Portance of Fear is a horror fiction podcast
which is intended for mature audiences. Discretion
is advised. Welcome, fearlings, to another weird
and horrifying tale made just for you. I am your
host, Mashulu, and I'll be your guide into the
macabre and mysterious. We learn today if Henry
can survive his encounter with unrelenting horror
in Finding a Way. Before we get started... Take
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Henry was 10 feet from the cavern opening. Daylight
bathed his face. A breeze cooled his skin. The
climb to the exit was amazing. Chalk -covered
hands were his only safety tool. One bad grab
and he'd fall back into the blackness below.
The danger was part of the fun. Adrenaline pumping,
he began his ascent to the opening. Henry was
58. Tall, bald, with a perpetual gray stubble
framing his square jaw. He told his husband Edward
where he would be and had a GPS tracker just
in case. Henry had been climbing and hiking since
he was a teen. His body reflected that fact.
He was slim with ropey muscles and tan skin.
Remembering sunscreen had always been a challenge.
Years of outdoor activities had prematurely aged
him. The cave he'd explored that day was part
of a vast underground system. For ten years,
he had searched its dark recesses, and still
there was more to see. Above was a vast mountainous
pine forest that stretched for a hundred miles
in all directions. Numerous deep blue rivers
cut through ancient stone above and below ground.
From the last thaw to the first snowflake falling
from the sky, Henry would visit the cave as often
as he could, many times camping for several days.
The winters were harsh. There was a glacier that
touched several of the mountains, and snow was
almost a daily occurrence. Henry had tried to
come when the forest became a block of ice. But
even with all his experience, it was too much.
Instead, the winter was for planning and daydreams
of finding a lost pirate ship, like in the movie
Goonies. The world below was full of wonders
few had ever seen. Huge stalagmites and stalactites,
crystal clusters, gigantic bat colonies, and
underground waterways created an almost alien
ecosystem. Fresh water was never an issue. Entrances
dotted the landscape, making each exploration
new and interesting. Henry had never been to
one place more than a couple of times in the
past 10 years. Today, he had stumbled upon the
exit he was climbing to. This happened often.
He'd pop up somewhere and have no clue where
he was. That was part of the excitement. Only
a few more feet, old man, Henry said. Talking
out loud helped him focus. Losing focus while
climbing would be very unwise. He moved deliberately
and was finally able to grab the lip of the opening
to the outside world. With his feet dangling,
He pulled himself up and out of the cavern. Out
of breath, Henry rolled over and looked up at
the forest canopy. Beyond the trees was the dusk
-painted sky. The scent of pine filled the air.
His heart pounded hard. It had been a great day.
Nightfall loomed. The forest would soon transform
into a dimly lit wonderland, the moon and stars
casting a pale light onto the mountains. In this
cosmic glow, a symphony of wolf howls, crickets
singing, and owl hoots would commence. Henry
thought about the fire he would start, the fresh
fish he'd cook, and the reading of a trashy novel
he'd get done. It took him a moment to realize
a hush had come over the forest. That's odd,
he thought. Slowly he sat up. His heart had stopped
beating in his ears. He sensed something large
in the bushes nearby. He scanned the area to
see if he was about to have an encounter with
a wild animal. Usually it was an elk or a bear.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw it, the
glint of a large cat eye watching him. hunting
him he shifted gradually looking towards the
stair and started to very slowly move in the
opposite direction mountain lions were common
in the forest but they kept their distance for
this one to be so close it must be very hungry
henry moved from the lip of the cave deliberately
the last thing he wanted to do was to give the
big cat something to chase he kept moving further
and further away the crack in the earth that
he had just emerged from was about thirty feet
wide A distance a mountain lion could easily
clear with the right motivation. When Henry was
ten feet from the ledge, his stalker revealed
itself. It was a big cat, a very big cat. All
the blood drained from his face. What the hell,
he thought. It was a massive orange and white
beast, 700 pounds of solid muscle, standing just
over three feet tall at the shoulders and at
least five feet long. Its canine teeth were massive
eight -inch fangs. It was low to the ground and
moving forward very slowly, gauging the situation.
A saber tooth? How? Aware that surviving the
encounter trumped the question, Henry started
to think. He had bear spray in a holster, but
had no clue if that would help. There was no
way he could outrun this thing. His only hope
was to make it back to the cave and try to lose
it. Every move he made was calculated to not
have this monster give chase. He began to inch
forward towards the cat. It let out a low -throated
growl, opening its jaws slightly to show off
its teeth. Henry swallowed, trying to keep his
soul from leaving his body. This is stupid. This
is so effing stupid, he muttered over and over.
The saber -tooth watched intently, ears down,
ready to attack. The plan of attack had been
decided on. It was clear in the cat's eyes. Henry's
heart dropped. Oh, no. Both prey and predator
moved simultaneously. Henry dashed for the edge
of the crevasse while the saber -tooth moved
toward Henry. It vaulted across the entrance
to the cave while Henry slid hard back to the
edge of the opening. The cat flew right over
Henry's head. Henry found himself once again
dangling from the edge of the cavern entrance
by one chalkless hand. His muscles burned with
the heat of a thousand suns. The saber -tooth
looked over the ledge and growled. Henry could
see the gears turning. It was a long way down.
He didn't want to let go. Surviving a 20 -foot
fall was a long shot. Even if he did survive,
he wondered what condition he'd be in. At the
same time, he didn't want to be this cat's dinner.
Nice kitty, good kitty. You don't want me. I'm
old and stringy. Just go away. His voice shook
with nervous energy. The cat tilted its head
slightly and hissed. Its fangs came into sharp
focus. Okay, I tell you what. You let me go,
and I buy you an elephant to eat, okay? It's
smaller than a woolly mammoth, sure, but much
larger than me. It smelled the air and then Henry's
hand. Henry began to feel like his arms were
made of lead. He only had seconds left before
they gave out. You were not on my bingo card
for animals I'd run into today. No, no, no, no,
he said as his saber tooth raised up and swung
its massive paw at him. Curved daggers dug into
Henry's back and teeth. The pain was unbearable
and Henry's muscles spasmed. Screaming all the
way down, he fell into the darkness. Hitting
the floor of the cavern like a 200 -pound bag
of wet cement, Henry blacked out. He woke to
the echoed screeches of a million bats leaving
their homes for the night. Moonlight lit the
entrance of the cave now. Every atom of his being
was in unspeakable pain. Groaning, Henry pulled
himself up to survey the damage. He'd been lucky.
No broken bones, which was a miracle. He had
deep gashes on his back. Cuts on his legs and
large bruises on his side. Finally, a giant lump
on his head. The bear spray survived the fall.
In fact, all his items seemed fine. Clicking
the headlamp on, he opened his backpack and grabbed
the first aid kit. Before starting to work on
his various wounds, he looked up to see if the
saber tooth was still there. Thankfully, it was
not. Did I fall, hit my head, and dream that
whole thing? He said with great confusion. It
had seemed so real, but the bump on his head
suggested that the whole encounter might have
been a dream. Okay, let's go by the numbers.
My GPS and cell phone are useless down here.
No one will notice I'm missing for another 24
hours. I could have internal bleeding. Not a
lot I can do about that. The saber -toothed tiger
was a dream, triggered by being knocked out.
That's the only logical conclusion. Now, inventory.
I have bear spray, my phone, emergency pack,
hunting knife. a small amount of snacks, and
I'm surrounded by fresh water, all good things.
I can even eat cave moss and some of the bugs
down here if it comes to that. I can't climb
back up into the opening. My best bet is to find
a more accessible exit. With Herculean effort,
Henry stood. His body felt like one giant exposed
nerve. His light revealed two passageways, one
to the north and one to the east. He had spent
the day exploring the north passageway. It went
further down into the earth, so he decided east
was his best bet. The eastern passage glistened.
Heavy drops of water echoed loudly against the
uneven cavern floor. The walls were covered with
green and red moss. Henry couldn't help but to
look backwards every few moments, checking for
a long extinct predator on his trail. He had
never felt an anxiety like this in the caves.
On the surface, you needed to be aware of your
surroundings, but most animals avoided humans.
But the saber -tooth was living rent -free in
his head. Even though he kept telling himself
it was a dream, he wasn't entirely convinced.
Henry thought about his husband, Edward. He imagined
what he would be saying right now. I told you
not to go alone. You're not young anymore. Why
not stay put, try to heal up, and climb? If you
never come home, I will kill you. Henry had met
Ed on a trip to the Great Wall of China. Ed was
arguing with his partner at the time about the
fact that he hadn't deleted a hookup app from
his phone. They were literally walking on one
of the most amazing man -made structures in the
world, and his ex was livid, making sure everyone
knew their business. It was beyond cringe -inducing.
Ed tried to smooth things over and get on with
the tour, but nothing was helping. If you asked
Henry what Ed's partner's name was, he'd have
no clue. He just remembered him acting like a
toddler. Ed finally pulled his phone out and
deleted the app in front of everyone. It was
like a soap opera. For the rest of the tour,
his ex walked 20 feet ahead, angry and petulant.
Henry understood being upset, but there was a
time and a place to argue about a hookup app.
Henry approached Ed and handed him his number.
What's this? It's my number. I figure since you're
not on the app anymore. He hit Edward with a
million -watt smile. Ed smiled back and took
the card. By the end of the trip, Ed was sleeping
in Henry's room. They married a year later. They
both still use the app sometimes. At that point,
he'd have given anything to see Edward's beautiful
face. The tunnel he was in seemed to stretch
on forever. At least there was fresh air, which
he hoped came from an opening ahead. Suddenly,
a thunderous roar reverberated through the tunnel.
He froze. He hadn't dreamt the saber -toothed
tiger. It was hunting him. And from the sound
of the roar, close. It must have found a way
that wasn't a 20 -foot drop, Henry thought. Up
ahead was the sound of running water. He hoped
he could get there before the tiger got to him.
Not sure why this is happening, but I really
don't want to be a time -traveling tiger's lunch.
The next roar was louder and much closer. Henry
started to move as fast as his battered body
would let him. Panic started setting in. How?
How am I being stalked by a saber -tooth? This
is insane! Henry would have had a better chance
at passing a trig final at that point than understanding
how the hell this creature was in the 21st century.
And he failed algebra 2 twice. Looking back,
he caught a glimpse of the beast. Low to the
ground, its eyes flared when his light hit them.
It looked like a demon shrouded in darkness.
Shit. Adrenaline filled his veins. He never wanted
to know how prehistoric people felt, but he had
an idea now, terrified. The uneven floor and
bending tunnel passage meant the cat didn't have
a straight run at him, but it was moving quickly.
Every time he glanced back, it was a little closer.
Henry felt like he was trapped in a cursed cat
video. The sound of rushing water was closer.
He started to run. The tiger roared and gave
chase. Henry rounded a corner to find himself
at the edge of a sheer cliff. Below, a river
torrent ran. He had no idea how deep it was.
He turned back to see the saber -toothed tiger
staring at him, ready to pounce. In high school,
Henry had been a jock, playing football, cruising
in his junker car on the weekend, and dating
girls so no one would know he liked boys. He
never thought he'd get old back then. He was
immortal and cool. But time changes everyone.
And when he hit 30, the illusion of immortality
melted away. He thought about how long he had
left. Sure, he was still young, but he felt like
it wasn't enough time to accomplish his goals.
He wanted more, but the clock only seemed to
accelerate. His dad died at 59 from a heart attack.
His mother had to move into a care facility for
dementia at 63. This all ran through his mind
with each passing year. Henry was fit and looked
after his health, but the ticking of the mortality
clock in his mind was still louder than ever.
Staring into the yellow eyes of this massive
cat, all he could think about was what he wished
he'd done and regrets of missteps. The men he'd
have said yes to and the jerks he wouldn't have
fallen in love with. Telling Sarah Jones in 10th
grade he loved her when he just didn't. The time
he missed out on with his siblings over stupid
disagreements that created decades -long silence
on all sides. It all cascaded through his mind
like a waterfall of regret and anger in mere
moments. I'm not ready to die, you hear me? He
yelled. The prehistoric feline leaped forward.
Henry tried to move out of the way, hoping the
cat would sail off the cliff into the water below,
but no dice. Instead, the beast defied physics,
twisting its body to grab its prey with its razor
-sharp claws. The impact sent both of them flying
out over the water. They crashed hard into the
rushing current far below. Unfortunately, the
river wasn't deep, and they hit the bottom hard.
The jagged riverbed caused grievous wounds to
tear open. The strong current carried them both
along. The saber -tooth sank its fangs deep into
Henry's shoulder as if it wasn't in a fast -moving
body of water. The water submerged their heads.
Henry gasped for air every chance he could. He
reached for his bear spray. It was still on his
belt. He could feel bones cracking under the
vice grip of the saber tooth. The water was blinding
him. He was dying right there and then. He had
to do something. With his last bit of strength,
he grabbed the bear spray with his free arm from
his belt and pulled the trigger point blank in
the beast's left eye. The pain overwhelmed the
saber tooth, and it let go, the current dragging
it away. Henry was free, but so badly injured
he could barely stay conscious. Then all the
world shrank to one focal point. Ahead was a
waterfall. This is some horror story BS, he thought.
The beast was thrown over the side like a man
-eating rag doll. Henry's only hope was to grab
one of the jagged rocks sticking up from the
river floor. He stretched out and grabbed one
only a few feet from the edge of the waterfall.
He knew he wouldn't be able to hold on for long.
He was going to go over the edge no matter what.
The plan was simple. Feet first, clinch, and
hope to God that the water below was deep. Oh,
and that the saber tooth had died in the fall.
That would be a nice bonus, he thought. I love
you, Edward. And if I die, I hope you know deep
in your heart that LeBron James is overrated.
Here we go. One, two, fall! He let go. Henry
entered the water like a missile. Luckily, the
pool below was very deep. He looked up to see
the large rivulets of blood that followed him
down. He could also see a light source above,
meaning a way out. It would have been easy to
let go of life at that moment, but one thing
kept him going, seeing Edward again. In his mind,
he repeated over and over, do it for Ed, do it
for Ed, do it for Ed, as he pushed himself toward
the light above. Breaking the surface of the
water, Henry took a huge breath of air. He had
lost a lot of blood fast and was half dead, sure.
But in the moment, he felt like a titan waking
up from an eons -long slumber. Light streamed
from a cave passage. The dawn sun was rising.
Henry swam to the shore. He couldn't see the
saber -tooth anywhere, but that didn't mean it
wasn't there. Cats are known for being sneaky,
after all. Even gigantic ones. But he had to
risk getting out of the pool, or he'd drown.
Pulling himself up onto the rocky shore, Henry
kept upright. Falling asleep now would be a death
sentence. He had to get out of the cave to signal
for help. But at that moment, moving would have
to wait. The damage was severe. Blood streamed
from gashes, muscles ached, and bones felt brittle.
The shoulder bite was horrific. All the color
from Henry's face had drained away. Force of
will was the only weapon he had against death.
He kept repeating Edward's name as motivation
and started to move again. His cell phone was
no more. In fact, most of his supplies were lost
when the saber -tooth ripped his bag open in
the water. something he only now realized had
happened. But the GPS emergency beacon was still
intact, and he had his hunting knife. That was
it. Everything was freezing. He wasn't sure if
it was the early morning chill or death knocking
on his door. He stumbled to the mouth of the
cave, and that's when he spotted the saber -tooth
staring at him with its one good eye 40 feet
away. Come on. Want a snack? Here I am. Try coming
at me. I'll cut your other eye out. Henry waved
his knife at the cat. The saber -tooth stared
for a moment, as if pondering if the meal was
worth the effort, and then turned, disappearing
into the bushes. Henry slid to the pine -covered
ground and hit the GPS emergency button. The
birds sang their morning song as the sun reached
the top of the pines. He looked at the glory
of the morning and whispered, I'm not dying today.
Henry fought hard to survive that nightmare scenario,
an impressive feat for a horror story protagonist.
Do you think you could survive an encounter with
a saber -toothed tiger? Be sure to tell us in
the comments. If you liked this Portents of Fear
tale, consider joining our Patreon. There's a
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stories? Click on one of our other episodes on
your screen right now. Good night, fearlings.
Sleep well. If you can.