Julycanthropy // A Monster Month Series.

Here in the Jungle.

 It was quiet.

Not the jungle, of course not. This long stretch of land, stretching over thousands and thousands of miles, was wild and hot and terrible and it was always alive with noise and action. The jungle was never silent.

There was always sound.

Creatures crawling through the undergrowth, the wind howling through the trees, insects chittering and birds calling.

Never was the jungle a silent thing.

But the camp was.

Lantern had been snuffed out, tents were zipped up tight. All of the hustle and bustle of the day had been forgotten, alt least for a few hours, and all was peaceful. Only the softest of sounds resounded through the night air, a deep snore or a shifting in someone's cot.

It was quiet. Everyone was asleep.

And it was only then, only when you were totally sure that it was safe, that you moved. Slipping out of the rough little thing you called a cot, you stuffed a bag of laundry beneath the rough blankets, hoping that it looked something like a sleeping figure (or at least enough to fool someone's tired eyes into thinking it was), you took only your lantern and a small bag and then you snuck away.

The jungle night was dark.

With the tall trees and thick foliage blocking out any light, you were left to carefully stumble your way through the dark, using your hand to guide your way through the trees. It was difficult to say the least but you didn't dare to light your lantern, not until you were a safe distance away.

Your footsteps were quiet.

Boots crunched carefully in the dark, stepping over roots and snapping twigs. The path was familiar by now, having been walked so many times. You knew what turns to take, when to duck down to avoid the low hanging branches.

The jungle was alive.

All around was life. Animals creeping and calling to one another. A predator chasing its prey, a bird singing a soft song. Little bits of gold shimmered softly, fireflies flickering in the shadows.

Your heart was beating wildly.

Though you loved the jungle, you knew that it was a dangerous place. All kinds of deadly creatures lived here, jaguars and poisons snakes, even tiny things like mosquitoes and spiders poised a great threat to you. The jungle that you called home could kill quickly, with no one ever so much as hearing a scream.

The moon was shining.

It was full tonight, round and brilliant, but the darkness had been keeping it hidden from you. Now little bits of silver were just managing to break through the thicket of trees, revealing little pieces of the jungle.

Violently bright flowers, blood red and golden, that were so pretty...and so very deadly.

A vine that had been wrapped around a slim tree branch, only to suddenly spring to life and reveal itself as a green viper.

Shadows slipped by, creatures stopping to stare at you...only to bolt away in the blink of an eye.

By now, the camp vanished from your line of sight and you finally felt safe enough to light your lantern. Flicking the rusted switch, it flickered for a moment before bursting to life.

Using the golden light to guide your way through the darkness, you found your way to the side of a large mountain, it's stone spirals reaching high into the night sky. The lower half of the mountain was masked by vines and bright flowers and gnarled trees, almost completely hiding its stone walls. Walking a little more, you stopped and pushed away the long streams of tangled vines, exposing a dark hole rather then more stone.