he had saved. He loaded a bullet with every word he spoke, “I…don’t…let…women…speak…for…me.” Jacob added, “I am not out of my league. I’m just waiting for this smart ass jail bird to finally realize he’s nothing but a dodo.” “Excuse me Jacob,” “You heard me a dodo!”
Shooting up in his spot, “You’re one to talk you lying sack of…” Aednat grabbed Chris’s wrist “we’ll get to that just ignore Jacob and go on for now. We need an idea of what’s going on, and you’re the only one that is providing us with one.” Chris lit the cigarette in the fire before returning to his rotten wooden log. “They are hunting us that much is clear.” Holding up her hand, “wait, wait, wait they aren’t the ones hunting us that creature is.” “Yes that’s exactly my point Irish! Who would have the power to create such a creature…if they didn’t create it, who would have the power of controlling it? Nobody remembers how they got here, but one picture continues to flash in my head. The Eye of Providence with a skull in the middle of the pupil.” “A skull in an eye, oh well that just wraps up everything in a little bow for us doesn’t it” waving his hand mocking Chris Raska spilled several bullets. He finished with a “God damn it!” “If one of you has a better explanation of what is going on let’s hear it…cause it seems like you all want an idea…and I got one! Do any of you?”
Raska shook his head with a sarcastic, “Go on, you keep going on! I’m sure we’re all going to unanimously agree with your theories anyway. After all I don’t think anybody has any other ideas.” Taking a long drag of his cigarette Chris continued, “Well except for Jacob there, but he will finally answer some questions I have in a minute. Continuing on, how many of you know about the Illuminati?” The whole circle began to laugh as Jacob smacked the side of Lefu laughing jovially, “you hear that Lefu?” Lefu’s tongue hung out of her mouth, “we are here because of the Illuminati! Now why didn’t we think of that huh?” Chris waited until the laughing died I even had to wipe my mouth on my suit coat to hide the smirk on my face. It took several minutes for the laughing to die down. “I’m not saying the Illuminati did this, bunch of conspiracy mumbo jumbo if you ask me. I do believe the people responsible for this…hunt… game, whatever you wanna call it…must have a lot of money. And there is only one group of people with this kind of money. They have the power to make ten people and some of us are high profile too…” Chris pointed towards Nikki and continued “end up here. They are called the Bilderberg group.” “Bilderberg…Bilderberg, what the hell is that?” Raska shouted as Aednat shook her head with a little, “never heard of them.” Chris snorted in disbelief, “I don’t know how any of you have never heard of them. Don’t you read the news?” Everyone stared at each other with confusion on their faces.
“Where’s that bottle,” the bottle passed to me and I took several swigs before I passed it onto Chris. Chris drunk heavily from it then continued, “The Bilderberg…the Bilderberg group is a group of the most influential and richest people in the world. They get together every year and discuss how to influence and shape the world. However, I don’t believe that the actual Bilderberg group is part of this…well, this whole thing you know? “So you think that this Bilderberg group, they are the ones that brought us here?” Chris shook his head at Aednat, “no Irish that symbol…that symbol within the eye…the skull that is what makes it different. I believe it is a totally separate group…an offshoot of the group…and that I am stuck on.” “So you’re saying it’s a bunch of rich ass people sitting around watching us like a…like a…like a tournament or something?” Chris nodded at Raska, “that’s exactly what I think it is. I think that does explain a lot.” “What about our memories then why can’t we remember or why did they even…” Chris stopped her mid-sentence, “I assume they kept us drugged the entire time for medical testing and to keep us physically fit. It actually makes sense if you think about it with all the money they’re going to wager.”
“So if you think all of this is some rich people…betting on us like a sporting event, what is the creature out there? Why can’t we kill it?” Chris sipped the whiskey bottle again before passing it to Yakov, “well I think for that Raska we should ask our poacher friend. I told you I had questions for you and now you’re gunna answer them.” Jacob looked taken aback, “Me…just because I hunt animals doesn’t mean I know all the animals in the world.” Chris began to laugh as he wiped away the bit of whiskey that dripped from his lips. “That’s funny Jacob and you’re a good liar I do admit that. The arrogant bitch on that tablet thing said you had previous experience with the creature. You have been saying all day that he’s a liar. However I saw that look. I saw your expression when you and the creature were face to face. I know that he wasn’t lying. You’re the one that is lying!” Jacob scoffed, “look, I didn’t give a look…” “You did, I saw it and so did Nikki!” “SO WHAT, so what I gave a look whoop-de-do boy!”
Yakov passed the whiskey to Aednat who scowled, “Man I would kill for some Irish whiskey right now…some Bushmills, Michael Collins, Greenore, hell I’d even take Jameson!” “Alright Irish enough…Jacob you know what the creature is, ok? Now why don’t you just…” “You insolent little shit! I have no idea what that creature is! How dare you call me a liar!” “You know the creature so stop lying to the group! I saw your face when you stared at the creature. Why would that prick on that tablet say you had previous experience with it? He told the truth about EVERYTHING else except that! You know something!” Shaking his head, “I don’t know,” Chris yelled, “Tell us! You know what the creature is!” Yelling even louder, “I DON”T KNOW WHAT THE CREATURE IS,” everyone froze as they stared at Jacob. He lowered his head as he began to pet Lefu to calm her, “but yes I have seen the creature before alright? It nearly killed me the first time.” “COME AGAIN,” Raska had sitten up, “you have seen the creature before?”
Jacob nodded his head, “Back in 92, I was commissioned by that guy on that tablet thing Lord Otto.” “Woah, woah, woah, wait a second! You actually knew the guy on that tablet? I though he was just…I don’t know patronizing you or something!” Shaking his head at Raska, “yeah his name is Lord Otto and he has commissioned me for many jobs before.” Chris leaned forward, “So was I right about everything?” Shrugging, “I don’t know…and that is the truth. Now do you want to hear this or not?” Everyone grew silent as Jacob continued on. “Lord Otto commissioned me for an assignment back in 92, he said…he said that there was a creature…well, an unknown creature terrorizing this village. Don’t ask what village because I can’t remember. I have been to many strange villages with strange names and it’s hard to keep track of every one of them. It was somewhere in Romania I know that. I don’t know what the creature was, but I do know this. It had human qualities.” I saw Chris furrow his brow, “human qualities?” Jacob nodded, “I shot it many times and it never died…it couldn’t die. I was told to capture it and bring it to a designated checkpoint. When I caught it, Lord Otto’s men came and loaded the creature onto a truck. I was paid and flown back to South Africa. I never saw it again…until, Lord Otto brought me back to his mansion. He told me that the creature had somehow escaped. He offered me money, and I took it. I had some tea. It must have been drugged and ended up here. The rest is history.”
“Wait, wait Dundee you’re telling me you caught that big mother…” Raska was cut off by Jacob raising his voice, “well obviously it wasn’t that big back then! It must have been the size of well, a lioness? Wouldn’t you say Lefu?” Lefu looked up at Jacob and tilted its head, “oh that’s right Lefu you weren’t even born yet!” Everyone seemed to stare at Jacob and how he spoke to Lefu. I even had to admit that it was unsettling. “So how did you catch it?” Jacob gazed up from Lefu and stared at Aednat with an inquisitive look, “its not going to help us now!” Seeing her pressing look he growled slightly, “I caught it in a net and used a tranquilizer dart.” “So how did it almost kill you?” Jacob glared at Chris and growled even deeper, “what was I supposed to use for bait boy?”
“So that explains you then, Hakeem?” The dreaded man nearly fell off his log his eyes were wide and wild. He clearly had not expected to be contributing to the conversation. “Hakeem the man on our tablet that Ron Reid guy he said that you knew him. How is that?” “He is a weak minded man that only strives for…” “Yes, yes Hakeem, but how do you know him?” Hakeem stared at Aednat continuing, “He acquired my services to help him reach his full potential and in return he gave amazing works of art.” “And what services did you…” “Such beautiful works of art, sculpted like goddess they were.” “HAKEEM,” Aednat’s shout seemed to bring Hakeem back to reality. His hands were outstretched as if he were reaching out to touch something. He lowered them with a stern, “He wanted power. He wanted respect. He needed my powders, my magic…my help. And why wouldn’t he? I am the most famous and powerful Bokor that has ever existed!”
Raska curled his lip in disgust, “whatever he has is making him crazy.” Chris shook his head, “no he is a priest in that stupid Voodoo crap!” “CRAP,” shouted Hakeem his eyes wide again. Hakeem snatched the other pouch around his neck, the black one. “You see this here! In this pouch holds a liquid so powerful that you will become my slave! I have traveled to the other side and seen demons that you only have nightmares about. I have been to the darkest places on earth and imprisoned in the worst prisons around the world. I have escaped them all…THEM ALL with the help from this pouch! One drop dulls the pain…two drops kills the pain…three drops, and you will go insane.” Polishing his machine gun Anton quickly dropped it with a loud, “what did you say?” Hakeem and everybody turned to him but Anton wasn’t paying attention. His eyes were focused on Hakeem. “Where did you learn that?” Hakeem straightened himself up, “my mother told me that, why?” Anton’s eyes narrowed, “do you know an Agwe, a Mother Agwe?” Scoffing, “know her…she’s my bitch of an ex-wife!” Chris began to point between the two, “you know what he’s talking about Anton?” Anton wasn’t listening he was smiling, “you were married to her?” Hakeem’s face hardened, “I only married her to learn all her tricks!” “What the hell are you two talking about?” Chris was growing angry, but Anton just smiled serenely, “nothing, nothing we just know the same person. It’s nothing.” A mysterious look spread over Anton’s face as he picked up his machine gun beginning to polish it again. “Well Voodoo is for fools and let’s put all that stuff to the side because if we want answers we need facts.” “Voodoo is something you couldn’t possibly wrap your puny mind around!”
“So Hakeem let me ask you this then if you’re all spiritual and worldly. What do you think the creature is?” “It is a demon, a creature from the other side. A creature born from the darkness and shadows…a creature from our nightmares.” Chris rolled his eyes but Hakeem continued, “It can never die and is here to test us. A test that we all will fail and no living being can pass. It is a creature that has only been whispered about for hundreds of years. It is seen by only the unfortunate ones who dare to travel within its true domain…the night.” Hakeem finished with the fire still crackling loudly. The shadows danced over the trees and silence seemed to envelope everyone.
Everyone seemed to turn to Chris as he sat there in thought. He shook his head a couple of times and said, “I have an idea. It’s a little out there but since we are, well out there already I guess I will present it. Jacob did the creature ever turn into a human?” I watched everyone seem to stare at each other. Even Jacob looked confused, but gave a “no it was an animal.” Nodding his head, “that’s what I thought now listen and listen well because I have an idea. You all wanted an idea, so this is my idea.” He paused as he stared at everybody, “I believe that our original belief of the creature was true. I believe the creature out there is…a werewolf…a true werewolf.”
It took several seconds until everybody started laughing except for Hakeem. “A werewolf,” Anton said as he seemed to laugh with such a superior tone. Chris waited until the laughing would stop but it never came to be. Even I was smiling, Raska began to snort in laughter, “You’re a funny man white boy…a very funny man! You can’t be serious!” Aednat seemed to have lost a little faith in Chris, “how can you expect us to take anything you have said seriously?” Chris stood up and I saw a fire was burning in his eyes as he stared at us all. “Laugh if you want but you wanted answers and I am giving them to you! You all were so quick to believe it before! Fine then tell me this Jacob! You’re an animal expert, right? Have you ever seen an animal take that many bullets and come back after a mere hour or two with no wounds? Huh? Tell me that!” Jacob ran his hand over his mustache, “well no!” Chris began to move around the fire, “how can a creature take that many bullets and live? The only logical answer has to be as our dirty teammate here claims it to be…a demon.”
Aednat sneered, “So you believe it’s a werewolf, impossible they don’t exist.” “You all were so convinced that it could have been a werewolf before!” I watched Aednat rub her neck, “well that was just in the moment. We’re trying to discuss real possibilities not make believe ones.” “I assure you Aednat that creature out there is a werewolf. I wouldn’t believe it myself, but you can’t spell impossible without possible.” Raska stood up, “Werewolves don’t exist white boy, and you said you were the smartest person here! Now I see you’re just a joke…a fool!” “Alright then Raska, what is it,” shaking his head, “I don’t know white boy, but I could think of something better than a werewolf!” Chris remained calm and repeated, “well, what is it?” Raska looked around the group and then back, “I don’t know! All I need to know is how to kill it and get out of here!”
“Exactly,” Chris said, he wagged his finger at him and repeated, “Exactly! How does the creature keep coming back? We fi ll it with enough bullets to kill it a hundred times over and it still comes back. My guess is that because we aren’t using silver we can’t kill it.” “So how does it come back unharmed and all healed up so quickly?” Chris shrugged at Aednat, “I don’t know. It must wander off somewhere and heal itself or something.” “Man I wish I was back in Uganda this is some crazy shit!” “That brings me to another point Raska. Who here remembers how they got here?” Nobody responded, “Ok, what was the last thing that you all remember?” Nobody responded again, “well the last thing I remember was sleeping and the guards coming in and kidnapping me.” Aednat muttered, “I was being interrogated. I can’t remember anything from it though.” Anton gave a small, “the last thing I remember is standing in my cell renewing my oath.” Hakeem muttered, “All I remember is having tea on a plane.” Raska rose from his leisure position, “I was taken! My whole Company was slaughtered by the UPDF! Rosenberg came and hauled me off !”
I saw Chris furrow his brow and begin to rub his chin. His eyes narrowed as if he was deep in thought. “Mhm,” he said as he stared at the rest of the group and silence once again enveloped around our campsite. His eyes focused on me, “and you, what was the last thing you remember?” I stared at everybody with the fire mirrored in their eyes. I reached down and wrote one word in the dirt, SOLD. “Sold, what the fuck does that mean?” Chris raised his hand to silence Raska as he asked me, “Who bought you?” He was my last target that I had been assigned, and a name that I would never forget. I wrote in the dirt the name of my last master, Pascal Bolkestein. Chris read the name several times. “Are you sure?” I nodded and Chris seemed to accept it without a second glance.
Aednat seemed to grow interested in his thought process, “what’re you thinking?” “Before I was being wheeled onto the plane, a man talked to me. His name was Conrad F. Mansbridge. I knew him as well.” “So,” said Aednat, but Chris continued, “Don’t you see Irish? That Lord Otto guy called us candidates. He also mentioned sponsors. Who I believe are members of the group that brought us here. We were brought here by people that directly know us. These are the people that sponsored us. The only question is how do we survive the three days?” Aednat shook her head, “removing the bracelet is impossible. Even if we were able to get out of the area they could still detonate them remotely.” Chris rubbed his chin again, “let me think on that for a bit.”
After an hour more of conversation it seemed that everybody generally accepted Chris’s idea of a werewolf. Maybe it was the fact that he claimed to have an extremely high IQ? Maybe it was that we all didn’t have any ideas ourselves? We all started to split off and go to separate parts of the clearing. It started with Aednat standing up and throwing her cigarette into the fire, “well I guess I better go check on Mwai.” I stared and saw Nikki staring at the fire. She had grown quiet since she had awoken from her unconscious state. I stared up through the trees gazing at the stars. They shone like diamonds twinkling in the dark night. The universe seemed so simple compared to the complications we were all facing. Des