The Fossil Hunter
Through his entire existence Elliot Grayson devoted himself to searching for the ancient remnants dug from beneath the surface of Earth.
The paleontologist spent his life fixated on ancient beings which existed prior to human evolution. His current search focused on an exceptional discovery which should not exist according to fossil record records.
A whispered legend among paleontologists. Ancient reports describe an extinct creature which existed during the time before humans appeared fifty thousand years ago within the frigid northern regions. Something unlike anything ever discovered.
And he was going to find it.
1. The Expedition Begins
His expedition led him into an uncharted territory of Arctic tundra which few humans would ever dare venture because ice and rocks protected ancient secrets from the passing of time.
Researchers discovered the lead through a historical journal which rested in a deserted Oslo library. The bones were found in the icy wilderness by the explorer Erik Halvorsen during his exploration of the nineteenth century.
Halvorsen disappeared during his return journey. The journal of the explorer surfaced at an abandoned camp but his life ended there without anyone knowing his final outcome.
Elliot resolved to restart the mission that Halvorsen initiated.
Three reckless individuals joined Elliot in forming his team after they expressed similar interest in the pursuit.
Years of studying the permafrost earned Dr. Miriam Clarke her position as a geologist.
Jonas Reed, an expert tracker and survivalist.
Victor Alvarez made a decision to document historical events along with his work as a documentary filmmaker.
They embarked on the endless snow-covered terrain using snowmobiles as their vehicle.
2. The Ice Gives Up Its Secrets
They traveled through several days of extreme winter conditions to arrive at the location mentioned in Halvorsen’s journal consisting of a torn ice formation that allowed investigators to examine uncharted ancient strata.
The frozen ground revealed a giant bone which extended as large as a human leg.
Miriam reacted with shock and tried to sweep away the ice from the bone. She uttered in a soft voice never seeing bones from such beasts. “Or a bear.”
Elliot took his knee next to her at the chilly scene. Our scientific evidence shows this bone differs from existing data because it does not match the structure of past mammals.
The group leader Jonas shouted from his location on the ridge.
“There’s more.”
They uncovered a complete skeleton on the ice surface. No living creature before had a shape like this one.
It stood upright.
Its body structure displayed long reaching arms with sharp nails.
Its broad head contained sharp teeth arranged along its jaws.
The ribs lay broken inside its ribcage.
Something closed its teeth on the body and left a brutal wound.
Elliot’s heart pounded. The discovery could change everything since it presents unknown information about our past inhabitants and predators.
Victor began his filming while his excitement made his breathing tremble. “This is it,” he murmured. Victor considers their discovery to be the greatest archaeological find ever made.
They spent many hours slowly retrieving and presenting detailed records of every found item. When night arrived they stopped for camp but neither one could rest since they were too eager.
But then the howling started.
3. The Thing in the Dark
They initially believed the noise came from the surrounding winds. The Arctic environment created unusual sound effects since its chilly winds carried noise across the frozen ground.
Trackers Jonas recognized animal behavior despite what his colleagues were sensing.
He secured his weapon and spoke the words with authority. “Something’s out there.”
The howling grew louder. The sound flowed out from a source that resembled neither human nor animal. The sound emerged from the location of the fracture.
Elliot’s mind raced. Wolves? A bear? This environment would kill organisms of that size within its lifeless wasteland.
Then, the ice cracked.
A loud rumbling ground vibration indicated that the planet was moving toward failure.
Miriam screamed. “Something’s moving down there!”
Victor managed to point his camera in the direction of the ice while his body trembled from his nervousness. The howling stopped. The night grew impossibly still.
Jonas stepped forward, rifle raised. “We need to go. Now.”
And then—
At the opening of the crevasse a dark figure showed itself.
Not an animal. Not human.
Something tall. Something watching them.
4. The Nightmare Beneath the Ice
Without warning the ice floor underneath them started to sink.
During his freefall Elliot slid into total darkness while the ice cold embraced him like a conscious entity. A painful impact on the ground dislodged all his breathing.
His team entered a panic while trying to rescue him as they yelled from above.
Then—Victor screamed.
At that moment Elliot spun around while his stomach collapsed inside him.
The ice was not empty.
There inside the cavern he found himself entrapped by bones all around him. Some ancient, others fresh.
The dark overlooked him as something shifted out of its place.
The living structure before him resembled their fossil discovery yet appeared more dreadful since it displayed twisted faces, starved and sinewy body parts and empty black imprisoning eyes.
It had been waiting.
The beast moved toward Elliot while steam escaped from its cold breath in the night air.
A single gunshot rang from Jonas's weapon while he fired his rifle above in the cave context. A piercing shriek caused the creature to vibrate Elliot's bones as it made sound.
Jonas and Miriam managed to take hold of him before leading him toward the surface.
The creature frantically tried to dig its way through the ice as it displayed a shocking silent howl by opening its wide jaw.
The thing plunged back into complete dark after emerging from the depths.
5. The Price of Discovery
They fled.
The party abandoned all objects including fossils as they continued driving their snowmobiles across infinite darkness without pausing or turning back.
Upon reaching the research station they chose not to share their experience of encountering the fossils.
No one would believe them.
But Elliot knew the truth.
The primitive beast which existed fifty thousand years ago has never disappeared from existence.
Time preserved the organism inside frozen ice before its discovery.
And they had woken it up.
6. The Final Warning
Months after the expedition Elliot spent his time in his office watching a black and white grainy camera frame which was his only remaining piece of evidence.
It showed the fossil’s ribcage.
And inside it, something else.
Not just the bones of the creature.
Teeth marks.
A considerable older predator with bigger appetites appeared to have destroyed its prey.
The sound Elliot heard in his silent office was a thing impossible to occur.
A whisper.
A howl.
The fossil specimen he had obtained from the frozen environment.
And he realized—
The ice was melting.