The Midnight Hour & Other Scary Stories

El Tunchi

Alexis didn't want to go to the Amazon. Especially not for her honeymoon. But Phillip had a way of getting what he wanted so they were here in the middle of the jungle, following a trail guide to the next landmark on their list. The mosquitoes and other things that bite wouldn't leave her alone. Alexis was miserable, but Phillip was loving it.

"And if you look over there--"The guide said, pointing to a distant waterfall, "--You will see The Traveler's Tears. We should be there by nightfall."

It was still the middle of the day. Alexis groaned.

"We're making great time then!" Phillip said.

The guide nodded. "Not many people come to visit the falls. You are the first in a very long time."

"Why is that?" Phillip asked. 

The guide continued ahead, cutting away vines and plants that blocked the path. He looked back to them and said in a low voice, "Because of the disappearances."

"D-disappearances?" Phillip asked.

"Yes." The Guide said. "Used to, many people went up and down this trail to see the falls. But over the years, they started to go missing, one by one. Soon, it was too dangerous to do tours and my business was closed down altogether."

"You seem to be doing fine now." Alexis said.

The Guide nodded. "Now. You're the first group I've taken up to the falls in years. I hope there will be many more after you."

"What do you think happened to the people?" Phillip asked.

"Probably wandered off the trail." Alexis said. She slapped a big mosquito on her arm. Her hand came back with blood. Gross.

But the Guide just shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. It always happened at night. We would wake up and those I was traveling with would no longer be in their tents. It was like they vanished. I blame evil spirits."

"There's no such thing." Alexis said, swatting away something buzzing by her ear.

"Maybe." The Guide said. "There are worse things than evil spirits, yeah? Be careful while you're out here, and remember; when we camp for the night, do not leave your tents."

Phillip was very afraid of the Guide's words, but Alexis was skeptical. He seemed to be telling the truth, but evil spirits? She didn't believe it. Not one bit. Those people probably got lost or were attacked by wild animals. It wouldn't surprise her if they'd gotten eaten by insects.

The rest of their journey to the falls was uneventful. Aside from at least a dozen more mosquito bites, Alexis and Phillip arrived unharmed. They set up their tents and got ready for the night. After eating a big meal from the food they brought along, they turned in.

Now they were right by the falls, so it was hard to hear anything outside the tent except for the water. But late into the night, Alexis was woken by a sound.

"Alexis? Alexis, where are you?"

Someone was calling her name. Thinking it was Phillip, she rolled over and ignored the voice. That morning, when they woke up, she asked him if he had called her name in the night.

Phillip shook his head. "No. I didn't."

Alexis thought it was strange but brushed the whole thing off as a dream. That day, they spent most of their time looking at the falls and taking a tiny trail to the foot of the waterfall.  Something felt off, though. Alexis would look up in the trees and swear something was staring back at her. She found herself sticking close to Phillip though she wouldn't tell him why. And no matter where they went, she couldn't shake the feeling.

As the day drew to a close, they set up camp at the waterfall's base. Alexis stayed closer to the fire this time, however and decided to ask the guide about his 'evil spirits'.

"What are they like?" She said. "The evil spirits, that is."

The guide rubbed his scruffy chin. "Oh? Are you a believer then?"

"N-no." She said, but she could feel eyes on her from the dark jungle. She rubbed her arms, suddenly feeling cold despite the heat. "I'm just curious is all."

"We call him El Tunchi." The Guide said. His face looked menacing in the fire's glow. "He is many spirits made into one. Those that die horribly in the jungle lose their soul to him. He takes on many forms and those that lay eyes on his true nature are fated to perish and join him in torturing travelers."

Alexis swallowed. "Th-that's awful."

The Guide nodded. "And the worst part is... If you hear him speak to you, it is almost too late to save yourself. You see, he will take the form of anything and anyone to trick you. If you answer him with your voice, he will have the power to kill you."

Alexis thought back to her dream. A cold shock ran down her spine. It was nothing, of course. Just a bad dream. She thanked the Guide for his story and then bid them goodnight. For several hours, they all slept soundly, but close to early morning, Alexis woke to the same voice from the night before.

"Alexis? Where are you?"

It sounded like Philip, but when she rolled over to look at him, he was asleep. Alexis began to shake. The voice called out to her again.

"Alexis? Are you there? I want to see you."

She dared not answer it. Alexis still didn't believe in evil spirits, but she didn't want the voice to know she was there.

Suddenly, there was movement outside the tent. Heavy footsteps were approaching Alexis! She nudged closer to Phillip. As she did, the steps got closer and closer until the zipper on the tent door began to pull down. Alexis was too terrified to move.

But as the zipper slid down and the door peeled away, a light came in the tent from a lantern and she realized it was their Guide. He held up a finger to his lips.

"I heard it too." He said. "We can't answer it! Do you understand?"

Alexis was about to open her mouth, but instead nodded. The Guide's brow wrinkled in frustration. "I said, Did you understand?"

Again, Alexis nodded, confused. Hadn't he heard her before? The Guide began to grow more and more frustrated. Angrily, he stepped back into the dark. Alexis zipped up her tent and watched as the light vanished.

For the rest of the night she could hear something walking among the tents. The footsteps would change as though their owner was changing from one form to another. She dared not open the tent, no matter how the voice outside begged her to do so.

Finally, when morning broke, the footsteps stopped. Phillip woke as though nothing had happened. Alexis, weary from not sleeping, cautiously opened their shelter and went to their Guide's tent, leaving Phillip behind. She could hear him talking as she unzipped the Guide's tent but thought nothing of it. The Guide's tent was empty. She touched his knapsack. The fabric felt cool. He hadn't been here for most of the night.

Was that before or after he visited her? Unless that wasn't him visiting me...

Her blood ran cold. Suddenly, she realized that Phillip was no longer talking. Panicked, she looked back to their now empty tent.

"Is everything ok?" Phillip's voice came from behind her.

Relief flooded her veins. "Oh, Phillip!" She said. "You scared me. For a moment I thought you were--"

A clawed hand fell on her shoulder.