He thought that since villagers including his aunt regularly go for foraging, it should be safe but damn, the atmosphere was oppressive, heavy with humidity and the unseen presence of things watching him.
It felt like the suspenseful buildup of a horror movie, that moment when the protagonist walks down a dark hallway and the audience screams at the screen, "Don't go in there, you idiot!"
Rustle.
He froze, one foot hovering awkwardly in the air.
Thump. Thump.
The hair on his arms stood up. Something was moving to his left. He could swear that he felt the vibration in the ground…heavy, rhythmic thuds.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
His heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird. He held his breath, his eyes widening as the tall grass parted violently just ten feet away.
"Fuck," he thought, panic seizing his throat. "This is it. First day out and I'm lunch."
SCREEE!
A dark shape suddenly burst from the greenery, shrieking like a banshee.
