It was a hot, humid day, which is basically like every other day in the jungle. The humans had come and reduced a lot of what was left of the territory by claiming so much of it for themselves. They used to live in fear of all the creatures that dwelled there, fencing their village off from the predators. Nowadays, they fence the jungle in instead of themselves, tearing it down when they want to make room for more humans. This just made all the predators frenzied, searching for food in the jungle and the human towns. Most of the predators would settle for a fresh kill or something in the dumpster, no longer picky about what they eat. There was only one predator who refused to degrade himself in such a way. He wanted a fresh kill, and if it was a bit of a challenge, it made it all the sweeter. Because of his ways, it also made his section of the jungle safe from humans tearing it down. Humans were too afraid, some even superstitious, believing that ghosts or spirits were behind so many deaths and disappearances.
Sapa was no ghost or spirit. Sapa was a Titanoboa, although commonly mistaken to be a large rock python. That was because no one ever got to study Sapa, see his full length. He kept himself wrapped around branches and tree trunks, lowering portions of his body at a time to ensnare his prey and bring it back up into the treetops. While the majority of men steered clear of the section of jungle belonging to Sapa, there were the few thrill-seekers and ghosthunters that went to make camp and find out the answers to the mysteries. Sapa didn't have to eat often, which worked out with how often people actually entered his territory.
It rained recently. It made the ground particularly loud, the air particularly sticky, and activity particularly energetic. All kinds of animals were enjoying the recent rainfall and how the natural flora was affected. Due to the lesser amount of human activity in this area, animals felt that they could frolic and hunt and explore the jungle freely. Even predators weren't as malicious on days like this. Well, most predators. Sapa wasn't most predators.
Sapa was not one who found a particular interest in furry or hooved or feathery or clawed creatures. He saved the sating of his appetite for his favorite creature: humans. Because he took care of them so flawlessly, the rest of the jungle creatures let Sapa be. They also gave the humans a wide berth when the humans dared to enter the forest, making sure to not get in the way of Sapa's little games. Sapa, of course, was grateful to such an accommodating community.
After such a wet few days, Sapa was enjoying stretching out across a few branches in the tops of the largest tree. There was one tree that was just large enough for Sapa to live in. It was just as tall as the tallest trees, but much wider than any other tree. He fertilized the ground around it after any meal was digested, just to make sure his home was as nourished as he. Sapa hadn't been able to feed either in quite some time though. The rainy season had gone on longer than it usually did, meaning no tourists for him to devour. He was hoping his luck would change soon as he really wasn't in the mood for a monkey to tide him over in the meantime.
As luck would have it, a small group of tourists were making their way into Sapa's jungle that same day. The group had been holed up in some motel waiting for the weather to pass. They had almost called the whole thing off when the radar showed a whole week without rain. Sure, the ground would be soaked, but they could lay extra ground pads down and hang hammocks for sleeping. The group consisted of Randy, a twenty-one-year-old content creator who specialized in the supernatural, his twenty-three-year-old business partner, Cory, who planned the excursion; Henry, Randy's twenty-four-year-old brother joined as temporary camera man since their usual guy fell ill. Lastly, Haley, the eighteen-year-old friend signed up for the excursion as well, wanting to do something exciting before shipping off to college.
The guys were both excited and reluctant to have Haley on the trip. For one, she was an understated kind of beauty, a real girl next door type. On the other hand, while she had done some outdoorsy things before, Haley had never been camping or away from home for an extended period. They all wanted a shot with her though. All the guys had known Haley all their lives, and none of them ever had gotten a chance to date her. Randy had been in love with her for some time. Cory only recently saw how attractive Haley was, and he was equally surprised by her intellect. Henry always had a thing for a girl next door, and, honestly, would just be happy to get laid. Haley had no idea how beautiful she was, and she put very little effort into her looks.
When the morning came, the group all loaded their bags, checked out of the motel and made their way toward the jungle. They stopped to interview some locals along the way, most of whom gave warnings about going in there. The locals all warned of an evil that lurks in the darkest parts of the jungle and of all the disappearances that have happened before. Of course, the guys all knew. This was the whole reason for the trip. Haley was a little uneasy with all the warnings piling up, but the guys all assured her that it was just superstition mixed with inexperienced campers.
"Don't worry, we won't let anything happen to you Haley," Randy promised with an arm slung around her shoulder.
"Yeah! And, if it makes you feel safer, you can sleep with one of us every night." Henry joked with a little wink at Haley, which made her blush.
"Okay. I do feel better knowing y'all will be around and know what you're doing. Just don't let a jaguar eat me." They all laughed as they left the safety of the village gates. Little did they know, a jaguar would be the least of their problems.
It amazed them all how immediate the density of their surroundings changed. One minute their were walking in a completely open area, the next, it was hard to tell which way they even came from. Luckily, the boys all had plenty of experience camping and exploring, and they came prepared with a map and compass. Every half hour, the group would stop, mark about where they were on the map, then keep going. The guys were sure past explorers simply didn't think to be as prepared as them.
It was difficult to tell time of day based on the sky as the treetops covered most of their view. None of their phones were working this far out, and they wanted to save their batteries in case of emergency anyway. Light flickered in now and then, and they knew they needed to find a good place to set up camp before the light was gone completely. Based off how many thirty-minute intervals they had taken, Henry thought it would be a good idea to check for an appropriate spot. He took off ahead of the group, clearing any branches or vines with a machete to make his path more obvious to his group behind him.
Randy and Cory knew what to look out for as they began trekking after Henry. Haley just a few steps behind her friends, trying carefully not to disturb any wildlife. Although Haley was scared of what might be happening in the jungle, she was also really excited about the animals she might see. Haley was an avid nature documentary viewer, but she knew very little about the fauna of this jungle. She hoped she might see some exotic birds or a family of monkeys or whatever the jungle wanted to delight her with. Haley knew there were poisonous and dangerous creatures here too but seeing them from a safe distance was probably fine.
While this group of tourists were searching for the perfect spot to set up camp, a certain snake was just waking from his nap in the sun. Warm and well-rested, Sapa just needed to sate his hunger. Just as he thought this, he heard the familiar sounds of happy humans traipsing their way deeper into his jungle. An evil smile spread across his maw as he began to slither in the direction of the squelching jungle floor and human laughter. It took him no time at all to spot the four humans, now huddled up in a more open area around the base of some trees. Three men and one woman. Women were always tastier, the extra fat they had in both the upper and lower regions made Sapa so hungry. The men always filled him up longer though. Decisions, decisions. He watched from the canopy as the humans set up their tents and hammocks, built a campfire and unpacked equipment that Sapa wasn't as familiar with. The longer he watched them though, the more he saw that the girl didn't know as much as they boys. She also apparently didn't sense all those lingering glances each boy was giving her. She could be smart, but her naivety meant she could fall a little more easily for Sapa's tricks.
The guys all silently fought over who would be sleeping with or next to Haley. Anytime she was out of earshot, they would bicker like kids over a new toy. As soon as she was closer to them, they would suddenly be gentlemen on their best behavior. Eventually, Henry won some contest between the three. He set up Haley's sleeping bag in his tent, while the other two guys grumpily gathered more firewood. Getting more than smoke going was no easy task; the recent rain and general dampness of the jungle made building a fire near impossible.
"Hey, at least the smoke might keep away the mosquitos and other unwanted creatures," Cory shrugged, trying to not sound too defeated over their pathetic campfire.
"Yeah, I guess." Randy couldn't help his sigh, poking at the embers that were trying their hardest.
"Hey, I could probably find some stuff that wouldn't be quite so smokey!" Haley piped up, having just tied her button-up shirt around her waist and thrown her hair up into a ponytail.