The Last Elephant Keeper

Part 45

Lost in her thoughts, when she felt a sudden pull from her back. It was Hope, who had tugged her back with a truck. Khumo looked up, curious about what had caught her attention. She gasped, as she saw the dramatic change in the landscape. The waterlogged yellow sand had given way to a vast expanse of dark and barren soil. It looked like a giant fire had scorched the earth, leaving nothing behind but ashes and dust.

Khumo felt a surge of curiosity as she gazed at the soil. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before. It's dark, almost black colour stood out sharply against the bland landscape. She reached out to touch it, wondering what secrets it hid, but as soon as she did Hope, Blaze, Thunder, and even Whisper rang out in unison, as Flash attempted to pull her off with his trunk. They all seemed to sense something dangerous about the soil, something that Khumo did not understand.

She glanced at the map and her mother's notebook, both of which had marked this area as off-limits and suggested alternative routes. But those routes would take much longer, and Khumo was not one to shy away from a challenge. She wanted to know why this soil was so different, and she dared to take the forbidden path.

Khumo knew it was a risk, but she also knew they had no choice. They had to cross the plain to reach the other side, where the water and the trees awaited them. She volunteered to go first, leaving the elephants behind. She walked slowly and carefully, feeling the soil with her feet before putting her weight on it. The plain looked flat and barren, but she could sense something lurking beneath it. Something that did not want her there. For a while, everything seemed fine.

Then, she felt a sudden shift. The soil gave way under her feet, and she started to sink. She gasped and tried to pull herself out, but it was too late. She was trapped in a pit of black mud, sinking deeper and deeper with every movement. She heard the elephants behind her, their loud cries of alarm and concern. She shouted at them to stay back, to not follow her, but they did not listen.

They rushed towards her, trying to help her. To her surprise, they did not sink like she did. They seemed to glide over the surface of the soil, distributing their weight evenly with their large feet. She realized that they had an advantage over her. They knew how to deal with this kind of terrain. She did not.

With Thunder's help, Khumo managed to get out of the mud pit. She quickly improvised by attaching some tin plates onto her feet to balance her weight. As another safety measure she tied herself onto Hope, in case her new pair of shoes failed. She was not going to let the soil defeat her. She resumed her walk, but she also took some time to observe the bizarre landscape around her.

The black soil was like a vast sea, with no sign of land or life. The only exception was the odd mushrooms that sprouted here and there. They fascinated Khumo. They were huge and slender, with caps that looked like purple coloured broccoli. She wondered what they tasted like, but she did not dare to try them. She had a feeling they were not edible.

As they progressed, the plain became even more desolate and eerie. There was nothing to break the monotony of the black and purple. Her feet hurt from the tin plates, and her eyes hurt from the lack of colour. She wished they could reach their destination soon. She hoped it would be worth it.

As they trudged on through the Blacksands, Khumo couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had been building up in her ever since they entered the area. The uniformity of the dark soil all around them seemed to amplify the feeling of isolation and vulnerability that had taken hold of her. She wondered if they were the first ones to ever step foot in this place, or if there were others who had come before them and met an unfortunate end.

Despite her concerns, Khumo kept moving forward, leading the group with a determined stride. The rest of the elephants followed her lead, each enjoying the trip more than Khumo could as they had an ample amount of mushrooms, they seemed accustomed to fed on, as they navigated the unfamiliar terrain.

Khumo thought she heard a strange noise behind them, but when she looked back, she saw nothing. She shrugged it off and continued walking. Then, she heard another noise, this time in front of her. It sounded like the ground was groaning. The elephants heard it too, and they became alert and nervous. Flash was the most curious of them. He approached one of the small craters that formed, and peered into the hole, but he was greeted by a foul-smelling gas that had been visibly foul for him.

Khumo was curious about the craters, and she wanted to get closer to one of them. But as she was walking towards it, she saw a horrifying sight. Flash was sinking into the soil, just like she had before. He had stepped on a weak spot, and he was falling into a trap. Khumo felt a surge of panic and fear. She knew she had to act fast.

She grabbed the rope that she had tied to Hope, and ran towards Flash. She hoped to secure him to Hope, so they could try to pull him up. The other elephants were also in a state of shock and distress. They saw their friend in danger, and they wanted to help him.

They trumpeted loudly, trying to calm Flash as he tussled about. Blaze had wanted to move closer to her son, but tried to be careful not to step on another weak spot. They did not want to make things worse. They would not leave anyone behind.

Khumo could feel the ground shaking beneath her feet, and she could smell the foul gas that came out of the craters. She looked around and saw that they were surrounded by them. They had walked into a minefield of traps, and they had to get out of it as soon as possible. Everything seemed to be falling apart, but Khumo had to focus on Flash, who was still sinking into the soil. He looked terrified and helpless, as Khumo seemed unsure of what to do next.

She also knew that the soil was not going to let him go easily, and It seemed to have a life of its own, a malicious will that wanted to drag Flash down. But Hope was not going to give up on him. She pulled on the rope with all her might, trying to overcome the soil's grip. The other elephants had gathered closely offering support to the Matriarch, as she used all her strength to pull onto Flash inch by inch out of the sand.