Dr. Alex Nolan's Arc

Chapter 13 of 14

Nolan reached the riverbank gasping, his boots sliding in the mud as he scanned the water. The current moved fast here, churning brown and thick with debris. Upstream, the voice called his name again—closer now, no longer bothering with distance or direction. It knew where he was. A small hut sat half-collapsed near the bank, its thatch roof sagging into the frame. A canoe lay beside it, patched with tar and leather strips, its hull still intact despite the rot creeping along the gunwales. Nolan grabbed the bow and dragged it toward the water, his arms shaking with exhaustion. Behind him, branches snapped in quick succession. Whatever was coming had stopped calling and started moving. He threw his pack into the canoe and shoved it into the current, stumbling waist-deep before hauling himself over the side. The water took him immediately, spinning the canoe sideways as he fumbled for the paddle wedged beneath the seat. Upstream, a massive tree stood rooted in the shallows, its twisted roots spreading like fingers across the riverbed. Something dark moved between them—low and fast, weaving through the gaps. Nolan dug the paddle in hard and forced the canoe around, aiming for the center channel where the current ran strongest. The entity reached the tree and stopped. It didn't cross. It stood there among the roots, watching him drift away, and for the first time since the hut, the jungle went silent. Nolan let the paddle rest across his knees and pulled out the map with trembling hands. The river route was clear, the settlement marked a day's journey downstream if the current held. He'd made it onto the water, bought himself distance and time. But the thing hadn't chased him into the river—it had let him go. That meant either the water was a boundary it couldn't cross, or it didn't need to follow anymore because it already knew where he was going. Nolan folded the map and gripped the paddle again, his jaw tight. He had his escape route, but he'd just learned he was still being herded.