The Anaconda King

"You said this trip would only last for the weekend, Jeff!"

"Technically it is lasting for the weekend. We left on Friday morning, and now it's Saturday. Stop worrying about your stock market trades, Dan."

Dan had to laugh. "It might be Saturday, but it's NEXT Saturday. It's been a full week. I really do need to find an Internet connection."

"Let's just give it until Monday? Getting out here is expensive, and we are close. I can feel it."

"I guess a couple of days more can't hurt... But if we don't find any sign of Perry's Island by Monday evening, we head for civilization."

"Deal!" exclaimed Jeff enthusiastically.

The legendary island was thought to be hidden from the air by a unique combination of geological features and tropical vegetation.

The famous explorer Travis Vanden Perry had claimed to have discovered an island completely cut off from the rest of the jungle by sheer cliffs, and surrounded by a moatlike lake with quicksand under it.

Both the lake and the quicksand were hidden by an undiscovered type of plant, it had a stalk which reached many feet into the sky, and palm fronds extending from the main part. The result from the air was such that it appeared to be just another part of the jungle.

After seeing a massive bird of an unknown species land on the cliffside, Perry decided to investigate. He lost fourteen of his men during the expedition. The three survivors barely made it out alive. They staggered into Gazzer, a small village, with nothing but shredded clothes and soaked boots. And wild tales of sharp toothed gliding lizards the size of a tiger, and a lioness the size of a Kodiak bear. Also paintings of people worshipping a snake big enough to swallow ten men easily.

His colleagues convinced him to take a year's sabbatical before giving any lectures. Suspecting that the normally rational and intelligent researcher had been traumatized, the hope had been he would realize that the Island was a figment of his imagination.

When Perry continued to treat his outrageous story as reality, he was exiled from the scientific community. Without even a shred of evidence, it seemed that he and his two assistants had gone mad.

"Jeff are you sure you want to go in, if we do find it? According to Perry's journal it sounds like suicide."

"We have the best gear money can buy. I don't plan on staying, I just want to get proof that Great Grandpa Perry wasn't crazy. I still remember sitting on his knee and listening to those stories. Dan, he was as sane as you and I."

Dan laughed. "Going through quicksand into a valley full of giant predators on purpose is sane?"

"It is when you have a plan. And I always have a plan."

"Even as a kid you always had a plan. Only sometimes it got us both in hot water. But hey, I've always wanted to see dinosaurs - as long as they don't eat me!"

"They're not dinosaurs or anything from the past. These are species unique to the area, and very much alive."

"I still don't want them to eat me..."

The two friends went on the next morning, getting an early start. "There! Did you see it, Dan?"

"Yeah... It has to be at least as big as a hangglider. What could it be?"

"Let's go find out."

Approaching the camouflaged lake with the silty bottom, they each removed a strong but lightweight inflatable kayak. The lake wasn't more than five feet deep, but if the reports of quicksand were accurate, it was deadly to wade in.

They paddled all the way around. It was almost three miles from the shore (and safety) to the steep cliffs in the middle. It was indeed like a moat, but it felt as though they were paddling through a forest. The valley, if indeed there was one on the other side of the tons of rock, did not give the impression of being an island. It was more like a fortress.

"Say, that bird can leave any time it wants. I wonder why the species hasn't spread? And shouldn't the smaller creatures be able to cross on this stuff?" asked Dan, indicating the somewhat sturdy plants.

"I don't understand it either. Maybe we can find some answers on the island."

Not seeing any obvious ways in, they decided to take the same route that Travis Vanden Perry had used so many years ago.

"Well I guess it's up and over, Dan."

"Didn't two men die just getting in there?"

"Yes, but we have the right gear. We will be fine."

After an intense but mostly uneventful climb up the 250 foot cliff face, they got their first view of the fantastic world within. The valley and the gently sloping hills were covered with dense vegetation. A small blue lake hugged the cliff on the far side. Under an acre in size, it fed a trickling stream which ran through the heart of the valley, and presumably emptied into the deadly quicksand moat eventually.

SQUAWK! CAAAWWWK!

The bird which had led them to the island was surveying its domain from a nest in the cliffside. Behind the nest steam was coming out of the rock.

"Well that explains why the birds have to stay. The eggs need the extra heat and moisture. There's geothermal activity in this old rock." Jeff thought out loud.

"Let's get some pictures. Then we can get out of here." Dan suggested hopefully.

"I agree we need to get pictures now. But I'm not going anywhere yet. I want to see more. If you feel like you need to, I'll help you get back down?"

"We're in this together. Where you go, I follow - as usual." He laughed about the last part, thinking about all of the trouble they had found over the years.

Keeping to the edges close to the cliff, the two explorers made their way to the lake. It had a solid bottom of the same type of rock as the cliff. Because of this it was crystal clear.

"I don't like this, Jeff. This looks like a prime watering hole. And this lake is so deep it could hide a whale."

"That's why I chose it. We can hide among the rocks and get the proof we need. The bird alone won't be enough. That cave should be perfect."

Making their way to the cave, they found that it did indeed have a perfect view of the lake. It also had the intricate and realistic cave paintings described by Travis Vanden Perry so many years ago.

First documenting the artwork, Jeff set up the tripod in hopes of filming the creatures which would surely come to the lake at twilight.

Dozing off from the warm air and fresh breeze, the two men didn't notice the massive shadow coming up from the depths of the lake. It slithered into the cave, then flicked its tail, smashing the camera into a thousand pieces.

"What -"

HISSSSSSS

"Dan, very carefully get on your knees, in the same position as the people in the painting. And stay there."

Once they were in position, the snake calmed. It sat watching them for several hours. They tried to stay as still as possible. It was indeed large enough to easily swallow ten men. When night came it slithered back into the water, leaving two very frightened explorers to plan the rest of their weekend.

Cover image made on Canva using their gallery