They Had the Proof

They Had the Proof

The needle pressed against the skin, but never penetrated. Instead, it bent until the syringe slipped from the junior researcher's hand. Dr. Kline and Dr. Austin exchanged glances. The leaves and ground cover rustled as the accompanying photographer snapped more photos of the creature as proof it existed. No one knew if three hypodermic tranquilizer darts were enough for a creature like this. The researcher used a larger needle, and this time, it penetrated. The creature moved, then settled back.

Its blood was deep red, much darker than human blood. Once the entire vial was full, he extracted the needle. The researcher passed it off to Dr. Kline, who labeled it before storing it in a protective case. The photographer continued disrupting the forest floor while snapping photos. Dr. Kline obtained a hair sample and swabbed the inside of its mouth while Dr. Austin continued taking measurements. The thing was enormous compared to an ordinary man. Then the photographer slipped on a pile of leaves and landed on his side.

The creature lurched upon hearing the noise, and everyone backed away.

No one knew what was about to happen. Both doctors hoped the creature would return to its drug-induced slumber, but if it didn't, they'd be in trouble. The creature rocked back and forth, which caused everyone to back up farther. Their jeep was far away, and if this creature woke, someone was going to die.

It rose to one arm and released a deafening roar. Everyone turned and ran once the creature known as Bigfoot got to its feet. They had the advantage of running away before the effects of the drug wore off, but they never counted on the creature's advanced sense of smell. Behind them, the sound of breaking branches and heavy footsteps followed.

Everyone knew the general direction of the jeep, but the thick forest made spotting anything at a distance difficult. The jeep was less than a mile away, but the slippery ground cover caused them to tire sooner than expected.

The creature roared once more.

The team continued running. None of them had realized how deep they'd traipsed into the forest in pursuit of the mythical creature, but no one considered being pursued by one. They trudged forward with the Sasquatch still in pursuit.

Dr. Kline stopped first. He wasn't a young man. The others stopped to haul him along, but the ground cover made movement difficult. Behind them, the sound of stomping moved closer. The doctors knew the case's contents were more important than the photos. It had to get back to someone. Anyone!

The creature burst through the trees and attacked, tossing them around and slamming them into ground and surrounding trees. The creature's large strides made escape impossible. After everyone lay dead, the case and the camera joined the forest floor.