This story is the seventh chapter of a fictional series by SRI’s Mark Banta. We are also honored that SRI associate Pat Barker has contributed her talents to illustrate the series. We ask that you respect both the author’s and the illustrator’s copyrights and do not download or post these works on other sites.

Mark and Pat return with this month’s exciting installment of A New Reality. John and the group from Midsouth Bigfoot Research Center draw closer to finding Grady, but can they rescue him?

If you haven’t already, read Chapter 6 of A New Reality or start at the beginning.

Chapter VII

When Grady awoke again, the fight was all out of him. It was late afternoon and nearing a full day since his capture. He had not eaten, drank or had a chew of tobacco in that time. Every muscle in his body was sore. His face was still throbbing from the impact of the silver sasquatch’s fist. His ears rang with a metallic sound and his head felt ready to explode.

The afternoon was cool, making the air crisp, and an occasional stiff breeze rustled the leaves. The smell of damp soil in the secluded bottom mixed with the sulfur smell produced by Grady’s captors to make a sickening-sweet mixture.

He slowly took in his surroundings, a feeling of hopelessness overcoming him. Sasquatch sat all about him in a peaceful wooded bottom, which was filled with blackjack oaks. Some of the animals were dozing, while others appeared to be eating long, golden roots and green vegetation. Others still, stared at him with peaceful gazes. All the sasquatch were silent except for a soft grunt now and then as one of the beasts would adjust its position in the leaf-strewn bottom.

Grady focused to put aside the pain his aged body was experiencing and tried desperately to concentrate. The first thing he tried to do was count his captors. One, two, three, he counted. His stomach gurgled dryly.

Grady lost focus and began thinking about water. He was feeling very parched. His mouth was dry and his lips felt cracked as he turned his stiff neck from side to side, hoping he was not hearing things. Though he wasn’t positive, somewhere in the corner of his mind he imagined the soft rippling of water. It was just audible over the ringing in his ears. He scanned his surroundings and spotted a small stream less than twenty yards away. His heart leapt with hope. He considered for a moment how the animals would react if he were to get up and get a drink. I don’t reckon I much care, he thought to himself, his stubborn personality rising to the surface. He wasn’t particularly afraid of dying. In fact, he thought, it might be a blessing compared to what they have in store for me.

What they wanted with him, Grady did not know. He realized, of course, that if they wanted him dead they could have accomplished that quite easily early on. Do they want revenge, Grady questioned himself. It seemed so unlikely. He’d never known animals to think like that. This ain’t your normal animal, he reminded himself.

Grady’s thoughts quickly went back to the gently rolling stream to his left. He struggled to his feet with a grunt of effort. He stood still until his waves of dizziness subsided to a point where he felt he could walk. The sasquatch simply stared at him peacefully.

As he took a few steps towards the stream, Grady heard a deep growl and turned toward its source. The large silver sasquatch, standing a full ten feet tall, was staring at him from fifty feet away. It was leaning forward with an intense gaze with its gorilla-like arm wrapped around the trunk of a particularly large oak tree.

Grady waved a hand at him dismissively. “What the hell are you going to do?” he said angrily. “Go growl at someone who cares?” Almost as though the silver beast had understood him, it took a few measured steps forward until it was only a few yards away. Grady, meanwhile, took a few more steps and fell to his knees at the edge of the stream. He bent his head to the water and began to drink greedily.

When he’d had his fill, he sat upright and unleashed a long, loud belch. Suddenly, the woodlands around him responded! All the sasquatch let out a sound that could only be described as a hoot. It grew with intensity for about 10 seconds and then ended abruptly.

Grady rose to his feet rubbing his belly. He looked around him at the now alert sasquatch. “Liked that, did ya?” he laughed.

The silver sasquatch let out a small huffing sound and Grady turned to face him. He was only a few feet away now and Grady saw that he held one of the long golden roots in his hand. It appeared to be the same type he’d witnessed the others eating.

Now that he had Grady’s attention, the silver giant put the root to his mouth and pretended to chew on it. He repeated this again and again as Grady stared at him with a puzzled looked on his face. Then the sasquatch held the root out towards Grady.

“You want me to eat a root?” Grady questioned, not really expecting an answer.

“Rhhott!!!” The silver beast repeated, a little too loudly and a little too accurate for Grady’s comfort.

The large sasquatch extended the tuber out to Grady and shook it expectantly. When Grady did not immediately take it, he repeated the gesture with a grunt. Grady hesitated for a moment, but he couldn’t deny the rumbling deep in his gut.

“Oh hell! Who am I kidding? I’d eat the ass out of a dead rhino about now.” He reached out and snatched the root from the grasp of the sasquatch, who in turn emitted a low growl.

Click to enlarge.
Copyright 2006 Pat Barker.

“You know, speaking of rhinos, you kinda look like one,” Grady remarked with amusement. “Unless you want to voice any objection, I think I’ll just call you Rhino from now on.”

The big alpha male simply stared at him for a few more seconds, clearly not understanding his speech. Finally, the newly named Rhino grunted, turned and walked away.

Grady watched him go and then turned his attention to the root. He found a wind-swept pile of leaves that had gathered beneath an oak and sat down. He tested the root by touching it to his tongue and then waiting a few minutes to see if anything bad happened. This was an old trick he’d learned in the jungles. Finally, satisfied it was safe to eat, he took a bite and was surprised to learn that it tasted pretty good.

“Hey, where can I get some more of these roots?” he hollered after Rhino, who had wandered away a few yards and was now staring at him. He held the root up and shook it at Rhino. “I could use a few more of these, big boy. And, while you’re at it, bring me my damned tobacco!”

While Grady was focused on Rhino, an adolescent sasquatch with curly red hair had lumbered up on his left and was squatting just a few feet away. Grady was feeling full of himself, despite his dire predicament. He turned suddenly to the youngster and took a quick bite of the tuber. Chewing it rapidly, he smiled broadly. “Eh, what’s up, Doc?” The youngster turned away with his arms upraised and ran off screaming and whooping. Grady watched him disappear with a satisfied grin on his face.

Grady settled in beneath the oak and completed his snack, savoring every bite. The red haired juvenile Grady had dubbed Doc, returned a few minutes later. With a mischievous grin on his leathery face, he sneaked up on Grady once again. The game, however, had lost its appeal for Grady. With a little food in his belly, his mind began to clear and he got down to some serious thinking. He wanted to think up a plan to escape his hairy friends, but knew it would require time and diligent observation on his part. He began by getting an accurate count of his captors. This took longer than expected, as the sasquatch blended in with their surroundings so well that it was difficult to pick them out unless they moved.