jungle drums heralded your doom
days before you'd been on deck with a steam ship expedition
an eccentric entrepreneur promised a nice hefty pay for exploring an uncharted island
one of those daring men that was desperate to put his name to a legacy
just setting up libraries like Carnegie wasn't enough
Mr. Tipper was an oil baron but had a passion for exploration
but the man was wise enough to realize he was out of his element
you wish you could say you were hired as some ex-military tracker
no, that man was dead
or some botanist or zoologist
no, those had fled back to the ship
you carried the luggage and could keep a secret for pay up front
all hell had broken loose after the first day inland
the storms around the island had been dire, yet your crew got lucky and made for the harbor
the island was a crescent so it made sense to drop anchor there, hoping for shelter
Mr. Tipper's information was accurate
sailors had mentioned the island in both hushed rumors and drunken bragging
no real in-between
trouble began in seconds as soon as you all made way into the jungle
you'd been watched the whole time
by the end of it, you were shoved to the ground by fleeing crew and native warriors had black speartips pointed in your face
painted faces and reed armor
the ones that had attempted a fight had been killed in the confusion
you realized you were alone when you got up
you were alive and alone on this island as far as you knew
for a few days you'd been held prisoner
the tribe was harsh
barely fed you
had your hands and legs bound
then one day everything flipped
the undid your restraints and gave you a feast
you were understandably suspicious
the village elder spoke to his people and often made gestures to you
you'd been put on the backfoot by the tribe's change of heart
after a giant meal of chicken and fruit you were stripped and washed by the village women
the hospitality was short-lived
you were bound to sticks and carried like game up the mountain by some of the warriors
you were then transferred to a stone altar
your hands and legs bound to carved stone pillars
with that, the warriors seemed to leave
their footsteps seemed to fade
with horror, you realized you were an offering for some ritual
you tried pulling against your bonds but tired
the mistreatment couldn't be made up for by one meal of meat and fruit
you prayed for a quick death if one came for you
what you didn't expect was a black furred monkey bigger than you to eventually descend from the canopy
but… it wasn't a monkey
was it?
maybe the sun was making you delirious
maybe you'd been out out at sea for too long
the monkey looked vaguely feminine
the jewelry adorning the creature was impressive
gold and blue jewels decorated the hands, tail and…
this monkey was not female
why would a monkey use such things?
was this what you were offered to?
trussed up in your birthday suit in front of a tribal deity was not doing wonders for your head
this thing was going to disembowel you
you weren't a scientist but you'd traveled
you'd heard stories about apes in Africa that could crush a man
this thing was even more alien
did the tribe find some missing link between man and beast
you'd heard all about Darwin throwing around a theory like that
it wasn't something that you really understood all that well but you couldn't describe the creature studying you as a monkey
nor was it a man
it felt like something between both
jade eyes pierced your body
you had been bracing yourself for a killing blow
hoping the thing would have the courtesy to make it quick
last thing you wanted was some sadistic ape pretender god tearing your limbs off and leaving you there
the tribe must have wanted you fattened up right before this
you clenched your eyes shut and mouthed a prayer to whatever you could
you weren't a firm believer but you hoped someone was listening
your head bowed, you wanted to be anywhere but here
you hoped it was all a delirium
you'd open your eyes and you'd be in your bunk on the ship
your ears picked up the soft steps
it was coming closer
this felt pathetic
some pagan offering
you struggled once more to rip free from your bindings but they were secure
the creature's approach came closer
you could hear the soft clink of its jewelry dangling and swinging
it was a gaudy god
decorated in loose necklaces and bejeweled mismatched bangles, it was impossible for it not to make noise when close
you would not pray to this god for mercy
refused
your prayer to a higher power was not for it
whatever this tribe had worshiped would not be bargained with
you would not trust it
the tribe kept you alive to satiate the thing's bloodlust
like a mouse to a cat
you were sure of it and you wanted to at least not give it the satisfaction of begging
even if your death wasn't quick or clean you'd at least have the balls to refuse to indulge the creature's game
you felt breath upon your skin
it was smelling you
that was not a comfort
you braced for a hand to grasp your windpipe
it was within reach
it had swooped in for the kill
another blood offering from that cursed tribe at the foot of the mountain
you prayed they burned for what they did
a beastial hand did not grasp at your neck
what came next wasn't even an attack
instead you felt a palm reach for and lightly squeeze your testicles
it stayed there, playing with them
your concentration, fear and fury was briefly broken and your eyes shot down to look
was it going to rip them off an let you bleed out
the fanged simian smile that flashed in your face when you looked up didn't comfort you