The long shadows cast by the setting sun stretched his figure into a twisted, slender giant gliding across the darkening earth and Xiu paused, scrutinizing the change fondly. He looked like some malformed creature, broken and base, lumbering through the wilds of a medieval, now irrelevant, European country. The thought tickled him and the young man continued his way through the thick foliage with renewed energy. 

He'd need it considering he was anything and everything but athletic, but his unburdened lifestyle and unhealthy curiosity spurred him to heights that would have otherwise required athleticism. This endeavor, though, may have been his most lofty and hazardous by far considering it took him into the swamplands of Chia Lake. The water hadn't been visible for most of his trek, but he could smell it from more than a mile away; the undertones of the dead water weeds rotting under layers of moss and mire mixed with murky water rumored to turn red during mysterious winter algae blooms. Most of the forums he'd skimmed prior to this "adventure" had disputed the reasons behind the decline of the lake, but, whatever the cause, it had led to the land's sudden and permanent abandonment. The notion of haunting seemed the most natural conclusion, but Xiu himself was open to any form of supernatural entity.

Locating the cause was not his self-imposed task, though. That was the sort of investigation that required multiple enthusiasts, a few cameramen, and determination to persevere in the face of adversity. No, he was hung up on unearthing an abandoned shrine that was recorded in the thick of swamp. It was just as risky and worthy a task of a true paranormal junkie, but Xiu figured it would only require a night of traversing the swamps. Simple stuff-- or so he'd thought. 

The sun had disappeared behind the distant cityscape, which was being steadily swallowed by the tops of the dark, twisted swamp trees the further Xiu ventured into the area. While some might have considered being thrust into the night undesirable, Xiu had always felt more comfortable under the gentle glow of the moon and mappings of endless stars.

Fishing in his loose pockets, the man pulled up a crumpled sticky note that had the "directions" to the shrine scrawled childishly across it. The moon was only half-full, but provided enough light for him to scan the chicken-scratch text. In his other hand he clutched a high-beam flashlight, which he passed over the clearing in front of him. Something large and dark leapt into a collection of water with a splash and Xiu let out a small cry and stumbled backwards into a thick, thorny shrub that was surrounded by a ring of watery-mud.

One of the thorns dug into his wrist, the one bearing the flashlight, and Xiu recoiled with another, less restrained, scream. The device spun out of his sweaty grasp, arching through the air and disappearing with an unceremonious "splat" in another mound of goo a few yards away. Xiu lay still in the semi-darkness, his heart leaping from his stomach to his throat and back again. Swallowing, he tried to shift positions and felt the plant tug at his skin and clothing. And the severity of his situation suddenly dawned on him: people had died in Chia and its surrounding arches-- fully and completely sunk into the gunk, never to be seen again. Never to bask in the glorious light of the moon or the faint flicker of a television screen playing various cult classics and their shitty, but enjoyable, remakes.

He swallowed, realizing he might never see the beta screening of "Bloody Mulchmen 2" and write a harsh, but loving review on his blog. 

"H-hello?" he called into the darkness, "Anyone out here? Doesn't matter if you're human or not. Like, as long as you've got thumbs or a map or something I'm totally cool with accepting help."

A beat. The screech of a night bird as it sailed with effortlessness through the trees. Another heavy splash.


"Or if you're non corporeal or something, no worries. I'm fine with just talking. I could even interview you for my blog. But, uh, yeah-- help?"