Pantera Island

The Diary of Emory Wilson

July 24, 1859,

The gold rush is getting very intense now, and it seems that everyone is trying to hit the 'big one' as the other miners are calling it. It seems that all the gold here in California has been mined out already, and that is the reason I am leaving. I have a party of men coming with me to this uncharted place.

You see, I have come across this map from an old, Indian man. This map shows an island that no one has ever been on for more than old hundred years I imagine. I am confident that this island holds the 'big one'. I am very happy with the party I have chosen to accompany me on this journey. They respond to my commands very quickly and they trust me wholeheartedly. I only hope that they retain that same trust in my by the end of our journey.

I shall keep this journal with me wherever I go, and I shall record in it every day. I am very excited to go to this island. Until tomorrow, my dearest friend.

July 25, 1859: Day 1

It is close to an hour before dawn and we are finishing the packing. We are taking one ship that is actually too large for nine men to run comfortably, but we need to have that large of a ship with all the gold we will be bringing back home with us. I know to be overconfident is a sin on my part, but I know that this mysterious place will hold all the gold my men and I will ever need in our entire lives.

Like I once said, I am very impressed with the men's trust. There is one man however that seems quite nervous about this trip; William Burnho. I often see the other men joking with him about the island we are venturing to. Saying it is haunted and the souls of past natives still walk. All of this is nonsense of course, but William, being the littlest and the youngest of the nine, I am afraid he is more gullible than the rest. No worries though, once he sees all of the gold he will forget all about those nasty rumors.

I will try to write again tonight to tell of our glorious landing on the island I have now come to call Pantera. It is a little absurd that I have named this island after my favorite animal, the panther. Such a mysterious animal that can be deadly if you mistreat it, so is it with this island I fear. Until my next entry my dear friend.

July 25, 1859

Arriving here was quite a remarkable sight. A dense fog started to swirl on the water at around five, and the air became moist with a slight breeze that was quite cool. The kind of weather where your clothes stick to your skin. Very uncomfortable it was. The sky became overcast on a day which started out sunny and fairly warm.

A strange thing happened after the fog came. Taylor, who was manning the wheel came to me saying that the compasses were no longer pointing south, which was the way we were traveling, in fact, the compass was now facing north. This is quite peculiar because I do not recall turning from our path.

I was about to take the wheel from Taylor when I noticed his mouth drop open in either awe or fear. I followed his gaze out to sea, and I felt my mouth slowly follow Taylor's like some crazy game of follow the leader. There, slowly appearing from the ever dense fog, appeared a wall made of ragged, sharp rock. Waves crashed noisily on the banks below the wall.

We found a place on the shore where sharp rocks did not cut through the water. I was quite surprised to see that this large of a ship did not snag on any of the jagged rocks as we pulled into the small bay. I suppose Lady Luck really is on our side of this voyage. I have noticed I used the word 'jagged' to describe these rocks. There is no other word I can use to describe those things. Those rocks were no creation of our good Lord, these came from the Devil himself. I hate to imagine what would have become of our ship if we would have been pushed into one of those water demons by a strong gust of wind.

The men wasted no time. It seems that before the ship came to a complete stop the men were jumping off, trying to be the first ones to explore the beach. I saw some men armed with knives and such, but for the most part it was just excitement. I even joined in on the festivities after the ship was secure, and we even managed to find a way through the wall and into the island. Some men wanted to go through already but it was nearing dark.

The passage, which runs through the think wall of rock, is only about three men wide and the inner walls were jagged and rough. I suppose we will just have to walk in a single line when we enter the island tomorrow. What an exhilarating day this has been!

I shall retire now. Tomorrow all my dreams and hopes come true and I shall not be groggy-eyed for it. 'Till then.

July 26, 1859: Day 2

Today we ventured into the passage which leads into the depths of this forsaken island. I was right in thinking we would have to enter in a single row as I mentioned in my last entry.

One of my most faithful (and largest) companions, Willard Dumfrey, went through first, leading the way for the rest of us. As we made our slow travel through the passage I could not help but notice a steady drip of water falling through the jagged rocks (there's that word again!). When Willard emerged from the passage, he was so astonished that he just stopped, leaving the rest of us waiting in an almost morbid anticipation.

When we finally pushed Willard out of the way, we ourselves did not move. It was as if we had entered a whole other world! Dense vegetation covered the earth and the sound of birds was unmistakable. Nowhere have I ever heard more birds. The best I can describe this new world as is a jungle.

We wasted no more time with the scenery, although it was quite beautiful. Finding a path in this jungle was no easy task, nearly impossibly in fact, but being the crafty men we are, we decided to make our own path through. As we hacked our way through the thick vegetation I was quite relieved that we had 1) Willard leading the way and 2) very large knives.

I was very thankful for my second reason because as we tramped our way through I saw the scuttling of insects (or so that's what I think they are) I have never seen before. I have also seen insects I know mosquitoes, roaches, and centipedes; they were only five times larger than at my home! Mosquitoes the size of small birds swarmed us as we journeyed further into the jungle, but these things learned quickly to stay away as little William swung his long knife like a madman.

We entered a large clearing after traveling for what seemed like hours. At the opposite side of the clearing there was what looked like a doorway leading down into the ground. The open hole, which looked like it stood at about six feet from where we were standing, was surrounded by a stone arch, with symbol I have never seen before, above the hole. This door reminded me of a gaping mouth, enticing us into its depths.

Many of the men wanted to continue onward, but I insisted we head back to the ship. The sky was turning dark and there was an eerie silence throughout the whole forest, a sign of a big storm approaching. As we followed our trail back (do I dare say the plants we had cut down were already almost a foot tall?) it began to rain ever so slightly and by the time we were in the passage that lead us back to the bank, it was beginning to thunder and lightning.

I have not spoken of this to any of my men so I now confide to you my dear friend. Tomorrow morning, before we start out into the jungle once again, I will instruct the men to take all the food we posses and all their sleeping gear. I have decided to journey throughout the day and spend the night wherever we stop. I was astonished at the alarming rate the grass grew when we cut it down only minutes before. Whatever makes the grass grow like that is a miracle of sorts, a miracle I can see only happening here on Pantera Island.

July 28, 1859: Day 4

Oh woe is me! Do I dare utter even here the dark events that have happened in these past days? I fear some unseen being may be watching me from behind my shoulder as I write this feared entry in you dear, heat withered pages.

Yesterday started out just as I planned it would. I told them to bring all of their supplies and all of the men responded quite well, one of them even though to bring a large canvas in case of another storm like the night of previous. The only one who was opposed to this whole thing seemed to be young William once again.

It seems that the other men were scratching ever so lightly on young William's door leading into his private quarters. He was quivering and shaking so badly that he did not even realize the immature boys (I must say boys because they were not acting like men at all) were laughing as loud as some say the hyenas do in the deepest parts of Africa. I wish he would not be so gullible.

We started through the passage once again and came to the path that we made the day before, or what we thought was the path. We couldn't tell by how short the grass was, rather how long it was. Where all the other grass was about four feet high, the grass we stood in front of was well over six feet!

Onward we trekked to the clearing we found before. The entry we saw before has to lead to a mine of some sort; imagine all the riches! Myself leading the way, I stepped into the clearing first, and oh my friend how I hope it was only my mind or maybe a trick of the light, for when I stepped into that clearing I swear I saw two glowing eyes of the deepest of green peering at me from out of the dark entryway. The anxious men behind me pushed me so hard I just about flew halfway across the clearing. By the time I regained my footing and gazed back into the darkness the piercing stare was gone, if it was even there to begin with that is. How I regret coming into this death trap!

The men and I stood in the middle of the clearing and waited for something to happen. I am unsure of the time we spent standing there, but it was long enough for the weather to take a sever change from a muggy day to a cold, drizzling rain.

To save ourselves from being soaked to the bone we ran into the gaping mouth of that horrid entryway. For what seemed like an eternity we were trapped in the darkness that seemed impenetrable, and do I dare to even say that I felt something brush across my leg? Or do I believe that is was my unfaithful mind playing with me?

Young William, who was shaking ever so slightly, struck a match and lighted a lantern. The smell of the earth filled my senses as the light flooded the trap we had fallen into. I hesitantly looked down at my leg and saw what my heart told me I would find; nothing. Nothing but the dirt and gravel which we walked upon.

The chilling silence was broken by a scream that made my blood run cold. I looked to where the sound was coming from and saw William cowering against Willard. Young Bill was pointing to the dirt packed walls, and when I stepped forward to examine what my very jumpy friend had screamed about I was taken aback, and I was disgusted at the sight before my eyes. There, packed in the wall with the mounds of earth, were bones! All kinds of bones were built into the wall, and as I gazed down the tunnel I realized that some of the bones still had decomposing flesh hung upon them.

Willard took a step forward and placed a gently, but large, hand upon the bones. He turned to me slowly and his dark blue eyes fixed on mine and I could see the fear in his eyes. "This place be cursed" is what he whispered.

I turned to the entryway to see that the rain was coming down in large sheets and a cold wind had picked up. The doorway to our freedom was close to twenty feet away. How can so short a distance feel like a life time away? Rocks started to fall around us and around me my men were dropping like flies. When I turned back to the Wall of Death, is what I now refer to is as, I jumped when I heard a thump come from behind us. We quickly turned around only to see the most horrifying of sights. Our freedom was slowly closing in front of us! We ran to the closing doorway but by the time we arrived the entry was already shut. A brief image came into my mind with such clarity I almost screamed; a closed tomb.

In our hurry to the door we failed to realize that poor William had stayed behind at the Wall of Death. A shrill shriek issued from behind us and that is when I knew something evil was lurking in the shadows of this tunnel.

This part of my story is what frightens me the most. I keep trying to tell myself that what I saw was another trick that my mind played on me, but now I know that this is only wishful thinking on my part. When I laid my eyes upon the sight I felt my stomach start to clench, and by some miracle before God I kept myself from heaving. Poor Willard, I am afraid, did not receive the same graces as I.

William's screams started to muffle when a flesh hand came protruding from the Wall of Death and covered Bill's mouth. Behind William's head sat another head from the wall, giving an illusion of a two headed man. As William screamed he began to claw at the arm that was covering his mouth, and with each scratch from William came a chunk of flesh from the decomposing body. William's horrified eyes traveled down to his feet, and when I laid my eyes upon his feet I saw something more remarkable than what was already happening. Poor William Burnho was becoming part of that wretched wall! As William's eyes grew wider I saw that the hand that was holding William was slowly pulling him toward the wall. The image of William's face being pulled into the wall will always remain in my mind. I fear that the next time I see a burning candle I may not be able to control myself from hysterics. That is if I am able to escape from this place with my life.

I am afraid that we became so entranced by what was happening to William that is was our fault that we were not expecting what happened next. I changed my gaze and looked down the rest of the tunnel. Once again I saw the gaze of the emerald eyes staring out at us. Before I could warn the others something came out of the darkness and pulled Willard, who was propped up against the opposite wall, into the darkness from which it came.

After that moment things become hazy in my mind. I can remember plenty of screams and then we were all running for the door. Loud, guttural noises were coming from behind us as we tried to push the boulder that sat in our way. If we still had Willard with us we might have had a chance to push our way through the cave. As I pushed the rock I could hear more sounds coming from behind us. Slithers and roars and screams. I was pulling myself around to look behind us when a sharp pain came to my neck.

When I next awoke I was terribly afraid. I was in a dark so dense that I could not see my hand when I put it an inch from my very own eyes. All around me I could hear the pitter patter of what seemed to be tiny creatures, and then I could hear the guttural sounds of a much larger creature, followed by a sick squelching noise as something was torn to pieces. As I turned my head to look around me a sharp pain arose from my neck. With a grimace I slowly reached back and when I brought my fingers back a wet liquid was on the tips of them. I reluctantly put my index finger into my mouth, and was not surprised to taste the coppery taste of blood.

I slowly turned my head around and spared a glance behind my shoulder. A glimmer of hope! A small light was emerging from about fifteen feet away from me. I slowly crawled on all fours to the light. The way was slow as I tried to avoid making too much noise as the bones underneath me crunched.

It seems that either one of my men or one of those awful creatures from the abyss, knocked into the stone that blocked our way. I pushed with all my might when I reached the entrance of the trap, and, even though I was still on all fours, I almost fell flat on my face. The rock flew open as easily as a swinging door. I do not know how long I have been knocked out for, but the sky was an ashy grey by the time I stepped out of our trap. I could hear the thunder far off in the distance, and by the time I got through the wall and onto the beach it was already sprinkling.

It did not surprise me when I saw the ship was in pieces on the shoreline. Despite the size of the ship it was actually in pieces all over. I sat down on the beach and cried. I would never tell that fact to anyone, but my friend, I think are going to be the last thing I speak to. And as I sat on that beach with my head in my hands I heard a soft voice speaking to me. It took me a few moments to realize that the voice was coming from the ocean. I looked out at the now crystal blue water, and saw the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in all my days. Her long, silver hair glowed in the grey sky. Her water matching eyes shimmered. She had a bare chest, but something was wrong with her bottom. Starting at her waist a scaly, green tail fin emerged where her legs should have been.

"Come have all the gold you have ever wanted. Follow me. Come down with me and all of your dreams will come true," the sweetest voice I have ever heard came from the beautiful, yet somehow dangerous, woman. She disappeared into the ocean's mysterious fathoms, and I started crying a fresh set of tears.

I found a disregarded tent and quickly set it up. No food or water. How long will I last I wonder? Well, I think I am going to try and sleep now. Goodbye, friend.

(?)

A few days have gone by…I think. Whatever we awoke deep in that cave is now outside my tent. I can hear howls and scratching during the night. I think this will be my last jornel entry. Sorry if my speling is failing. I am quite tired now, and that woman who cam from the see, her ofer to me to go down with her is sounding exactly what I need. Joining her sounds exactly rigte! O! Frend! I see that emerald stare outsid my tent. I would rather take the woman, but if I must…excuse me, I belive someone is noking at the door. Mayb I will let them in. I would lik some visitors.

Captain Emory Wilson