Lair Of The Spider Apes: Part I
A man in a khaki vest stood looking out at the vast jungle scenery. Miles of thick green vegetation enveloped the landscape. He gazed out from his vantage point over the beauty before him, and then turned his head to the camera and spoke.
"This is Gabon. A country in the central western equatorial area of Africa. Gabon itself has quite an interesting history, but recent incidents in the small villages near the border of the Republic of Congo have brought us here. People are being attacked, and swept out of the huts in the middle of the night by what is reported to be, a ferocious unknown beast. Even more peculiar, is that the description of the beast is consistent among several eyewitnesses, even ones in separate villages." The man spoke with a hint of a British accent. He was a middle-aged man, and his graying hair danced in the wind from the valley below. He produced a hand drawn picture of a hideous beast, and then looked directly into the camera once more.
"This is an artist rendition of the eyewitness accounts of this beast. A large, ape-like body with silver thick and bristled fur. Razor sharp claws as hands and feet, and the most noticeable feature; the head. Much more similar to that of a spider or tarantula, its black eyes adorn the top of its cranium like a macabre crown. Giant fangs protrude out of its mouth area, dripping a venomous liquid that it uses to kill and feed. These villagers are terrified of this monstrosity. What are they really seeing? Could there be a true new species in these dense and uncharted areas? I'm Jonathon Wilcox, and we are on a mission to find the truth behind the spider apes of Gabon." Jonathon finished speaking and stared into the camera as silence dragged on. Eventually the woman behind the camera raised a thumbs up, and stepped back from the tripod mounted camera.
"I think that's the one." Genevieve said, as she nodded and looked for affirmation from the sound tech, Dylan. Dylan pulled his headphones off and also nodded in approval.
"Sound was solid. Wind did pick up a bit at the end, but it won't be noticeable when we clean it up." He spoke as he worked to unclip the recording apparatus that was strapped to him. Julie, the still photographer, moved forward and knelt down, her camera locking on its prime target.
"A couple stills real quick, you’re looking sharp today Jon." Julie said as she snapped away. Jonathon smiled, and then quickly put on his best professional face for the rest of the photos. Genevieve began unhooking the camera and putting the components away into her protective cases.
The crew finished packing up and each one shuffled into a snug fit within the tiny and outdated jeep they had rented. Jonathon was behind the wheel, with Genevieve in the front seat. Julie and Dylan sat sandwiched in between gear packs and equipment totes. The jeep's engine screeched and shuttered as it plugged along the dirt road towards a small village. Jonathon glanced over at Genevieve slyly. She sat with a hand to her head, her long light brown hair pulled tight in a ponytail. She stared off into the vast jungle surroundings as the jeep bounced along the trail. Feeling Jonathon's eyes on her, she turned her head just in time to see him make a poor attempt at concealing his coy surveillance.
"What is it Jonathon? You always become like a little boy when you want me to do something I probably won't like." Genevieve said with her annoyance woven into each word. Jonathon's face contorted in such dramatic exaggeration that he appeared almost cartoon-like in his demeanor.
"Why would you say such hurtful things my dear? When have I ever asked you do such ghastly things?" Jonathon's attempt at humor fell flat, but was enough of an olive branch to lighten the mood. Genevieve cracked a small smile and relented.
"Just tell me what you want me to do, Jonny." She knew he hated being called Jonny, so her smile grew just a hair as she saw the bravado fall from his face and a twinge of actual irritation flash across it.
"The village has quite a few people well versed in French. I'd like for you to translate the interviews. We will just use subtitles in post, and you won't be on camera." Jonathon said while keeping his eyes forward. Genevieve let out a heavy sigh. She had always felt that the interviews Jonathon conducted took advantage of frightened people, exploiting their fears of the unknown to make for more dramatic scenes. But she was always behind the camera, rolling the tape regardless. She was a professional, and she knew there was no real way around it. God only knows how much an actual translator would cost as well, so she rolled her eyes and went back to staring out the window.
"Fine." She said. She kept her eyes on the green blur of foliage outside, as to not see the shit-eating grin on Jonathon's face as he drove.
They pulled into a small village about an hour later. The main strip of dirt road was lined with makeshift huts and houses. A few villagers could be seen walking about, either carrying supplies or tending to their work. Jonathan drove the jeep up to a small hut where a Gabonese man was smiling and waving. It was clear this was their contact within the village. Jonathon popped out of the jeep to greet the man, while the others began unloading gear.
"Henri! Hello! Good to finally meet you!" Jonathon shouted as he walked up to Henri and shook his hand. Henri smiled widely the whole time.
"Jonathon Wilcox! Welcome to Gabon. Come. Come." Henri gestured to the hut and Jonathon followed quickly. Genevieve rolled her eyes as the three of them were left to unpack everything once again. Dylan dropped a bag of gear and slapped his hands together, then rubbing them.
"Ahh, the life of the film crew, am I right?" Dylan snorted as he elbowed Genevieve. He took off his black cap and ran his hand through his long black hair. Genevieve shook her head and continued on with her gear.
"You think this will be the one that finally makes us enough money to stop chasing monsters and start actually filming real things for once?" Dylan's sarcasm annoyed Genevieve, but he did have a valid point. She wondered herself when she could start getting regular gigs that were a little more respected among the film community. Julie had been taking pictures of the village and had walked in on their conversation. She was newer to the crew, and seemed awe struck by all around her.
"This place is beautiful. Like a dream. I'll get so much for just my portfolio alone." Julie spoke as she snapped away at shots. Genevieve and Dylan exchanged a glance of understanding that Julie might find all her shots have suddenly become property of Jonathon and his media contract once they got back to the States. They stayed silent and finished hauling the gear in, finding Jonathon and Henri in another room of the hut moving furniture around.
"This will be our hub for the interviews. Henri says we should have quite a few villagers with thrilling stories to tell!" Jonathon spoke with unbridled enthusiasm. He began pointing around the room and giving directions. The crew went to work and within the hour had the place set up for interviews.
Genevieve had the camera mounted on a tripod with two chairs, plant, picture, and small table in frame. Dylan peeked outside to see a significant line of villagers now queued up outside the hut, with Henri speaking to them in French.
"Quite a crowd. You ready?" Dylan asked Genevieve. She shrugged. She knew she didn't have much choice at all. Jonathon entered the room, looking his best. He patted down his vest and took a seat in one of the chairs. He crossed his legs, then uncross them and shifted in the seat. He moved about a few times until settling on a position he liked. He nodded a few times, and then snapped his fingers. Julie caught the cue and went outside to let Henri know they were ready for the first person.
A woman entered, and she seemed leery of the whole room. Her face was illuminated with a nervous aura, and her eyes shone of freshly wiped tears. She shuffled in and sat in the chair opposite of Jonathon. Her eyes darted back and forth from the camera to every other person in the room. Genevieve could already feel her stomach turning. This woman was clearly traumatized by whatever had happened, and now she was going to have to drag the story from her, bit by bit. Genevieve opened her mouth to object, but Jonathon was a hair quicker.
"Hello, My name is Jonathon Wilcox. Henri has told me you experienced something quite extraordinary recently. Can you tell us about what happened?" Jonathon finished speaking and smiled, then looked to Genevieve and nodded. Genevieve closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and then addressed the woman in French. She listened intently, and shook her head up and down and then began to recount her story to Genevieve, who relayed it to Jonathon.
By the time she had finished, she was in tears. Genevieve was having trouble holding hers back as well. The woman, whose name was Serena, had her two children abducted from their hut two weeks prior. A large silvery white beast, with giant claws and the face of a spider, had come from the jungle at night, and had landed with a large thud on their roof. It moved with insane speed and as it crawled inside it used webbing from its hands to snatch her children and pull them out the window. She had tried to attack it with a knife, but it moved so quick that all she could do was listen to the darkness swallow the screams of her children as they were taken.
Jonathon feigned a comforting hug for the shot, and then sent Serena away. Henri moved her out of the room as she seemed confused that nothing more was to come of the interview. Genevieve paced the room, trying to compose herself.
"Wow. That was utterly brilliant. She had such terror in her voice. This might be our best work yet." Jonathon said as he waited for Henri to get the next person in for their interview. Genevieve turned sharply and pointed her finger at Jonathon. Dylan focused on his sound equipment which needed no adjustment but at least took his eyes away from the incoming tempest.
"Bastard! Did you not see how much that wounded her to say? And then you sent her off like she was nothing at all! I don't know what has really happened to her, but it is something so awful that she is shaken to her core. Do you have no emotions at all?!" Genevieve had walked right up to him, and Jonathon now stood. His size was nothing too immense, but he did stand a bit taller than Genevieve, and his eyes had become cold and focused. He then spoke with a calculated calmness.
"Yes, I saw the hurt. I saw the pain. We are here to document their stories and see what we can discover on our own. We cannot do anything for those they have lost, save for telling their stories. After we gather all we can from them, then, and only then, can we even know how to try to give them closure. Remember this. And don't ever approach me like that again. I am a professional, and I expect that of you as well." Jonathon's lip curled in a small snarl as he finished speaking. He then sat down and regained his position in the chair. Henri had been waiting by the door, in respective silence. Jonathon looked over to him, and his face found its warmth once more.
"Send them in Henri. It's alright." Jonathan said. Henri waved in acknowledgement and brought the next one in. This one was a child, a boy no more than eight years old. Genevieve rubbed her forehead and helped the boy into the chair. It was going to be a long day.
Twelve more villagers came in for interviews. Each one with a story drenched in blood and terror. All of them shared certain aspects, particularly with the description of the beast. The silvery white needle-like fur, the large razor sharp claws, and the head of a spider. As the crew finished up for the night and took to their uncomfortable cots in Henri's hut, Genevieve found sleep would not come. All that filled her mind was the faces of the people she had spoken to, and the fear that was now cemented in their eyes. She thought on it deep into the night, until at last, sleep came to take her from those haunting tales.
Stay tuned for part two tomorrow…..
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