Written by: NovaNicalynn

THE KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH AFRICA

August 9, 9:50 AM

I heard the loud splintering of trees breaking before I saw them. A wall of gray and ivory crashed through the thick brush, and I could all but feel the earth shudder under their combined weight.

A jolt of adrenaline coursed through my body.

Fight or flight—I had no chance at either.

"Brace yourselves," I managed to yell.

The last thing I saw before tucking my head between my knees was the massive tusk sliding under the cruiser. The elephant's massive body slammed into the side of the vehicle. Glass shattered, and cold fragments fell into my collar and scraped down my back.

My stomach churned at the sensation of tumbling as the cruiser flipped.

I dropped from my seat and landed on the roof at an awkward angle. A searing pain spread like wildfire through my shoulder and down my arm.

Moans and grunts sounded next to me, but they were drowned out by heavy feet stomping by. The dust they kicked up made it hard to see if there was an end to the parade. The cruiser jerked as each passing body bumped it further off the road. All I could do was brace and pray. I was one jolt away from falling out of the cruiser and being trampled.

Finally, it quieted. The trumpeting faded, and the dust settled.

I lay motionless. My eyes stung, but I kept them shut. I was hyper-aware of my breathing, and as I inhaled and exhaled, I took inventory of my body.

"Everyone alive?" Bongani groaned from the driver's seat.

Next to me, Vusi grunted as he twisted his body upright.

"Freaking elephants," Hendrik grumbled and he kicked out the shattered windshield. "Out of their minds," he mumbled while hoisting himself from the cruiser.

"Johan?" Vusi touched my arm.

"Yeah," I managed.

Bongani reached through my broken window and pulled me out.

I held my breath as my body was dragged over the glass shards.

"Johan?" Bongani waved his hand in front of my face.

"Just give me a second." I slowly sat up and touched my shoulder.

"We don't have a second." Hendrik kicked my boot. "Get up."

"Shut up, Hendrik, the elephant slammed into his side. Look at the door." Bongani scoffed.

I glanced up at the crushed door. My shoulder must have taken the hit. "I'm fine." I rolled the joint. Movement was good. Pain was tolerable. The nerves and tissue were intact. "I think it's just a strain, a sprain at most."

Bongani raised his eyebrows at me. "You're bleeding."

"Small cuts from the glass, nothing too deep. It will stop in a minute." I wiped my bloody palms on my pants.

Hendrik huffed and knelt by the cruiser. He reached in and started pulling things out.

"Asshole." Shaking his head, Bongani bent down and offered me a hand.

I gave him a grim smile and allowed him to draw me to my feet. My world blurred but came back into focus quickly, and I waited for a wave of nausea to settle. I must be concussed.

"The radio's dead." Vusi let the mic of the CB radio drop.

"What do you mean, dead? Did you check if the battery is still connected?" Hendrik slung his Remington over his shoulder.

Vusi frowned. "There is power, but it's scrambled. So is this." He held up the GPS tracker. "It's glitching."

"Motherfucking spaceship." Hendrik dragged a hand down his bearded face.

Nerves coiled around my windpipe. "The GPS tracker isn't working?"

Vusi shook his head and smacked his palm against it for good measure.

Bongani sucked in a breath between clenched teeth. "That could become a problem."

I pulled my cell phone from my pants. The screen was cracked, but it was still on. "No signal."

Bongani handed Vusi a rucksack and slung the other onto his own back. "We can't stay here. The animals are behaving strangely. It's dangerous."

"I say we head to the nearest camp and get the hell out of the bush before dusk." Hendrik pointed his finger at me. "I refuse to be mauled by a bunch of deranged cats because of your bleeding veterinarian heart."

I stepped closer, meeting his gaze directly. Hendrik's bark was worse than his bite. "That pride has already killed people, so it's in everyone's best interest if we tranquilize and relocate them to quarantine."

"Quarantine?" Hendrik narrowed his eyes. "Those lions should be shot for what they did to that couple last night."

"That couple shouldn't have been in the park. We warned the board to close the Kruger's gates days ago. The animals are unpredictable, and it all started after that UFO appeared. We have no idea what we're up against. Putting them in quarantine ensures the safety of both us and the lions."

An angry hiss made us jump.

My heart pounded against my bruised ribs.

A banded mongoose emerged, walking stiff-legged onto the road with its back arched and its sharp teeth exposed.

"It could be worse." Vusi shrugged.

The grass on the roadside rustled, and a dozen more mongooses appeared. Their hissing and movements seemed strangely synchronized as they approached.

"They look rabid," Bongani whispered.

I stared at the troop and would have found the situation comical if I didn't know how effectively those tiny, razor-sharp teeth could tear flesh.

Their hissing escalated into a squeal, and then they scattered. The CB radio screeched in agreement.

I wiggled my jaw, attempting to relieve the pressure and high-pitched ringing in my ears.

"Eish." Vusi cupped his ears. "What's happening?"

I shook my head, trying to equalize the pressure in my ears once more.

"At least the mongooses are gone. Nasty little creatures." Hendrik glanced around. "We need to get going as well."

Bongani gazed silently at the ground, his knees bending as he knelt towards the gravel road.

"Bongani?" I crouched down beside him.

Wide-eyed, he looked at me and pointed to the road. "The aliens' space magic has reached Africa."

"Impossible." Hendrik shook his head in disbelief.

I followed his gaze and gasped. Small fragments of dirt, leaves, and twigs were suspended mid-air, hovering about four fingers above the earth.

My mouth opened and closed several times before I could find the words. "I saw it on the news this morning. Gravity fluctuations, along with pockets of low air pressure and electromagnetic pulses. They mentioned two planes that crashed yesterday. That's why flying is now restricted."

The tiny particles of matter trembled slightly before falling back to the ground. The ringing in my ears ceased, and the CB radio stopped its static wailing.

If it weren't for the shocked expressions on everyone's faces, I would have doubted what had just happened. Goosebumps spread across my skin, and an unsettling feeling crawled down my spine.

The unknown stared us in the face.

A loud roar shattered the silence.

Instinctively, I flinched. I felt exposed in the wilderness. With neither fang nor claw, I was unequipped to face any of the big five the Kruger National housed. We had already encountered the mighty elephant. One down and four more to contend with.

Hendrik fumbled a few cartridges into his Remington. A man who often boasted with words now displayed visible humility in the face of nature's superiority. That rifle was his only lifeline, his feeble attempt to remain atop the food chain. Yet I doubted his accuracy in such a state. Humans were not apex predators, and a pride of bloodthirsty lionesses would render that rifle meaningless.

Vusi smacked the GPS tracker in frustration. "It's not the lions!" He smacked it again.

"Aziza's signal is still stationary a few kilometers northwest of the Satara campsite."

The roar reverberated once more.

Bongani grinned. "It's the booming call of an ostrich."

I exhaled slowly. "Satara is the closest campsite to us, right?"

"We're halfway between Roodewal and Satara." Bongani shrugged.

I glanced at my watch—it was ten-fifteen in the morning. The predators would likely seek shade during the heat of the day. Walking over to the cruiser, I checked the CB radio again. Still nothing but static. I reached into the back and retrieved the two dart guns and tranquilizer canisters.

"Radio still down?" Hendrik frowned.

I nodded.

"The pride is between us and Satara, so I suggest we head back to Roodewal. It'll be safer."

Hendrick crossed his arms over his chest, and I stared at him with a blank expression. It pained me to agree with him.

"Fine, let's head back."

We gathered our essentials from the cruiser and followed the road toward Roodewal. The rhythmic crunch of gravel under our boots eased my apprehension. I had traversed the bush countless times.

Looking up, I saw gray overcast skies, but no sign of a UFO. My mind wandered back to the morning news. Today, the countdown stood at twenty-two. I had to resist slipping into a nihilistic mindset. What if the sun still rose after day zero?

I glanced at my watch again—it was eleven-thirty-two in the morning. Dark clouds were swiftly rolling in from the horizon. We were walking straight into the approaching storm. Flashes of lightning lit the darkening sky accompanied by rumbling thunder.

"We were lucky," Vusi mumbled out of the blue. "I don't understand why the elephants charged at us. None of the animals make sense anymore."

Bongani nodded. "We must thank the ancestors for their protection."

Hendrik huffed, but wisely kept his mouth shut.

I replayed the memory in my head and shuddered. "We were fortunate, but I believe they were spooked, and we were just in their way. It happened so fast. I don't recall them being aggressive. They seemed more interested in moving past us."

We continued walking in silence.

"Yesterday, a kudu broke its leg running in circles for no reason. Last night, a herd of zebras got entangled in the security fence. And this morning, the elephants went for a jog," Vusi mused, staring down at his boots and kicking pebbles along the path. "If you ask me, something has them spooked, and it's triggering their flight response."

Bongani huffed. "I think whatever is happening is affecting herbivores differently than carnivores. What those lions did to the couple and how those mongooses behaved were the opposite of flight—"

"More like fight," I interrupted.

Bongani nodded. "Exactly."

I scratched my chin, grasping at straws. "I wonder if what's happening to the animals is stress-induced, like an adrenal reaction to their heightened sixth sense."

"You're using big words, Doc." Hendrik spat out a piece of grass root he had been chewing on.

"Just keep your eyes open and your gun ready, hunter, and leave the thinking to me," I scoffed.

Hendrik mumbled something under his breath, but it was likely of little value.

"I haven't seen a single snake in the last week, not one." Vusi shrugged. "I'm not complaining. Can you imagine an even more aggressive black mamba or puff adder? It gives me chills."

"One less thing to worry about during our stroll through the wilderness," Hendrik offered.

I glanced at my watch—it was twelve-thirty-eight in the morning. The sky grew darker, and the thunder roared louder. Frequent flashes of lightning streaked through the somber sky.

I waited for the next flash, then silently counted. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. And then, I heard the thunder. It was just nine kilometers away, uncomfortably close.

My trepidation ebbed and flowed like the tides, and right now, it was high. Taking a deliberate breath through my nose, I held it for four seconds and released it slowly. I repeated this exercise a few times.

"Do you hear that?" Bongani abruptly stopped walking.

My gut twisted, and I froze, straining my ears. Nothing.

"What? I don't hear anything," I whispered.

Bongani frowned. "Neither do I."

"For God's sake, why then—"

"Shh." Bongani dismissed Hendrik with a wave of his hand. "Listen." He gestured to the surrounding bushes. "There are no sounds. No insects. No birds. Nothing. The wilderness is silent. Something is wrong."

I tilted my head, listening intently. He was right. It was eerily quiet. "It's unusual, yes, but there's also an alien spacecraft sharing their atmosphere, so I don't know what's considered normal anymore."

Vusi's GPS tracker beeped in his pocket, and we all jumped simultaneously at the artificial sound.

Vusi fumbled to retrieve it and stared at the screen.

He gasped, and his face paled.

"What is it?" Bongani grabbed the tracker from his hands.

Bongani stared at it for a moment, then released a shaky breath. "It's picking up Aziza. She's on the move."

Hendrik ran a hand down his beard. "Where's that bloody lioness heading? Is she getting closer?"

Bongani nodded.

My breath caught, and a chill ran down my spine, settling heavily in my gut. "How much closer?"

Bongani squinted at the screen. He gave the device a smack. "It's glitching. Johan, bring your phone."

I quickly pulled out my phone and rushed over to him.

"When the screen comes back on, take a photo because it's not staying focused long enough for me to see the distance," Bongani instructed, tapping the device.

I nodded and stood ready with the camera app open.

"Now!" Bongani handed me the tracker.

I snapped a series of photos in rapid succession as the tracker glitched and turned off.

Scrolling through the pictures, I found the clearest one and handed it to Bongani.

"They were here." Vusi pointed at the screen over Bongani's shoulder.

Bongani nodded. "According to this, she's moving towards us. She's halfway to the cruiser from her original location."

"And wherever Aziza goes, her pride follows." I ran a hand through my hair.

Hendrik pointed at me. "We need to move because your blood is in and around that cruiser. If she smells it, she'll want to hunt."

I sucked in a sharp breath and swallowed the lump in my throat.

Bongani grabbed my wrist and pointed. "Hyena."

A manic laugh echoed from the tall grass to our immediate left.

Hendrik aimed his rifle at the rustling grass.

A brown spotted hyena emerged, drool dripping from its snarling mouth. More laughter followed as two additional hyenas burst out, fighting over a half-eaten warthog carcass. They dropped the carcass and froze, their hungry eyes fixed on us.

A loud bang startled me, leaving my ears ringing.

Hendrik quickly reloaded, but he wasn't fast enough. The hyena lunged at Vusi, sinking its teeth into his ankle.

Bloodcurdling screams filled the air as Vusi writhed in pain.

The hyena clamped down, and I could have sworn I heard teeth hitting bone and tearing through flesh as it violently shook its head, tearing off a gruesome snack.

A second bang rang out, and the hyena dropped to the ground. Blood spurted from the bullet wound in its neck. It convulsed a few times before going still.

The third hyena let out a final laugh, grabbed the warthog, and trotted off.

I immediately retrieved the first aid kit from Vusi's rucksack and knelt beside him. Blood gushed from his gaping wounds, pooling in the dirt. The wound would undoubtedly become infected, but there was no time to address that now. We needed to return to camp. I pressed a wad of gauze down to staunch the bleeding.

"Bongani, hand me a bandage," I requested.

Bongani assisted bandaging Vusi and helped him up.

Hendrik scanned the surrounding bush, rifle in hand.

"Vusi, can you put weight on it?" I asked, steadying him with my arm.

Vusi grimaced, but gingerly shifted his weight onto his injured ankle. "Yes, but I'll slow you down."

Glancing at my watch, it was five minutes to two in the afternoon. "We still have a few hours before dusk. We'll make it in time."

Cold drops splashed against my skin. The rain had finally reached us.

"Could this day get any worse!" Hendrik vented, kicking a nearby anthill in frustration.

The rain intensified, turning into freezing pellets.

Bongani shielded his eyes with his arm. "Run for that tree!" he yelled over the downpour.

We assisted Vusi in hobbling as quickly as he could toward the meager shelter.

Hendrik thrust his rifle into my hands. "Hold this." He hoisted Vusi onto his shoulder and started jogging.

I gripped the rifle tightly against my body and jogged after them, focusing on keeping my footing as we ventured off the road onto rough terrain.

It felt as though the heavens were playing a game of dodgeball, with hailstones the size of golf balls pelting us from above.

We huddled under the tree, arms over our heads.

The branches partially absorbed the impact of the hail, but I still received an occasional sucker punch.

After a few minutes, the hail and rain suddenly ceased.

I grimaced at the sloshing emanating from my boots. Both of my feet were soaked. No doubt the chaffing would cause blisters. I wiped the droplets from my watch—eight past two in the afternoon. "Right, let's hope that deterred Aziza's advance."

Now cold and drenched, we resumed our walk. The sun remained hidden behind thick clouds, and my spirits mirrored the gloomy atmosphere.

My eyes darted from side to side. Every rustle in the grass and every snap of a twig made my heart skip a beat.

Vusi's breathing grew labored. He didn't utter a word, but he winced with each step.

My confidence in his ability to make it back to camp on foot wavered.

"Vusi, if you need to rest—"

"No." He shook his head. "The sooner we reach safety, the better."

I nodded. We had to keep moving forward, together.

My thoughts wandered to the people fleeing the twilight zone. It must be terrifying to flee from the shadow of something so extraterrestrial. They had endured nine consecutive days of hell. Here I was, feeling defeated after just half a day.

I glanced at my watch again, as I had done a hundred times during this never-ending day—three-eighteen in the afternoon.

Suddenly, my ears picked up on something. I strained to listen, but all I could hear was the crunching of gravel under our boots.

I halted, and the other three immediately stopped, their eyes widening as they looked at me.

In the distance, there was a droning noise.

"Listen," I whispered.

Bongani met my gaze. "Sounds like—"

"A cruiser," Hendrik interjected.

I spotted a cluster of boulders up ahead and decided it would provide the best vantage point. I jogged toward it and began to climb.

My jaw dropped.

There, in the distance, a cruiser approached on the road. But that paled compared to the scene before me.

A massive congregation of animals from various species stood huddled together in a clearing. Zebras, antelope, elephants, warthogs, cheetahs, buffalo, rhinos, ostriches, mongoose, baboons, and even lions. They all stood in eerie silence, gazing up into the sky.

The sight chilled me to the core.

Terrified, I looked up, unsure of what I might see. Yet there was nothing but clouds.

"What are they looking at?" Bongani joined me on the boulder.

I shrugged. "Who knows what lies beyond those clouds?"

"The animals know."

<<<<< END >>>>>

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She's known as NovaNicalynn on Wattpad, but you can call her Jen. She deems herself a recreational writer out of necessity to curb the daydreaming. She does a lot of genre hopping but all her stories are infused with a healthy dose of romance. On her profile you will find girly humor, fight scenes, horror and a bunch of lyrical short stories.