The Lost City

The sleek, black mini jet bumped and swayed as the wheels met the asphalt, leaving behind long black streaks. The aircraft shuddered as it came to a halt. I sat for a moment longer, trying to soak up the coolness from the AC before I stepped into the sweltering heat of the sun, as it beat down on this small under-the-radar island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Before I knew it I was trekking up a rugged rock trail behind our jungle guide. My boots crunched as I moved forward constantly assaulted by humongous mosquitoes while itchy green brushes swatted at me.

We'd been hiking for hours with no outcome. I was ready to give up but our jungle guide, Bilinao was his name, spotted something in the distance. We continued on.

The district we came upon was more than unusual. It was horrifying. Was it actually real or was it just a graphic, bone chilling scene brought to life from a horror book. I struggled to keep a whimper from pushing past my lips as fear bubbled up inside me. Pure terror rushed through me as I looked at the ghastly sight.

Bones! Bones that were once people. Bones that were once living, breathing human beings were scattered across the blood red dirt. It was as if the blood from them was soaked into the ground, permanently staining it. The flesh had been peeled from the dull white bones and it was as if whatever had devoured them wasn't full because it had continued to gnaw on them. The rancid smell of rotting flesh lingered in the air.

Decapitated buildings lined the edge of the clearing. They were beaten down shacks made of rotten, termite infested wood. The musty stale scent mixed with the other over powering smell, making a disgusting, gut-wrenching stench which was so thick and heavy that I could almost taste it. With every breath I took the repulsive odour filled my nostrils. It was slowly suffocating me. I gasped, trying to breathe out the nauseating scent only to suck it right back in through my mouth. I couldn't understand how we didn't smell this sickening odour before we came into the clearing.

I hadn't noticed before but, as soon as we set foot in the clearing, everything went still. It was as if the island itself was trying to give us a silent warning, a plea to turn back and leave. It was a plea to escape from this horrific place before it was too late and to forget that such a place even existed. We should have listened.

I could hear my heart pounding like a bass drum in my chest. Dizziness came over me as my brain screamed at me to run, get on the jet and never look back. However, my body had another idea. I felt numb. No matter how much I wanted to turn and run my body stayed rooted to that spot. It was as if the ground was holding me captive. Nothing was registering in my mind.

Screams! I could hear screams in the distance. Voices screamed at me to run but they just mixed into the mess my mind was. I could feel something breathing down my neck. Chills ran down my back as I shivered from the feeling. My head felt heavy. My eyes drooped. My body fell to the floor. My eyes closed.