Ficksburg Frostfall: Chronicles of Despair

ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 1

"All this sci-fi stuff, but I still have to wait for the car to heat up," I grumbled to myself, eyeing my SolarAero, my most prized possession. Worth over R2m, I practically starved to afford my Aero.

"Ye-sis, you're love struck! Kere gone!" Thuto exclaimed in awe, peering at me. "Was it worth it?"

Taking a moment to ponder, I replied, "Yes, it was. It's solar-powered, can drive on air and land, and it's pink. Need I say more?" We shared a laugh.

"Okay, Aero, please open the trunk," I instructed as I loaded more boxes into the back. "Can't believe I have to work tomorrow," I grumbled, a frown etched on my face.

"You have bills to pay, pinky-pinky," Thato remarked as she piled more boxes into the trunk.

"What time is it?" I asked, feeling anxious about potentially being late.

"It's past 3," Thuto replied, reassuring me, "we still have time."

"We need to stop by the garage first," Thato interjected, "I need something to eat."

"I hate driving late, man. Let's go," I said, closing the car trunk. "Lulu hates it when I get home after dark, especially in the snow."

The thought of my sister scolding me for arriving late seemed to spur the twins into action as they quickly grabbed the last of their luggage and got into the car.

We were headed to Thato's new apartment. She had been eager to move out and live alone, a luxury I could only dream of.

Unlike the twins, my sister Lulu was the only family I had left. Our parents had passed away shortly after the war, leaving us all alone. I pushed aside thoughts of our childhood; they were too heavy to dwell on.

In the frost-covered streets of Ficksburg, a chill unlike any I've ever felt before seeped into my bones as a news broadcast came on the vox. "...on diplomatic affairs. The South African Minister of Police, KC Mokoena requested that the Lesotho government take responsibility. The body was found on the banks of the Mohokare River between Ficksburg and Lesotho. It appeared to have missing body parts and its bones unnaturally broken and twisted," the broadcast continued. "The body was found missing its eyes, in their place a were two dark goey holes almost like the eyes were melted inside the skull. The body was also found covered in an unknown dark green slimy fluid. The Lesotho government is yet to release a statement."

Silence engulfed the car. "You think it's real?" Thato's voice carried concern.

"What are you thinking? The Thababosiu creatures?" Thuto prodded, egging her on. "You think they're real, don't you?"

"Of course they're real!" Thato retorted defensively. "Badisana have been dying and disappearing around that mountain, so how can you believe it's not real?"

"Stay off social media, Thato, it's turning you into Joe Rogan," I teased. "Those are nothing but conspiracies, just bedtime stories for children." But even as I said that, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. Too many people reported encountering unexplainable things on that mountain, from faceless figures to ear-piercing screams. Even if it's not creatures, something surely is happening there.

"Even if it's real, we don't have to be worried, Thababosiu is very far from us. They'd have to attack metse e mengata hampe before they get to us," Thuto reassured us.

We all agreed, and Thato's worry seemed to ease as she leaned back in her seat and scrolled on her phone, followed by Thuto. I changed the station to play some music and drove, staring into the open white land before me. We were about 5km from the Mohakare River, and the road was lined with thick trees, making it hard to see.

"We're about 5km from the Mohokare River," I mused aloud. The dense trees and thick snow made it harder to see the road. "I probably shouldn't have taken this route or driven on land. What a hassle."

To my right loomed the Mehopung mountain, now snow-covered and intimidating. "I wonder what secrets this mountain hol-" Before I could finish, "BOOM!" The car hit something.

I slammed on the brakes, struggling to stop in the snow. "What was that?! What did we hit?" Thuto exclaimed frantically.

"Calm tf down, Thuto," I said impatiently." It's possibly nothing. I'll go see what happened," I reassured them, zipping up my jacket and reaching for the door.

"Wait!" Thuto said quietly, pointing. "What's...what's that black substance?"

I turned to see in the rearview mirror, a dark substance covering the snow behind the car. We all peered around, noticing it almost circled the car. "It's not black, it's green," I said, feeling a chill.

Just as we tried to figure out what was happening, an ear-splitting scream pierced the air. A shiver ran down my spine. It started as a low, guttural growl, rising in pitch until it reached a deafening crescendo that reverberated through the very core of my being. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat echoing the fear that gripped me as I clutched at my ears, desperate to block out the sound. It was as if the scream itself was alive, twisting and contorting in the air around me, filling me with a primal dread that I could scarcely comprehend. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the scream ceased, leaving behind an eerie silence that hung heavy in the air. A scream so unnatural it couldn't have come from something of this world.