Phoenix

   The bird, magnificent as it was, flew over everyone’s heads and, just before disappearing as it always did, it let out a horrible cry, as if he had been wounded fatally. The cry was heard by every single man and woman that had come to catch it and they felt their hearts skipped a beat as they heard it. Then, the bird disappeared in second, making everyone wonder how much stranger nature could get. All the scientists that had come to the jungle stayed some more days but after a couple of them, they noticed no other bird like that would appear out of nowhere. That one, apparently, had been the last one of its species and now it could be hiding anywhere or maybe even dead. The jungle emptied in no time and paradise went back to be one.

 One of the scientists that had gone to the expedition, a man called Hunter, did not go back home after being in the jungle but instead traveled to several zoos, laboratories and so on in order to investigate. He wanted to know if maybe there was one of those birds in captivity or if anyone at least knew more about it than him. But most people, when explained what he was looking for, thought he was crazy. The creature he described was fantastic, out of some story told from generation to generation and even is account sounded even stranger than the most creative story of them all. He traveled the world for another year but no one knew anything. He gave up and he intended to return home immediately, as there was nothing more to do for him.

 However, he never got home. In the flight over there, he started feeling strange, like there wasn’t enough air. He had gone to the lavatory and it was only when the flight had ended that a flight attendant found him there, asphyxiated in the toilet seat, with a large red feather on top of his head. People thought he might have committed suicide somehow, but the autopsy proved, weeks later, that he had choked because he couldn’t breath. The reasons for that were not known or the origin of the feather, but the tragedy made it to the news and several of his colleagues realized there was something they couldn’t just ignore: the red feather.

 There was a tribe in the region where they had all gone to catch the bird. They had warned the scientist not to enter the jungle as dangers beyond their understanding lived there and could very well be their end. But the scientists thought it was just a folk tale to keep everyone away from the jungle. The tale said that the phoenix lived deep in there, alone always alone and with possession of a great strength and will. The legend said the bird could not be capture or tamed but that it could be befriended in order to find a way out of the jungle, if the person that found it was lost. But if it wasn’t, the bird would put its course on them, a course that would end life in little time.

 Every single person that had been at the jungle the time the phoenix cried, remembered the legend when they saw the news about Hunter. Some of them were openly scared; others dismissed it as a coincidence. A long month passed until there was word of a second victim, this time one of the assistants. She had been found dead in her apartment, apparently also asphyxiated and with a feather on her head. Then, two more deaths followed and the rest of the scientists just knew there was at least some truth to the legend. Now, some thought there was someone killing al of them, blaming them for something that had happened back them. Maybe they had an outbreak of some sort of disease or they just didn’t like foreigners in their lands.

 One of the explorers decided to take the bull by the horns and go back to the jungle where it had all started. The tribe there wouldn’t talk to him because they said foreigners had disrespected their beliefs and advice, which had been given in the best interest of everyone involved. They didn’t want to know anything about all those people ever again and asked to be left alone for good. Overnight, the whole tribe moved and they were not found again until several years later. The explorer attempted to enter the jungle again, to see if there were any answers inside, but that would be a secret for that place to preserve, as the paths had changed and nothing was the same as the last time.

  People kept dying until there were only three people left from the expedition that had discovered the existence of the phoenix. One of them, doctor Stacy Holmes, published a very controversial article where she described the creature and its behavior, what she could see anyway as the encounter had only lasted for a couple of minutes, until the beard cried and disappeared. No one really believed what Holmes had written on her report and the money that she had been granted for investigation was pulled away from her, leaving her to beg for more money to continue her investigation. Stacy was obsessed with the bird, she had been obsessed before too and it was something that hadn’t gone away.

 She was found dead on her bed, at home, asphyxiated as the rest of her peers. The feather rested softly on her head and the place seemed, to the people that came for the body, as some type of mausoleum. It was incredibly peaceful and beautiful somehow. Someone took pictures and they were all over the Internet, talking more about the possibility of a serial killer than about the feather or the ambiance in the place when the men taking the body got there. The remaining two people died in the following weeks. One of them thought it could hide from the curse but it could follow anyone anywhere so they died anyway.

 Back in the jungle, the phoenix appeared again. It floated around freely and was now, again, free to be. Often it would fly over the houses of the tribe that lived nearby, but they wouldn’t see it. It was a lonely creature, so there was almost no way that anyone could find it in the immensity of the world. What people didn’t know was that the bird moved around the globe at will, change its home from a cave on a cliff in China, to a nice nest in a European forest. It even lived among humans, who were too distracted and busy to realize they were so close from something they couldn’t even understand. The phoenix was a creature born several millennia ago, as the planet started to breath life. It was a time of legends and miracles, but a time that no one could remember.

 It had to be said that the cry did kill of those people but not the phoenix itself. He just did what had to be done in order to preserve a little mystery in the world, something that was being lost rapidly to the advancements of technology. The phoenix, being a creature with the capacity to be reborn and to cure every single disease in existence, could be the holy grail of mankind. But the bird knew what humans did with whatever they found out to be of use. They were brutal and did not care about anything except their personal goals, their thirst for financial retribution and for a power that, in the long run, didn’t mean anything.

 The bird cured people, however, when they were lost somewhere in the world. Because it had something many humans had lost long ago, which was compassion. Humans didn’t have it anymore, only showing a shadow of it when they wanted to gain something from behaving like that. Humans, almost all of them, were not sincere anymore and could not be trusted. That had been proven when that large group of them had entered the jungle without the proper respect, without hearing what their own had told them. They were disrespectful and only cared about their personal glory. The phoenix felt everything at that time, it could feel their ambitions and thoughts and the decision to put the course on them was as simple as disappearing and never being seen again.

 True, some humans had seen it and he had not killed them. Those lost souls; men and women that only wanted to go back to their families and be in peace, they wanted nothing more than to be left alone by life and the phoenix respected that. That’s why he helped them with everything he could, ultimately carrying them to the outskirts of the jungle in order for them to be taken care of by the nearby tribe. The bird was compassionate and behaved only in the way survival was meant for it to behave. It didn’t hate anyone or had any remorse either, it was just a pure creation of nature, forgotten by the world and that’s the way it should be forever, until the big change arrived.

Secret in the mist

   Mist covered most of the terrain. People could barely see what they were stepping on, so the group that was going through the area had to put a rope around their bodies so they would avoid getting lost. They walked very slowly and they all secretly prayed for the situation to improve. But it had been raining for almost a week, always at sunrise, so the possibility of less mist was far from reality. The group of five people, all botanists, were running out of food and knew very well that if they got lost in that region, they could really endanger themselves as there was only one way out that was easy to follow. There might have been others but no one knew them well and with rain, they may have been cut off.

 One morning, they stopped on top of a mountain that had a very smooth surface and decided to drink some water and look around. Again, they couldn’t see much but they had some high-tech equipment that could tell them where it was they were, at least approximately.  But all the devices that they had brought weren’t going to live forever as batteries ran out and they were not of the kind that you can replace. The group leader, Gregorio, was the one that announced that their GPS system had run put of battery and that the last portion of their journey had to be done with other equipment, more inexact, and by a typical map which was not nearly as good as a GPS. But none in the group had lost hope of getting home soon. But they were tired and hungry.

That day, again, they walked into the mist trying to find the path that would lead them to a military post in the high mountains. From there, they could easily ask for help to get them into the city and far away from that marvelous but mysterious world. They had discovered many plants, some new insects and even a mammal that no human had seen before. They were pretty happy with their discoveries but all specimens could get ruined if they did not get to their lab fast. And in only a couple of days that would start to happen and it was their major concern. So they just walked and walked, nonstop every day, trying to get out of the moorland. But everyday the mist seemed thicker, more dangerous.

 By the fourth day of their expedition to get out of the area, they found some ruins. At first, they thought they were ancient but when they got closer they realized the building that once stood there had to be from the twentieth century and no earlier. They even found the remains of a phone and lots of metal. What was weirder was when Rebecca, one of the two women in the party, discovered many boxes containing medical supplies. They had dates so they could pinpoint that the facility had been in operation eighty years ago. But what did they do there? That facility had never been mentioned in any maps or reports by explorers. And the area were the remains were scattered was all but small.

 The group decided to stay in that area for the night. It was getting colder each passing day and they had to keep the walking controlled because if they got tired, water would run out faster. Only one person, the young Mathias, stayed awake in order to watch out for wild life. Some snakes and even bears were known to inhabit the place and they had to leave someone awake to alert the other if something went on. But when everyone woke up, Mathias was gone. They screamed and walk around looking for him but he would only appear an hour later, with all the bottles and canteens filled with fresh water. He told the group that at night he had heard something and went to fin out what it was and then he discovered a small fall of fresh water.

 Gregorio asked him to show them and they all walked by the edge of a cliff until they saw a tiny stream of water going down the rocks and moss into the cliff. It was like a small waterfall and they all drank from it. Water was fresh, as always in these altitudes. They were so happy for the discovery, they all praised Mathias and laughed at jokes and so on. That was until they heard a sound, a sound that traveled up their spines and to their brain. It was an animal but a horrible animal that made a sound, which was a mixture between a wolf’s growl, a bat’s squeal and a human’s scream. It was the most awful thing they had heard and it was close. The group decided to go up again and just continue through the mist, beyond the ruins.

 But the mist got thicker and the sound seemed to be following them. They were all nervous, not happy anymore. There was something chasing them or at least following them and maybe that had been going on for several days. Something or someone was doing that noise and they only knew they had to get away from that fast and without looking back. But Richard, who was a very curious older man, had to know what it was that they were scared off. He was the last in the line and he was walking slower until he decided to cut off the rope and stay still. The group soon realized he wasn’t there but they couldn’t find him. They yelled his name but he couldn’t hear them. The mist acted like a wall.

 He stood still where had cut off the rope, which he still held in his hand, and tried to open his eyes, all he could. He tried to hear more, to acute his senses but the sound had vanished. He could only hear the wind that had started blowing a bit. He then turn around to catch up with the group but he soon realized that wasn’t going to be easy. He walked around for at least thirty minutes until he gave up and was starting to imagine how he could go back to the waterfall and have some more fresh water. But then something launched itself on Richard and even the group, which was not that far, could hear his screams and the sound that had followed them again. Now, everything seemed amplified and they started running.

 They just ran and covered their ears. They just knew that the voice they had heard was Richard but they preferred to think it was their imagination at work. Which was true was that, if he were ok, he wouldn’t be able to find them anymore. The group suddenly stopped and realized they had finally reached the point in the national park that hey had intended to reach since the beginning. It was the military base. Gregorio rushed inside and the rest of the group stayed outside, still hoping that Richard could find his way to them. They drank some water and then Gregorio came out of the base and just vomited profusely. Everyone was confused. Consuelo, the other woman in the group, ran to him and asked him what happened.

 Gregorio couldn’t speak at first. They gave him water to wash his mouth and drink. When he finally spoke, he was livid, white as the mist hat still covered every part of their surroundings. He told them that inside the base, there was no one. Instead, their bodies were everywhere, pieces and remains all over. And they were relatively fresh, possibly preserved by the cold temperatures of the mountain. Something, he said, had attacked them. No human had done it because they were no weapon marking in the walls or the floor. Besides, and everyone thought he was going to vomit again, it seemed that their bodies had been ripped apart, as if a gigantic beast had attacked them.

 And just then, the noise was heard again, closer than before. They all concluded, without even speaking, that the sound and the beast that had attacked the base where one and the same. Consuelo checked her bad fast and pulled out a flare gun. Mathis did the same and soon they had three flare guns in their hands. As they were botanists and explorers, it made no sense to have a gun. But flare guns were used for rescue. They also had a machete to cut off samples and a few knives. They gathered on one side of the military base and decided to study the map fast. They knew that from there, there was a trail that would lead them to a road that ended in a small town. The journey was many kilometers long, but it was worth the try.

 Soon, they were walking through the trail but they didn’t get very far. The mist got thicker and the moon had come out, announcing night. And then, without any warning, the beast jumped on Mathias and cut off his head. The women screamed and Gregorio shot a flare at him. And then they saw the creature in all its might and realized, horrified that it had a human face and it seemed insane and in pain. The shot more flares, which seemed to confuse the creature. They then ran the opposite direction and just ran, without seeing behind. They thought they would die very soon but the creature didn’t follow them. Hours after, they found the road and, eventually, they reached the small town.

 Military personnel picked them up and the fait of their base was revealed. But it was to late. All the revelations and the truth had come too late and now there was something out and about, a creature beyond anyone’s imagination whose only desire was to kill.

Stranger tour

   I had just met him but I didn’t want to walk around a whole new city without someone to tell me what was what. You see, I had arrived in Barcelona only recently and I’m one those people that understands things better when someone else is explaining. I get lost easily when I’m all by myself but I learn rather fast, which has always helped me get through things. Anyhow, I was having my first cup of coffee today and this guy was just really nice and I just asked him if he could show me the city. I know, he could have been a serial killer or something. Actually, it would have been worst if he had just said no but he was very nice and gave me his number, asking me to send him a message at night to see what he could do for me and my request.

 I did write to him from my phone and he answered rather quickly. He explained that he wasn’t from Barcelona either and that he understood how nervous I was for being in a new city so he proposed to go out the following weekend and show me the places that he thought would help me get to know the city. The weekend was only two days away so the wait was very short. He came to my place, where I had recently moved. I offered him a cup of coffee but he said he would rather start right away. He seemed very serious and not in the mood to talk, so I didn’t say a word. We just walked a few blocks until we got to a subway station. There was a map where he explained me where everything was: downtown, Montjuic, the industrial areas, the beaches, the mountains and the bars and discos.

 We entered the station and he bought my ticket, in order to show me how it all worked. That part was fun because I knew how the system worked, I had traveled from the airport in the metro. But I decided not to say anything because he seemed a little bit fed up with the whole concept of explaining all these menial things to an idiot from another country. We sat down side by side in the train but wouldn’t even look at each other. Maybe it was best if I just let him go and be miserable alone, because I didn’t wanted my own weekend to be spoiled. I would just walk around and people would help me. I had noticed people were very nice so maybe that was my real thing. I had no idea when or how I had decided to ask that from a stranger.

 The train stopped and he got out so I did the same. He walked rather fast so it was difficult to keep up with his pace. When we came out of the station, I realized I had been there before: it was the main square of the city called Plaza Cataluña. There were lots and lots of people everywhere but I decided not to be still for too long because my companion had already started walking away. I followed him to the Rambla, trying to get to where he was but it was impossible. After a while, I didn’t see him anymore. Fe up with the attitude, I just stopped and went back to the square. The climate was getting a bit colder.

 About fifteen minutes later, my phone rang. It was a call, not a message or a text. And it was him because I could see the name “Coffee guy” on the screen. I smiled because I didn’t even know his name and decided not to answer. But he tried two more times so I finally decided to pick it up. He asked me where I was and why I hadn’t followed him. I told him he seemed too distracted and too pissed off at something or someone and that I didn’t have time to waste so I thanked him for his help and just hung up. But he called again and asked again where I was. I told him I was at a bar, drinking a beer. He got to the bar and, again, didn’t say a word when he sat down beside me. He didn’t ask anything for himself and I just wasn’t in the mood to ask some stranger what was up with his life.

 Then, he started saying he had had a tough week. Apparently, he had been into a number of interviews for jobs he would have wanted to get but he got none of them. I told him that maybe he had been just awful in the interviews but he replied that he had been relaxed and charming and had answered everything rapidly and kindly. He just didn’t got why they wouldn’t pick him. I didn’t say anything else. I just sipped my beer and looked at all the glasses and things the barman had behind him. The coffee guy then told me to go on with the tour but I told him I had decided not to tour anything with someone whose name I didn’t even know. He then told me his name was Evan and that he needed to walk around or he would keep thinking about the jobs that didn’t happen.

 I just gulped down the beer, closed my jacket and walked outside, not saying a word to him. Evan decided to be nicer and started talking as we walked, explaining the history he knew about the place and his impressions when he had first come to the city. At first, I wasn’t talking at all but he was trying so hard I decided to give in and have a decent Saturday. We walked through the Gothic neighborhood and the historic center, we went by the zoo and Evan promised to take me soon and then we got to the first and most popular beach in the city, la Barceloneta. Not many people were there, possibly because the wind was now colder but some were reading or just playing around in the sand.

 We got back into the city, walking along a big avenue and seeing old buildings. I took pictures with my phone and Evan decided to surprise me by getting into some of the shots. We decided to have lunch in a fast-food place and there I had one of the best moments since I had left my home. He was very kind and shared his frustration for not getting any of the jobs. He told me was still getting a masters degree but that he wanted to be able to earn money and just have a living. He told me he lived some blocks away fro me and that he had thought that by going out with me he could forget his frustration.

I just told him I understood what was happening and that I had gone through the same thing over and over in the past. But finally someone silly enough had hired me and now I was working in that beautiful city. He laughed, saying I didn’t even know if it was beautiful but I told him it was love at first sight. He just laughed and told me that wasn’t totally out of the question and that he wanted me to fall in love harder so he decided to take me to the other beaches after lunch. The wind was very cold and the ocean had turned into a grey puddle but we just stood in a pier and watched the weather happen for at least a half hour.

 During our time there, we didn’t talked very much. I noticed he was sad again, all of a sudden, so I decided to let it go for the moment. We walked towards the nearest subway station and then he started talking to me about how hard it had been for him the first weeks. That was not because of the city but because he had never left his house before and he had a hard time not seeing his mother and father whenever he wanted or not having his sibling to have fun with. He was all alone and he told me he had remembered the feeling as we walked down the pier. He talked to them every day but it was not the same. You always miss family, he said. And I knew he was right.

  After a transfer, I realized we where in a higher neighborhood. He told me that daylight was going to fade soon so he wanted my first tour day to end fantastically. So he just made me walk behind him through some steep streets until we got to a park. It was Park Güell and I had seen it in TV before. I had wanted to visit it and had no idea that’s where Evan was taking me. It was a nice walked inside the premises, taking a lot more pictures and now making Evan pose in some of them. We took very good pictures and he told me there was something else he could do for me. So we went up a road I had not seen before and he took my hand in order not to get lost, because the sun was setting and darkness was starting to settle.

 We finally got to the top where I was able to see the whole city in front of me. I could see downtown, I could see the neighborhood were I was living now and also some other features I hadn’t noticed before. The sunset’s light made it all look even more beautiful. We just stood there for several minutes until I noticed the artificial lights went on and the sun had totally disappeared. Then, as we came down the hill towards the park, I realized I was still holding Evan’s hand but he hadn’t noticed or maybe he didn’t care so we just kept it like that until we go to the subway station. He took me home and then I offered a cup of coffee again. He told me he was exhausted and wanted to rest his head but that maybe he would come for it soon enough.

 He left and I got in and I realize how good that day had been. I slept like a baby and was even more thrilled the next morning, when the doorbell woke me up early in the morning and it was him. He had decided he wanted coffee right then and I had decided I wanted him to come in too. That they, we held hand a lot. But that’s another story.