Page 2 of The General's Captive
I got to my feet and took in the view around me, trying to pull back parts of the day that made sense. I had been hiking through Yellowstone National Park in hopes of seeing the grey wolves and bison that America had to offer. The wildlife that was impossible to see for people like me. People who had grown up in cities and the most densely populated places in the US. Which meant that the only creatures to be found for me in the concrete jungle of New York had been in a zoo.
Fortunately, I had family that lived in the slow-paced, rural parts of Wyoming. Which was why I decided that my last free summer before studying at Veterinary School would be spent with my uncle. He was a free spirit like myself, and I just knew that a summer in his rustic log cabin, nestled in the heart of the national park, would be one I would never forget.
And now, it was unforgettable for reasons I never expected.
As for my parents, they had opted to enjoy their vacation on a Cruise around the Norwegian Fjords. And although they were happy for me to tag along, I wanted to enjoy some solitude with nature.
The walk from the cabin had taken me hours to get to this point. A day spent taking in the rolling grasslands and winding rivers of Lamar Valley. Basking in the breathtaking tranquility it had to offer. What with the Absaroka Range to the east and the Gallatin Range to the north-west, it had taken my breath away most of the day.
But that had been before the Earth beneath me had started to vibrate. I had instantly thought about the super volcano my uncle had told me about just the night before.
The Yellowstone Caldera was nothing like a conventional looking Volcano because it didn’t come in the form of a rumbling mountain. Instead, it was a large basin-shape that had formed by the collapse of a volcano after a massive eruption. An enormous sunken area set within a larger volcanic landscape spreading outward across the land. It was what made it so special but, thankfully, although it often stirred, it had lay dormant for 700,000 years.
That was until now because I feared that was exactly what was happening. But if that were true, why when I looked down now did I see the scorched grass directly beneath where I stood? It was like some kind of demonic crop circle; it looked like a series of interlocking patterns. The symbol was too big for me to make out, as it looked bigger than my high school gymnasium.
Oh, and that cracking sound I heard, the one that boomed from the mountain and echoed all the way down the valley floor below. Something that became a catalyst for what came next.
The sight of the wildlife below all running as one, in a huge stampede, was incredible.Surely, this wasn’t possible!Surely, I wasn’t seeing this…had I fallen and hit my head?
It was like something out of the Lion King but instead of African beasts, it was all the wildlife I had ever dreamed of seeing. There were wolves, foxes, beavers, bison, too many to name all running as one. I was in awe and absolutely mesmerized, though really, I should have been petrified.
It was common knowledge that animals sensed danger before humans and here they were right in front of my eyes, obviously running from an unseen danger. The one that shook the Earth.
I looked in the direction they were running from and took out my phone, seeing instantly there was no signal. But it was too much temptation not to film it. And it was when doing this that I saw it. Saw what they were all running from…
A strange wall of shimmering air headed my way like a mirage was sweeping across the land.
The sight that finally had me running with all the rest of the wildlife as a cold wave surged through me. The animals were running from the direction of the mountain range as the tremors increased, leaving me questioning if it was the volcano or actually an earthquake. Either way, I didn’t think it wise to stick around, not after what had just happened to me.
So, I shoved my phone in my backpack, sliding it next to the journal I had been writing in earlier. Each second spent doing this had me nearly losing my balance as the Earth continued to vibrate more intensely. Because whatever was happening, I knew I had to get back to the cabin, regardless. I had to warn my uncle, although he probably already knew. Everyone nearby would be evacuating if it was as I feared and some natural disaster was upon us. I also knew without a doubt that my uncle would wait for me, potentially putting himself in danger.
In fact, I could already envision him jumping into his Chevy truck, ready to come and look for me. He may have been in his sixties, but he was a large man who had maintained his muscleand bulk. Not surprising really, seeing as he was ex-military and had never gotten out of the routine of keeping himself fit. He had always reminded me of a brown bear, big in nature, and most likely just as deadly on the inside. It was, no doubt why he adapted well to living with the nature he loved, ready to protect it.
Just like his first thought would have been to protect me now. Which meant that an earthquake or volcanic eruption wouldn’t scare him away from finding his niece,not a chance!
The ground beneath me continued to rumble violently and I took one last look in the direction of the volcano. It was then that a bright light appeared, so bright I feared it would turn me blind as my retinas burned from it. Then the light pulsed and, though I couldn’t see it, I could only assume it was a shockwave that hit me, taking my breath away and lifting me clean off my feet.
The dangerous effect of which must have thrown me more than twenty feet backward! Luckily missing the sharp foliage and jagged rocks around me, instead landing painfully on the unforgiving gravel. Like a second wave packed more of a punch than the initial crack from before, causing the poor animals below to scatter like pins in a bowling alley.
I recovered surprisingly quickly, most likely thanks to engaging some kind of autopilot from the shock. My arms shook as I pushed myself off the ground, small stones digging into my palms. I stretched my limbs, feeling for any injuries, and though they were sore from the impact, it didn’t seem like anything was sprained or broken. Thankfully, there was nothing more than some bruises, no doubt.
And it was a good job too, as I took off running back down the path I had come from, my hiking boots slamming against the hard terrain. I knew I didn’t have the stamina to run the whole way back to the cabin but the adrenaline still pumping through my veins was surely helping.
As I continued on, I could feel myself getting tired. It had taken me hours to get here, so trying to run all the way back wasn’t happening the way I hoped it would. The adrenaline had finally worn out as my legs began to feel so heavy that I started to trip up more and more, each time scraping my hands and knees on the gravelly surface. I soon reached the point that I just needed to rest, so as I reached the top of a small hill, I threw myself to the ground just to get my breath back.
What a huge mistake that was.
My legs were shaking from over-use, and they refused to allow me to stand up, even though I felt like I was wasting time.
The land thundered again, and my heart thudded in time with my breaths, it felt as if the Earth was actually splitting open!
It shook so hard, that had I been on my feet, I would have fallen to the ground, regardless. My childhood instincts kicked in and I covered my head, trees all around me shaking as the earthquake rocked the land. I didn’t know how long this went on for, but I questioned if the world was going to swallow me whole the entire time. Until finally, it calmed enough that I was free to lift my head, turning my body toward the heart of the destruction.
Half of me had expected to find a huge cloud of smoke and debris rising from in the distance as ash was spat out into the atmosphere. What I hadn’t expected to see was something so much worse.
The Earth had actually split open, creating a giant Rift in the land. An enormous tear in the world, as if the Gods themselves had struck the Earth with their wrath.
I didn’t know where that thought had come from, but it certainly described what I was looking at now, as the world was literally cracking open! The ruptured part of the land looked as if it started where I had found myself burning, before traveling away from me, in the direction of the mountains. A jagged linetravelled like lightning as it cut across the valley floor. One that continued to open up, inflicting a wound against nature as it started to separate the land.
