Björn and his wife Annelie go on a hunting trip in Africa that a friend to Björn arrange. Soon after they arrive strange things start to happen at the camp.
After years of waiting, Björn and Annelie finally set off on the hunting trip they had planned for so long. It all started when Björn heard that his old friend and former colleague from the supply vessels out on the Baltic Sea had started a hunting tourism business in Mozambique.
Jonas had talked endlessly about starting that kind of operation one day during all the years they worked together, and now it seemed he had finally succeeded. From the moment they decided to go until they actually got away, several years passed, and both had passed fifty by the time they left. Time and money, as with most things, kept getting in the way.
Björn had an enormous thirst for adventure his entire life and started hunting as soon as he turned eighteen. Besides hunting, he had been on countless trips and hikes around the world — first on his own or with friends, but for the past twenty-odd years with his wife, Annelie.
Their shared passion for travel and adventure was what brought Annelie and Björn together. But on Annelie's part, she had no interest in hunting when they met. She accepted it and had no objections, but when she began accompanying Björn on hunts, her interest awakened too. A few years later, she had her hunting license and spent many days each year in a blind, or stalking prey.
A trip like the one they were about to embark on had been a lifelong dream for Björn. Annelie was also looking forward to it.
Two others were coming along on the trip — Mats, forty-nine, and Leif, fifty-seven. The latter two were hunting companions from the hunting team back home in Jämtland. Not people Björn and Annelie normally socialized with, but they shared the same deep passion for hunting and had teamed up to split the cost of this trip.
It's the middle of the night when we arrive at the bungalows we'll be staying in.
"Whoa, it's really pitch black out here at night. Why have we never been to Africa before, Björn? We've been to so many other places in the world."
"I don't know. We've had so many destinations that something else always took priority." Björn squints, trying to see as he looks around in the darkness.
"But we're here now. This is going to be really exciting."
"Hahaha. You're like a little kid on Christmas Eve." Annelie kisses Björn on the mouth.
Jonas is standing outside the entrance to the main building when the cars roll in. He greets his guests with his incredibly cheerful spirit and welcomes everyone with a big hug. Jonas drapes his arm around Björn's back as he shows them around the grounds.
"Damn, it's great that you finally made it out here, Björn. Really wonderful to meet you too, Annelie. He's talked so warmly about you, but your beauty is even greater in person." Jonas laughs heartily.
"Oh, thank you!" Annelie blushes as she walks hand in hand with Björn.
"This is the main building. Inside is the restaurant, but we usually sit outdoors under the parasols right behind you." They turn and look where Jonas is pointing. "We'll have a welcome drink out there after the tour."
Jonas shows them around the entire facility with great enthusiasm. He talks so much that they struggle to keep up at times. The fact that they've been on the road all day only adds to the difficulty of absorbing everything he says. Jonas catches himself and stops, turning to face my fellow travelers.
"Excuse me for running off with Björn like this. It's been so long since we last met, and we have so much to catch up on." He takes a short pause before continuing. "Come with me to the bar and we'll have a whiskey before bed. Perhaps the lady would prefer a glass of sparkling? I understood from Björn that's what you prefer?!"
"Yes, please, that would be lovely!" Annelie tries unsuccessfully to suppress a yawn, followed by a brief, apologetic laugh.
Jonas stops again and looks at everyone as they sweat and drag their luggage.
"But excuse me, everyone. Set your bags down and the staff will carry them to your bungalows. I was just so happy to finally meet my old shipmate and the rest of you who I've heard so much about that I completely forgot myself."
Everyone sets down their bags and catches their breath before continuing into the main building and heading to the bar. They take their drinks and then go outside and sit under the parasols.
Jonas says something to an employee in an African language, and the man quickly disappears around the back. He returns with two more who hurry off to collect the luggage. They greet and nod politely as they pass the guests.
One glass turned into several, and despite everyone being exhausted, they end up sitting under the parasols for hours, chatting cheerfully before finally retiring to their bungalows.
The alarm rings at eight. Björn and Annelie force open their gritty eyes. It feels like they're full of gravel.
"Good morning! That was a bit much last night. My head is pounding."
"Good morning, darling! Yes, it was quite a lot." Annelie rolls onto her side and rests her head on Björn's chest. "My tongue feels glued to the roof of my mouth."
Björn strokes her back and runs his fingers through her hair. But they get caught immediately.
"Geez, your hair is so tangled. You must have been spinning like a propeller in bed all night."
"Mmm. It won't be easy to brush out. I'll do the best I can and tie it all up in a bun, and deal with it properly tonight."
"Ow, my back! It really reminds you that you're not young anymore."
Björn rubs his back as he sits up on the edge of the bed. Annelie sits up too with a groan. She glances over at the chairs where they'd laid out their hunting clothes the night before.
"It's going to feel a bit strange wearing shorts and short sleeves for a hunt. It's usually a bit colder back home when we go out."
"Yeah! I'm pretty glad I brought my old leather hat. It protects the head well from the sun. Do you think your cap will be enough?"
"I think so. If not, I noticed they have a small shop here. I'll buy a better hat if needed."
Björn and Annelie finish their morning routine and step out into the courtyard. They stop and look around, and Björn puts his arm around Annelie's waist. She wraps her arm around Björn and leans gently against him.
"It looks different in daylight compared to last night. It seems bigger." Björn holds up his hand to shield his eyes from the bright sun.
"Yes, I was thinking the same thing. I didn't even notice the outdoor kitchen with all those grills and hot plates when we sat out here last evening. There are several refrigerators too."
Björn nods and looks around. The bungalows extend in two wings from the main building. A fence surrounds the entire property. One of the bungalows is cordoned off. What looks like police tape is wrapped around it. Annelie notices what Björn is staring at and furrows her brow.
"I wonder what happened there?"
"Yeah! Maybe I can ask Jonas when he comes out."
Their thoughts are interrupted by a loud
"Good morning!" behind them. It's Jonas coming out of the main building, walking toward them with a brisk step. He smiles broadly and warmly.
"Did you sleep well?" Jonas throws his arm around Björn's shoulders, and they start walking toward the dining area.
"Well enough, but it got a bit much last night, so it's taking its toll on the body and head today."
"We're not used to the heat either, so that made it a bit hard to fall asleep too." Annelie wipes some sweat from her forehead.
"I understand. I'm having air conditioning installed in the bungalows, and it's planned to be ready by next season. You'll have to come back then. There'll be a jacuzzi to cool off in and a small spa facility too."
"That sounds lovely. Too bad it's not ready now. I'd love to have cooled off in a pool while you boys sit and tell lies over a beer." Annelie smiles playfully, and both Björn and Jonas laugh.
They continue toward the dining area and are almost there.
"I noticed one of the bungalows is cordoned off. What happened there? Nothing too serious, I hope."
Jonas stops, his expression darkening, deep creases forming on his forehead.
"There was a group here about a month ago. A couple with four male hunting companions. The woman disappeared without a trace. The police came and searched but couldn't find her. The couple had been arguing that evening, and it seems she left the bungalow and walked off. The theory is that she was taken by a predator, which is why she was never found. But the police didn't look convinced. They seemed to think something fishy had happened, but they couldn't find anything to support it, so the case was closed. We're going to fix it up and reopen it for guests next week."
"What do you think happened?"
"I don't know. I—" Jonas gets a worried look, as if he wants to say more but doesn't dare. "It's a very unpleasant incident regardless. Anyway, let's leave that behind us and have breakfast. I hope you're hungry."
Breakfast was something out of the ordinary — eggs in every conceivable form, bacon, sausages, grilled vegetables, fish and seafood, freshly baked bread, fresh-squeezed juices, wine.
"Wow, what a breakfast. It's going to be hard to move after this." Björn stares wide-eyed at all the food.
Everyone sits down, and it's obvious that it's not just Björn and Annelie who are hungover today. Mats and Leif also look anything but perky. But as breakfast progresses, everyone perks up, and soon the conversation flows freely and cheerfully around the table. Everyone is full of anticipation for the week ahead. Jonas interrupts after a while and stands up.
"I'd like to warmly welcome you all here and hope you'll have a wonderful stay. There are a few things I need to cover before we continue. The assembly point in case of fire is here on the gravel area between the outdoor seating and the main building. Fire extinguishers are located inside the door of the main building and in all bungalows. A defibrillator is located inside the main building entrance. We have a small observation tower beside the gate to the grounds with a fantastic view of the wilderness around us. I really recommend visiting it at sunset at least once. The view is magical. After breakfast, we'll pick up the rifles and head to the shooting range behind the building so you can familiarize yourselves with them and so the guides can confirm you can actually shoot." Jonas stands scratching his head and thinks for a moment. "Well, I think that's everything. Cheers, and welcome!"
"CHEERS!" Everyone in unison.
After a hearty breakfast, it's finally time to get going. They walk over to the weapons storage and we get the guns out. They're nearly new Sauer 101 rifles in .30-06 caliber. Vortex scopes in quick-release mounts — cheap but good enough for what they'll be used for. The open sights are left on as backup. The two hunting guides each carry a wooden crate of ammunition, and then they head to the shooting range. The range is just a few targets set up in front of a sandbank. Everyone shoots individually, and it's all over in less than an hour.
"Remember now, hunting in Africa isn't like hunting back home in Sweden. Many animals are harder to bring down here, so you keep shooting until the animal drops. Otherwise, you'll be out tracking all night with the lions and hyenas — who will also be looking for your animals, of course." Jonas gives a crooked smile.
Everyone nods in understanding before climbing into the vehicles.
The first hunting day proceeds calmly. Björn and Annelie go together with one guide, and Leif and Mats with the other. They stalk silently between the bushes, and Björn can feel his heart pounding hard from the excitement. Sweat runs down his forehead. Annelie walks diagonally behind Björn. It's as if her senses are at their peak. Every rustle is crystal clear, the slightest shadow that moves is like a flag waving, and all scents are amplified. Scents of dried plants mixed with the smell of dry earth. Björn's deodorant and his underlying scent mix with the smell from the guide and herself. She hears something, or almost senses it more than hears it, and pricks up her ears. A few seconds later, the guide stops and raises his hand.
"Antelope! Hundred and twenty meters that way." Björn and Annelie look in the direction he's pointing. "Annelie, go ahead of me and try to get in position to shoot. I follow!"
She does as he says, and soon she has a clear field of fire. She braces against a tree and feels her pulse racing with excitement. The shot goes off, and the antelope disappears in a cloud of dust, kicking for a few dozen seconds before lying still.
"Good shot!" The guide claps her hard on the shoulder.
The rest of the day flows on. Björn tries to get a shot at a warthog, but it bolts through the bushes and vanishes.
"We have to go back now. Soon dark."
They follow the guide back toward camp.
"Great shot, Annelie! That's exactly how it should be done." Björn smiles broadly and pulls her into a quick one-armed hug as they walk.
"Well, someone had to show you boys how it's done!" Annelie can't hide how pleased she is and can't stop smiling.
About an hour later, back at the lodge, they're sitting and enjoying the view over the savanna when the staff opens the chilled display cases and announces they're welcome to take whatever they want.
The cases are stocked with water bottles — still and sparkling — beer and wine.
"I'll go get drinks. What would you like?" Björn asks Annelie.
"I'll have a small bottle of sparkling if they have any. If not, I'll take white wine. And a bottle of still water."
"You got it!"
Björn looks in the display cases and picks up a bottle of sparkling wine and a beer. He grabs two bottles of still water in his other hand and heads back to the table.
"Here you go!" Björn sits down on the chair next to Annelie, and they hold hands. "It's really beautiful here at sunset. Looks like the sky is burning."
"Yes, it's truly gorgeous!" Annelie pours some wine into a glass.
"A toast to us, and to you for a successful hunt."
"Cheers, darling!"
Björn and Annelie clink glasses and then gaze out at the setting sun. Both stare as if hypnotized and don't notice Leif coming to sit at the table next to theirs.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" says Leif.
Björn and Annelie startle and turn their gazes toward Leif.
"Good Lord, I didn't hear you come. Yes, it's really beautiful!" Björn looks at Annelie and then back at the sunset. "How did it go for you today?"
"It went well! I shot a zebra. It ran off, so we had to track it for almost an hour, but we found it eventually. I heard you shot an antelope, Annelie. Congratulations!"
"Thanks!"
Mats comes over too and sits down, carrying two beers — one for him and one for Leif.
"How did it go for you, then, Mats?" Björn asks.
"Nothing came of it, but it was close a few times. Had a zebra in my sights too, but it stayed partially hidden the whole time, so I couldn't take the shot."
They sit and talk, joke, and laugh for a long while. After an absolutely incredible grill buffet for dinner, they stroll, full and satisfied, over to Leif and Mats' bungalow. A deck of cards appears, and soon they're playing Chicago. Hours pass, and after many beers and glasses of wine, Björn fades out. He sits watching the others play but feels himself growing very tired.
"Annelie, I think I'm going to go to bed now. I'm exhausted."
"I'll come too, as soon as we finish this hand."
Björn gives Annelie a kiss on the mouth and then walks off to the bungalow. The fatigue mixed with alcohol makes the short walk somewhat slalom-like. Björn brushes his teeth quickly and sloppily, then undresses and gets into bed. He falls asleep almost instantly.
Björn wakes with a jolt when the door flies open and slams against the wall. Annelie slams it shut so hard Björn thinks it might shatter. She looks furious, and Björn sits up quickly in bed.
"What happened?"
"That fucking bastard Mats. Oh, I'd like to cut his dick off."
"But what — what happened?"
"We'd finished playing, and I was sitting on the sofa finishing my wine before going back to bed. He poured me another glass, and I didn't want to be rude, so I stayed a while longer. But I was so tired from the day and pretty drunk, so I fell asleep on the sofa." Annelie paces angrily around the bungalow for a moment before sitting down next to Björn. "Anyway, I woke up after a while — I don't know how long I slept. But I felt someone groping at me. I wake up and see Mats has his hand inside my panties. He's jerking off his limp drunken cock with his other hand." She pauses and collects herself. Stares at the floor for a moment, then back at Björn. "I kicked him away so he fell backward. I think he hit his head on the table too. Then I pulled up my pants and ran back here. He didn't penetrate me, but if I hadn't woken up — I don't want to think about what would have happened. I was just sitting there talking. I didn't do or say anything to encourage anything like that."
Björn's temples throb, and he realizes he's clenched his fists and tensed his muscles. He jumps up and starts pulling on his pants.
"I'm going to go and kill that son of a bitch. He's going to wish he was never born before I'm done with him!"
Björn walks with determined steps toward the door, but Annelie catches up and grabs hold of him.
"No, don't. Don't do anything you'll regret later. He's a damn bastard, but there's not much we can do about it right now. I don't trust the police here either, so let's just keep our distance and make the best of the week."
"Mmm. But he deserves a beating anyway."
"I know, but if you beat him up, you'll probably be the one thrown in jail. And I don't think you want to sit in prison here."
Björn looks at Annelie for a long moment and realizes she's right. He turns and wraps his arms around her. She wraps hers around him, and they stand there embracing for a long time before Annelie loosens her grip and pulls away.
"Let's get ready and sleep instead. We can discuss this more tomorrow when we're sober. Okay?"
"Okay!"
A while later they're both in bed. Annelie falls asleep quickly, but she sleeps restlessly. She tosses and talks in her sleep. Björn can't make out any words, but sometimes she sounds angry, and sometimes sad or upset. Björn gently strokes her side, and she murmurs something and then sleeps quietly.
Björn stares at the ceiling, unable to sleep. Thoughts race through his head at the same speed as the ceiling fan spins. Björn watches the fan. He can't recall being bothered by it before, but now it sounds like a helicopter hovering over the bed. The insects buzzing outside sound like race cars going round and round at full throttle. Björn wonders if he'll ever manage to fall asleep, but eventually, he does too.
Björn jolts awake in the middle of the night with the feeling that something is wrong and looks toward the other side of the bed. Annelie is sleeping heavily. Björn turns his gaze toward the door, and there stands a woman. She has red, disheveled hair, pale skin covered in bruises, and sunken, dark eyes.
Björn lurches in bed and reaches for the bedside lamp. The moment it clicks on, he's briefly blinded — the light stabs at his eyes before they adjust. The woman is gone. Björn looks around and sees that all windows and doors are shut except the bathroom door, which is open. But it's dark and empty inside. (I must have been seeing things. The heat down here is getting to me. The alcohol, the exhaustion, and Annelie's nightmare played a trick on me.) Björn's heart pounds so hard his entire chest pulses, but it gradually calms until his pulse is nearly normal again. Björn gets out of bed, puts on one of the hotel's bathrobes, goes to the bathroom, and then lies back down and falls asleep.
Björn falls back asleep but wakes again a short while later. He looks around groggily and sees he's alone in bed. Where the hell is Annelie? Björn puts on the bathrobe and notices that Annelie's bathrobe is gone.
Björn walks around the bungalow and sees the latch is missing from the door. He scratches his head. He's absolutely certain he latched it before falling asleep. Has she gone out into the night? Why would she do that?
Björn slips on his sandals and steps outside, standing in front of the bungalow. It's quiet and dark everywhere. Or, quiet, actually — every bush rustles and stirs with all the small creatures making their way through the cooler night. Björn hears a roar in the distance; it sounds like a large cat. Did she wander off and get taken?
Björn feels his chest tighten, as if his insides had turned to a heavy stone. His eyes dart around.
Slowly, his eyes begin to adjust to the darkness, and Björn notices that the door to the cordoned-off bungalow is half open. Strange! Did she go in there? Why would she? Well, only one way to find out. Björn walks with quick steps and is soon at the half-open door. He carefully sticks his head in and looks around. He sees Annelie kneeling on the double bed with her back to the entrance.
"Annelie, what are you doing?" No answer or reaction whatsoever. Björn tries a little louder. "Darling, what are you doing here?"
She remains perfectly still, but after a moment slowly turns her head toward him.
The look she meets him with is something he's never seen before — it's completely cold and empty. Like looking a fish in the eye. Björn feels every hair on his arms and legs stand on end. A cold wave washes through his body, and he shivers.
Björn instinctively steps back and stands frozen in the doorway. Annelie turns her head away from him again.
Björn closes his eyes for a moment and then opens them again. Something flickers briefly, and it looks exactly as if Annelie is red-haired for a millisecond before becoming blonde again.
(I really need to take it easy with the alcohol and drink plenty of water from now on.)
Björn sees Annelie jolt and begin looking around in confusion.
"Björn?" says Annelie, surprised to see him.
"What am I doing here?" She looks thoroughly confused and astonished as she sits there, glancing around.
"You must have been sleepwalking. I woke up and noticed you were gone, so I went out looking for you and found you here." Björn pauses briefly. "Don't you remember anything?"
Annelie shakes her head and then stands up. Björn walks toward her and wraps his arms around her back. She presses her head against his chest and holds him tightly. They stand there hugging for a long time before letting go. They take each other's hand and start walking back to their bungalow.
On the way back to their bungalow, they stop and look up at the starry sky. No city lights to interfere, so every little star shines like a lamp up there. They stand admiring the stars for a long time, and when their eyes meet again, they both smile broadly. They continue walking, go inside, and lock the door behind them. They undress and get into bed. It doesn't take long before they're both sleeping deeply — Björn on his back with Annelie's head on his chest.
The alarm goes off on day two. Björn and Annelie reluctantly drag themselves out of bed. It's slow going for both of them, but once they get moving, it gets easier.
"I'm so tired today. But it feels like I slept well after we went back to bed. For the final time. Did you sleep well, darling?" Björn continues struggling to get dressed.
"Yeah, I slept well. Fell asleep fast but had a lot of strange dreams. They were crystal clear when I woke up, but now I only have the feeling of the dream left and a few loose fragments."
"Ow, damn!" Björn loses his balance putting on a sock but manages to grab the edge of the bed so he doesn't fall. "Sorry, I almost fell. What do you remember from the dream?"
"Not much. Some woman I first saw from a distance, but then suddenly it was me. Can't remember much more than that. But the feeling I have left makes me shudder when I think about it."
"So, I'm ready for breakfast." Björn stands by the door.
"I'll be ready soon too. Just need to tie my boots. I'm starving!"
"Me too! How do you want to handle things with Mats and Leif?"
"I don't want us to do anything right now. We'll sort it out when we get home. But I don't want anything to do with them for the rest of our stay here."
"I understand completely. I'd gladly give that bastard the beating of a lifetime. But don't worry. I won't do anything."
"Good! Shall we go then? I'm ready."
Once out in the yard on their way to the dining area, they see Leif come out, closely followed by Mats. Both stop and don't seem to know where to go. After a few moments' hesitation, they also head toward the dining area.
Both look thoroughly ashamed, and Leif approaches Annelie with his head hanging.
"So..." He clears his throat. "I'm terribly sorry about yesterday. There's no excuse for what I... we did. I'm truly ashamed and wish I could undo it."
"But you can't." Annelie's reply was firm. "I won't forgive you, but I hear what you're saying." She turns toward Björn, takes his arm, and leads him to a table where they sit down.
Leif stands looking deeply ashamed and anguished, but eventually goes and sits down. Mats sits at the same table as Leif, and Leif's expression turns to disgust.
Björn notices and wonders if Mats was the driving force behind the whole thing, given their respective demeanors. Leif genuinely looks ashamed and almost nauseous, while Mats looks nearly indifferent. Better keep an eye on him.
Björn thinks back, and sure enough, Mats has always been one to make jokes that border on the unacceptable, especially when it comes to women. But Björn has never seen this side of him before. Or has he, but chosen not to see it? It's hard to criticize the group's comedian. But Björn now wonders if his constant joking masks a rather rotten view of other people — and women in particular.
Björn can tell from Annelie's expression that she's probably having similar thoughts when she glances in their direction. Björn and Annelie are very much alike in many ways and often understand each other with just a look. It's happened countless times that they've started talking about the same thing simultaneously. Not to mention finishing each other's sentences.
Annelie sits quietly, deeply lost in thought during breakfast. (What really happened last night? I never sleepwalk — never have, as far as I know. Was it a reaction to what happened with Mats and Leif? Ugh, I hate not being in control. It feels unsettling.)
The mood is fairly tense during breakfast, and although attempts are made to lighten the atmosphere — primarily by Jonas — they quickly fizzle out, and silence returns. Eventually, even he gives up and accepts the situation this morning.
"I'm done with breakfast." Annelie sets down her utensils and dabs her mouth with a napkin.
"I just have one spoonful of egg left. I'll eat it, and then we can head back to the bungalow." Björn finishes the last bite, and then they walk back.
Annelie pointedly looks the other way as they pass Mats and Leif. Björn glances at them and feels his temples start to throb.
An hour later, they're heading out for another day of hunting. Jonas rides in the same vehicle as Björn and Annelie, and the hunting guide drives.
At first it's quiet, but the mood lightens on the drive, and they start chatting more and more until, by the end of the roughly hour-long journey to the hunting ground, the atmosphere is cheerful and upbeat.
Björn catches something in his peripheral vision as they drive and looks in that direction. (But what the hell — it's the same woman I saw in the bedroom last night. Why is she standing there, half-hidden behind some bushes? She's watching us.)
"Hey, look over there. Do you see her too? That woman standing there?"
Both Annelie and Jonas look, but by then she's vanished without a trace. As if she'd vanished into thin air.
"I think it got to be a bit much for you yesterday too." Annelie says it in a teasing tone and kisses Björn on the cheek. Then she turns her gaze back to the surroundings with a big smile on her lips.
"Yeah, maybe. But I really thought I saw someone standing there." Björn mumbles it so softly it's barely audible. "I've never hallucinated before."
The guide stops the Land Cruiser by the side of the road and kills the engine. He climbs out and stands looking around.
"I think this will be a good day. Look over there." He points toward the bushes, diagonally ahead of the vehicle.
Björn and Annelie look and see something gray moving in there.
"Björn, come with me. Your time to bag a game."
Björn follows the guide. They creep forward, and Björn has to wipe sweat from his forehead and eyes several times. Finally, they stop. Less than a hundred meters ahead stands a small herd of wildebeest.
"Take the one to the far right."
Björn nods and braces against a tree, breathing deeply to bring his pulse down. He breathes in, lets out a little air, and then holds his breath. He increases pressure on the trigger until the shot cracks off. When Björn sees the wildebeest take a four-legged leap and disappear into the bushes, a thought strikes him that had occurred to him earlier during the hunt. (It's strange how the recoil and the noise can be so bothersome during target practice, but in the field when it counts, both vanish.) Björn has already chambered another round and shoots the wildebeest again when it emerges on the other side of the thicket, managing a third shot before it disappears.
"We go look for it now."
Björn follows the guide. The search is brief. Forty meters from where the shot was fired, the wildebeest lies still. Björn walks up and sits down beside it, and the guide takes the obligatory photo of the hunter with the quarry.
As Björn rises, he glimpses something white brushing past behind the bushes about seventy meters away in the direction of Annelie and Jonas. Björn rubs his eyes, but then it's gone. (Strange, but it's probably just the intense heat down here taking its toll), he thinks.
His thoughts are interrupted by two rapid shots. It must be Annelie — they come from her direction. The guide gets a call on his phone and answers. He looks at Björn with a big grin.
"Your wife shot an antelope. And I said, would be good day. Yeah!" He smiles broadly and waves Björn to come along.
They walk back to the off-road vehicle for shade and water while the escort vehicle loads the animals onto the trailer and rushes back to the cold storage at the lodge so the meat doesn't spoil. Jonas explains that all the meat goes to the local population. It's only the trophies that are sold.
The second outing proves eventful too, as Björn bags a wildebeest and Annelie shoots a warthog.
The hunting day is over, and they head back to the lodge. Leif seems shaken.
"Leif, what happened?" asks Jonas.
"Battered woman... bruises... nightgown..."
He mumbles so quietly they have trouble hearing, but Björn catches at least those words. He nearly drops his jaw when he hears it. (Has Leif seen her too? I'd accepted that I was seeing things, but now I'm really starting to doubt.) Björn thinks as he stands pondering.
The whole group retreats to their respective bungalows to get ready for dinner. Björn and Annelie lie down and rest first, and it isn't long before Björn falls asleep.
Björn jolts awake and checks the clock. Relieved, he sees it's only been an hour. (But where is Annelie? She's not in bed, and the bathroom is dark.)
Maybe she got ready in the meantime and went out already? Björn shrugs and gets up. Might as well get ready and go out too.
Björn strips off his clothes and steps into the shower. The warm water feels wonderful, washing away all the sweat and dust from his body. Björn notices he still has blood on his hands from the animals he shot during the day. He washes it off with soap and water.
As Björn stands rinsing under the warm water, Annelie suddenly appears in the bathroom. She's completely naked, and Björn takes in her amazing body as she joins him in the shower.
"Were you out for a bit?"
"No, I was lying next to you resting." She replies, looking at Björn with puzzlement.
Björn is taken aback and doesn't quite know what to think.
"But you weren't in bed when I got up."
She looks at him for a long time as if he's from another planet.
"I just woke up and noticed that YOU weren't in bed, so I undressed and joined you in the shower."
Björn looks at Annelie questioningly.
"I must have gotten up half-asleep, then."
"Mmm." Annelie looks at Björn reservedly for a moment, but then she places her hand on his chest and lets it trail downward, leaning in to whisper in his ear. "I want you right now, right here in the shower."
He looks into her eyes and then wraps his arms around her and kisses her.
A good half hour later, freshly showered and relaxed, they step out of the bathroom and start getting dressed.
When they're ready, they take each other's hand and step outside.
When Björn and Annelie come out, they're met by commotion. They see Mats sitting hunched forward with his head in his hands, and Jonas crouching beside him.
Björn and Annelie hesitate at first and look at each other, but then go over and ask what happened.
"Leif hanged himself in a tree behind the bungalow. We heard a roar and went around to look, and that's when we found him." Mats pauses briefly. "A lion had gotten close and was trying to tear him down from the tree, so he's completely mangled from the waist down." Mats swallows heavily several times. "I fired several warning shots that scared the lion off."
"Strange that we didn't hear it, but we were probably fully occupied with other things at the time." Björn glances briefly at Annelie and then back at Mats.
They all sat at the dining tables — Björn and Annelie at one, Mats at a table beside them. No one was particularly hungry. Björn and Annelie forced down a little food, but most of it remained untouched on the plates. Mats couldn't eat a thing. Annelie gets a strange feeling — despising Mats for what he did to her while simultaneously feeling terribly sorry for him now that he's lost a friend. She squirms uncomfortably in her chair and turns her gaze toward the horizon.
An ambulance and a police car arrive after a while. They take the body down from the tree and load it into the ambulance. The police officer walks over to Björn, Annelie, and Mats.
He asked if we knew why Leif would hang himself.
"Do any of you know why he would hang himself?"
Annelie opens her mouth but closes it again. Annelie and Björn look at each other, and Björn nods slightly. Annelie recounts what happened the night before and how poorly Leif had been feeling about it all that day. But no one had sensed he was doing so badly that he would take his own life.
The officer directed a stern gaze at Mats and then turned to Annelie.
"Do you want to press charges for attempted rape against that man?" The officer nods toward Mats.
"No, I think we've put that behind us now."
Annelie looks at Björn and sees his surprised and slightly irritated expression. Annelie shakes her head slightly and looks him in the eyes. Björn responds with a faint nod, and she watches his gaze soften before he turns back to the officer.
The officer nodded hesitantly, looked intensely at Mats, who stared shamefaced at the ground. The officer then returned to the police car.
Everyone stayed outside after eating — no one wanted to go inside. The shock had begun to wear off for most of them, and conversation resumed, albeit with a far more somber and gloomy tone than on previous evenings.
"I need to go relieve myself." Jonas stands up and walks off.
He doesn't get many steps before he stops. He stands frozen, appearing to look for something. Björn looks in the same direction Jonas was looking but sees nothing. Jonas slowly turns his gaze toward Björn, and Björn sees he's white as a sheet and visibly shaken.
Björn gets up and walks over to him.
"What happened? What did you see?" Björn places his hand on Jonas's shoulder.
Jonas first looks at Björn with a burdened gaze that screams to unburden itself, but then he turns away and walks on.
"Must have been seeing things. Everything that's happened lately is haunting my mind." Jonas mumbles so quietly it's hard to hear what he's saying.
Björn remembers what Jonas told him about the woman who disappeared just a week before they arrived, and a sudden thought crosses Björn's mind. (I wonder what that woman looked like. I'd like to see a photo of her. But I'll have to save that for another time.)
Björn goes back and sits down with the rest of the small group. Annelie looks visibly relieved that Björn is back. She's understandably uncomfortable being alone with Mats, and Björn realizes it was rather foolish to leave her by herself like he did.
Björn and Annelie sit in silence. Neither has anything to say, so they both stare blankly out at the beautiful spectacle that a savanna sunset offers. The sand looks like it's burning as the sun sinks below the horizon, and the warmth and light fade quickly. But neither of them can appreciate the show that particular evening.
Björn looks at Annelie and their eyes meet. Björn gives a slight nod toward their bungalow, and Annelie responds with a short nod.
"I think we're going to head back to our place. See you tomorrow. Good night!"
Björn and Annelie stand up, take each other's hand, and walk off.
"Good night! I think I'll do the same."
Jonas also rises and shuffles toward the main building.
Mats sits alone, staring blankly into space.
Björn and Annelie get ready for bed in silence, and when they're done, they lie down. Neither can sleep.
"Can't you sleep either?" Björn looks at Annelie.
"No. So many thoughts swirling around in my head." Annelie lies on her side with her arm across Björn and her head on his chest.
"I don't understand why Leif took his own life. From what I gathered, it was Mats who was messing with you. Leif was sitting beside you, right?"
"Yes, that's right. I don't understand that part either. If anyone should have been ashamed, it should have been Mats. But he's seemed mostly indifferent. Whatever he's feeling bad about now is only because Leif took his life. What he did to me doesn't seem to bother him at all."
"When we get home, I intend to have as little contact with him as possible."
"Mmm, same here."
They lie and chat for a long time about what's happened over the past few days before they both fall silent and eventually drift off to sleep.
The alarm clock rings. Björn wakes with a jolt while Annelie wakes more slowly, stretching before opening her eyes. She rolls over and lies on her side with her head on Björn's chest. Exactly as she was when they fell asleep.
"Good morning, darling!" She kisses him once on the chest.
"Good morning!" Björn strokes the arm she has draped across his chest.
Björn feels something odd on her arm and looks closer. Red scratch marks on her upper arm extending down to her elbow.
"Whoa, those are some scratch marks. I didn't notice those yesterday."
"I must have scratched myself on a bush yesterday out in the bush. Some of them have pretty sharp thorns."
"Yeah, but strange that neither of us noticed them until now."
Annelie turns her head and looks at the scratches.
"Hmm, strange! Maybe they got infected overnight so they became more pronounced. I'll clean them with antiseptic when I get up."
"They almost look like scratch marks from a human. Strange!"
"Yes, I see that. Very strange. Maybe you got a little too excited in the shower yesterday." Annelie giggles.
"Yeah, maybe!" Björn laughs too and kisses Annelie on the mouth before getting up.
"I'm starving. Let's get ready quickly and go have breakfast. I'll clean these up later."
"Sounds like a plan!"
They get ready as fast as they can, and Björn walks to the front door.
"But... the door is unlocked. Were you out during the night? I'm certain I locked it last night."
"No, I haven't been out. Why would I be?"
"I don't know. Strange. Must have forgotten to lock it." Björn looks thoughtfully at the door. Then he looks at Annelie's scratches on her arm. "You haven't been sleepwalking, have you?"
"No, I haven't. Let's drop this now and go have breakfast."
They go out and sit at their usual spot. The staff is busy frying, boiling, and bringing out breakfast. The smell of food makes both Björn's and Annelie's stomachs growl loudly, and they can't help laughing at it. Mats arrives a short while later and sits at a separate table. Annelie watches him. (He looks worn. Those huge bags under his eyes — I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. I don't know if I should feel sorry for him or hate that bastard.) Annelie is interrupted in her thoughts when Björn starts talking.
"But where's Jonas? He's always out here first, helping get breakfast ready."
"No idea. Strange! But look — there's a light on upstairs in his bedroom." Annelie points toward the upper floor.
"I can't see any movement up there." Björn scratches his head. "Something feels off. I can't describe it. I'm getting a bad feeling about this."
"Maybe you should go up and check on him?" Annelie places her hand on Björn's shoulder.
"Yeah, let's do that. Come with me too. I don't want you sitting alone with—" Björn ends the sentence with a nod toward Mats.
"I'll come with you." Annelie stands up and takes Björn's hand.
Björn and Annelie enter the building and climb the stairs to Jonas's private quarters. They knock. No answer from inside. They look at each other, open the door, and step in. It's completely silent inside.
"Björn, look. It looks like he's lying behind the bed." Annelie grips Björn's hand tightly.
"This doesn't feel right. But we have to go see how he is."
Björn and Annelie carefully approach Jonas, hand in hand — Björn first, Annelie slightly behind.
"Dear God, he's been murdered. Someone's hacked him to death." Björn stares at the mutilated body, not knowing what to do.
"Look there!" Annelie points up in the corner beyond Jonas. "There's a bloody knife."
"Yes, I see it. No one touch it." Björn looks back down at his friend. "But... he's still breathing. Can you see?"
"Yes! We have to help him."
They sit down on either side of Jonas and try to wake him. After a while, he opens his eyes. He looks first at Björn and looks relieved. Then he turns his gaze to Annelie, and the relieved expression shifts to fear.
"It was you... but yet not you." He says to Annelie.
Annelie looks like a living question mark, and Björn looks equally baffled.
"I saw her yesterday at mealtime."
"Who? Annelie?" Björn asks, bewildered.
"No, Susanne. The woman who disappeared last week. She's here to make us pay for our sins."
"What are you talking about?"
Jonas looks up at Björn and takes his hand with both of his own.
"It's probably best I tell you what actually happened here. The woman, Susanne — she didn't disappear." Jonas pauses, and tears begin streaming from his eyes. "She was murdered. She's buried out on the savanna, a few hundred meters south of the compound. She was here with her husband and some of his business associates, as he called them. Accomplices is probably the more accurate term, because those people live on the wrong side of the law. Their legitimate business is just a front for their real operations. These are rich and powerful people — not the kind you cross if you don't want to disappear, or accidentally fall out a fifth-floor window." Jonas starts coughing violently, and blood drips from his mouth. "Anyway, they behaved as if they owned the place. They drank and partied and treated the staff like their personal servants. At night, they had loud orgies where they all took turns with Susanne. Susanne never went out hunting, so I had several conversations with her. She didn't want to be part of what she was being subjected to, but she was afraid of her husband, Sergej, so she didn't dare speak up. I told her she couldn't go along with it. It would destroy her." Jonas closes his eyes and takes a long pause. He opens his eyes and continues. "My advice to her became her death sentence. Men like Sergej can't tolerate being contradicted. On her last night alive, she was recording a video blog on her laptop when Sergej came in with the rest of the men. They were dead drunk and wanted to get on with the night's activities. Susanne said no. She didn't want to — she wanted to finish her blog and then sleep. Sergej flew into a rage. Susanne was raped and beaten to death. They forced me to clean up and bury the body out on the savanna. If I ever told anyone about this, they'd come back and hack off my arms and legs and throw me alive onto a termite mound. But what they didn't know is that the laptop was on and filming everything. I managed to smuggle it out and hid it in my gun safe." Jonas extends his hand and points toward the gun safe beside the bed. "I never dared to hand it over to the police. Susanne is taking revenge on everyone who was involved in her death."
A long silence follows after Jonas finishes his story.
"But if she's dead — Susanne, I mean — then it can't be her who did this to you?!"
"No, I don't understand it either, but when Annelie attacked and stabbed me, I saw Susanne in her somehow. As if Susanne was controlling Annelie's body."
Annelie looks shocked and nauseous and has to sit down on the bed.
"I've seen a red-haired woman, roughly the same height and build as Annelie. Did Susanne look like that?"
Jonas's eyes widen.
"Yes... Have you seen her too?"
"Yes, several times. The first time was right before I found Annelie in the cordoned-off bungalow. She was standing there staring at me from the bedroom. Red, disheveled hair and a torn white nightgown. I thought I was seeing things."
"No, you probably did see her. That sounds exactly like how Susanne looked when we buried her."
Björn and Annelie sit in silence, trying to process what's been said, when Annelie breaks in.
"So Susanne is controlling me? But why me, and why kill everyone here? Nobody here — except you — has anything to do with Susanne?"
"I believe she chose you because of what Mats and Leif did to you."
They sit quietly for a moment, and Annelie nods as if she somehow agrees with what Jonas has said. (Susanne is controlling me? That's completely absurd, but in some strange way it feels entirely logical. But it isn't. Help, what is happening here?)
"Annelie, can you run down and fetch the medical kit from the front desk?"
Annelie nods and quickly heads toward the door. She turns and looks at Jonas and Björn with a mixture of sorrow and confusion before heading downstairs.
Björn tears strips from the bedsheets and tries to stop the bleeding as best he can, but Jonas is so badly hacked up that it's impossible. Jonas grows paler and weaker, drifting in and out of consciousness. Suddenly he looks very alert and pulls something from his pocket and gives it to Björn. It's a gun safe key.
"Get those bastards. They should burn in hell for what they've done!"
The effort sends Jonas into a violent coughing fit, and blood runs from his mouth and nose. He draws a few last ragged breaths, and his body seizes as if in convulsions before going completely limp. Jonas is dead. Björn thinks he almost looks relieved as he lies there, utterly lifeless.
Björn sinks to the floor and rests his head against his knees beside his old shipmate. (Where did Annelie go? She should be back by now.)
Björn's thoughts are interrupted by a loud cry for help. It sounds like Mats. Björn rushes outside and sees Mats crawling toward him, bloody, in the dark. Before Björn can run to Mats, he sees Annelie come rushing at Mats with a bloody machete in her hand.
She hacks at him indiscriminately until his head resembles ground meat with bits of hair in it.
Björn is paralyzed by the scene unfolding before him and can barely believe what he's seeing. He locks his gaze on Annelie. She turns toward him. The same empty, dark stare she had when he found her in the cordoned-off bungalow. She seems to flicker a few times, and through the flicker, Björn sees the battered and disheveled Susanne. (Dear God, it's true — what Jonas said. But it can't be true . It can't!)
Annelie starts walking toward Björn but then raises the machete above her head and begins sprinting at him. Björn is completely paralyzed for a few seconds, though it feels like hours. He snaps out of it. (I have to run. Find shelter. Jonas's room — there's a phone there.) Björn turns and runs toward the main building and just barely manages to slam the door and lock it before Annelie reaches it. She stands outside yanking at the door and hacking at it with the machete.
Suddenly, it goes completely silent. Björn stands listening for a moment. Sweat runs down his face and along his back. He can hear every heartbeat pounding in his chest and feel every heavy breath. He hears quiet footsteps outside along the wall. (She's probably looking for another way in. I have to get to the upper floor. I can barricade myself up there.) Björn runs up the stairs, but before he's reached the top, the window in the stairwell shatters into pieces. Annelie bursts in amid a cloud of glass shards. She swings wildly at him, and Björn takes a deep gash on his left forearm as he tries to ward her off.
Björn stumbles backward and lands flat on his back just as Annelie comes hurtling toward him at full speed with the machete raised high. In a panic, Björn kicks out with both legs and catches Annelie in the stomach. She falls backward and tumbles down the stairs.
Björn doesn't wait to see how that turned out. He runs into Jonas's bedroom and locks the door. He rushes to the gun safe, unlocks it with the key, and grabs one of the hunting rifles. He loads it and then stands and waits.
(This isn't happening. It must be a sick nightmare. I'll wake up soon. I can't shoot Annelie. My beloved Annelie. I might as well shoot myself too.)
Björn hears rapid footsteps outside and sees the door explode inward as Annelie forces it. She seems inhumanly strong, but Björn simply can't bring himself to kill her. A desperate idea crosses his mind.
"Susanne, I know you can hear me." Björn pauses briefly. "We know what happened to you and who did it."
Annelie flickers several times and stops. But then she resumes advancing toward Björn and raises the machete.
"We'll make sure your body gets home — just let us survive."
Annelie stops again and flickers between Annelie and Susanne before charging at Björn and swinging with tremendous force. He just manages to raise the rifle as a shield, preventing his skull from being split in two. The power of the blow sends Björn tumbling backward. He raises the rifle again and deflects another strike.
"We have all the evidence needed to put them away. They forgot to turn off the camera on your laptop, so everything was filmed. We'll hand it over to the police and make sure your body comes home."
Björn screams desperately, his voice cracking.
Annelie stands over Björn with the machete raised above her head, ready to strike. Several times it looks like she's about to swing, but she stops and just stands there. As if turned to stone. Björn lies still, terrified. He fights the urge to empty his bladder right there on the floor.
"Please, let us go, and you'll get your justice."
She stands there for what feels like an eternity before flickering several times and then allowing Annelie to return to her true self. Annelie looks down at Björn in surprise and then up at the bloody machete she's holding. She throws it aside and covers her face with her hands in shock before dropping to the floor and embracing him.
"What happened? Was it me who did all this?" Her voice begins to crack with tears.
"It wasn't you who did this. It was Susanne. But it's over now."
They sit there holding each other for a long time. Björn catches something in his peripheral vision and looks up. Susanne is standing before them. Annelie looks up too and watches in astonishment as Susanne silently dissolves and disappears from the room.
In the time that followed, they handed Susanne's laptop over to the police and relayed what Jonas had told them. However, Björn and Annelie told the authorities that it was a man who had attacked them — presumably a hitman hired by Sergej.
Susanne continued to visit Björn and Annelie throughout the investigation and the trial. One day when she appeared to Björn and Annelie, she was no longer pale, bruised, and disheveled. She was well-dressed, her hair pinned up, her skin a normal color and free of bruises. She looked at Björn and Annelie as they sat on the sofa at home in Sweden. She appeared happy and seemed to be trying to thank them before she simply dissolved and vanished.
Björn and Annelie look at each other and then quickly pick up their phones and start searching for information about the trial. Eventually, they find what they're looking for. All defendants were convicted of rape and murder earlier that day. That was probably what Susanne wanted to thank them for.
"She got her justice in the end." Björn drapes his arm over Annelie's shoulders.
"Yes, and those pigs got what they deserved."
They huddle together under a blanket and switch on the TV.
As I read the story, I can see some struggling with translating between Swedish and English. If you can get someone who is well-versed with English to help you with editing. Something that would be necessary before you should try to publish this story.
Throughout, I sensed that you were over writing. By telling in detail the circumstances and even the emotions of the actor, you burdened the story with excess words rather than subtly putting those modifiers as you wrote about the action. Some of the modifying sentences looked like they were prompts for a screenplay.
And, in some cases, there were great leaps in subject with no transition. Again, probably just a lack of translation knowledge.
I'm not much for a horror stories. In this case the visitation of a tortured to death woman carrying out revenge in discriminately through another woman, is the kind of story that I think those who can't get enough of this kind of gore want to watch or read. I prefer something more psychologically subtle. Rather than outright fantasy.
For many readers, just the idea of big game hunting is a turn off. You could have them going on a camera shoot instead.
After Satan negotiates a pact with God and unleashes his army of demons, a secret sect battles a diabolical prophecy that threatens humanity.
Release Date: November 21, 2018
After years of waiting, Björn and Annelie finally set off on the hunting trip they had planned for so long. It all started when Björn heard that his old friend and former colleague from the supply vessels out on the Baltic Sea had started a hunting tourism business in Mozambique.
