Flowers hidden in the mist

Journal of Sir Edmond Starlidge the 5^th,  Duke of Carthingston.

August 4^th 1832

Even though I am here, I believe my eyes are playing tricks on me. I undertook this exposition as a lark, out of boredom. I didn’t believe the legend of the citadel of flowers. It was suppose to be a tropical oasis shrouded in the mist, deep in the cavern of a glacier. But my dear friend Rupert believed and was going, despite being told he was a fool. So I went with him. Now here I stand, in the middle of a glacier, staring at a lush tropical garden… 

Jeffery Turnbuckle gently closed the fragments of the journal. He’d found it at a market in the Iberian Peninsula. He had been there to find the Gibraltar Campion. A rare flower with uniquely shaped white petals. It only grew on the Rock of Gibraltar and was presumed extinct until 1998, when he’d found one. The journal, exceeded the discovery of the rare flower. It was written by Sir Edmond Starlidge, world renowned Botanist and Adventurer. That is until he had mysteriously vanished in 1832. The Journal intrigued Jeffery and he was determined to find the mysterious jungle inside the glacier.  And possibly solve the disappearance of Sir Edmond.

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February 10, 2007

 We have finally arrived at the first base camp of our climb. Aconcaqua is the second highest peak in the Andes mountain range.  It is also the home of a number of glaciers. The largest and the one we are going to is called Ventisquro Horcones Inferior. Finding porters willing to traverse the southern flank of the Glacier has been difficult.

I’ve heard repeated muttering about the Mountain of death and an Inca curse. When learning of our destination; Cidedela Enevoada das Flores, the potential pool of porters diminished drastically. Why the Misty Citadel of Flowers terrified them I have no idea. 

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February 12. 2007

 I can’t wait to leave this place, there has been a storm pounding the camp since we arrived. The prices are exorbitant; we even have to pay just to use the bathrooms. Water is unhealthy so it must be boiled before consuming or bathing. If we hadn’t encountered so many delays, we wouldn’t still be stuck here...  We had to go all the way to Chile for porters, because the ones in Mendoza were too superstitious. My interpreter had a flare up of malaria, so I had to replace him. And I found out I can’t take donkeys up the mountain, because of the altitude, so I needed even more porters. Money is running out fast and I’m starting to have many doubts.  I don’t know if I can really believe the journal, how can any vegetation, let alone fragile flowers grow in such cold and harsh conditions. I’ve placed all my hopes in a few incomplete pages of a tattered old journal. Well it's to late to turn back now. I just need to trust sir Edmond. 

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Journal of Sir Edmond Starlidge, 5^th Duke of Carthingston.

August 6^th, 1832

This jungle, actually it’s more like a tropical garden, is absolutely magnificent. I’ve counted over 100 different species of flowers. Most don’t even belong on this continent, let alone in this glacier. The climate here is balmy. I assume the temperature is a result of the thermal pools that dot the region.  The entire garden sits under a layer of mist; I believe this is from the glacier melting in the heat of the pools. This place would be idyllic if we hadn’t lost 3 of our team members under very mysterious circumstances.

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February 20, 2007

 Well we've been traveling ten whole days and we’re only at 13,800 ft. It has been a dangerous and treacherous climb, but we’ve made it all intact. According to the Journal we need to reach 15,500 feet up the glacier. There at 36* 38’10.45”S and 070*0’56.23”W. We will find an ice cavern, We are to travel down it for 5 miles, at the end we will find the Cidadela.

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February 23, 2006

My faith has been restored, the cave was right where the journal said it would be. We've been walking for what seems like hours. The cave has been dark and deadly. We lost two of the porters down a deep crevasse.  We’ve had to stop and take shelter, because of the fierce winds that blow sparactically through this underground cavern. Most of the path has been very narrow but where we've sheltered is wide open, yet because of the wind the temperatures are so cold I fear frostbite. I pray tomorrow will be more hospitable.

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“Professor, Professor.” Darling shouted waking Jeffery.

“What is it, Mr. Darling?”

“It seems we’ve come to the end of the cavern, but you need to see the walls, sir.”

“That’s not possible; we haven’t traveled the 5 miles the journal specified.” Jeffery grabbed a flashlight and followed Darling to the back of the cavern. 

Several of the men were shining the lights at the walls. As he drew closer he saw what held their attention. The walls were covered in carvings, all floral and all exquisite in detail. Jeffery ran his hand over the stone flowers in awe.  Impulsively, he removed his glove and touched the wall again. The textures were amazing, most felt like he was running his fingers over silk. He was mesmerized by the feel.

“Professor, your fingers! Professor!” Darling pulled Jeffery’s hand from the wall. 

His fingers were red and blistered from the freezing temperatures but he didn’t seem to notice. He started to touch the wall again, but Manses twirled him around and slapped him across the face.

“What the…?” Jeffery cried out.

“Get a grip Professor, next time I might just leave you to your folly.” Manses growled as he continues the scan of the wall, looking for an opening to another path.

“Professor, what is going on with you? It was like you were entranced. You better cover your hand before it gets worst.” Darling told him.

Jeffery finally noticed the pain in his fingers and hurriedly slipped his glove back on, he was confused, everything was a blur since he’d come to the wall. His eyes were drawn to the flowers again, they were beautiful. They called out to him to touch them, but he kept his distance.

A shriek sounded in the distance,

“Over here professor.” Manses called out.

Jeffery followed the curve of the wall toward Manses, he didn’t really care for the man. The chap was tall dark brooding; the university hired him as security for the expedition. They had insisted that he and Darling accompany Jeffery. Darling came along as his assistant, and the voice of the university.  Jeffery was okay with that, he found Darling very likable and respectful, unlike Manses who oozed scorn.   

Manses stood before what looked like twin statues, the figures were of two young girls holding a rose between them. It was only when Jeffery stood before them that he realized they weren’t statues at all, but incredibly well preserved mummies. They were clothed in emerald robes and kneeling on a bed of feathers and coca leaves. Their cheeks had been painted, so they appear to be blushing. Their eyes were closed with their lashes darkened. Their hair was long, trailing down their bodies to the mats they were on. Jeffery was in awe of the two mummies, he could hardly take his eyes off them.  Then he noticed the rose he leaned near and examined it. Amazingly it looked fresh and alive. ‘Take it, Take it’ a voice in his mind whispered and unconsciously he plucked the rose from their hands. As soon as he did, the girls slowly parted, showing an opening to another tunnel.

“How did you know?” Darling asked.

“I have no idea.”

“PROIBIDO! Proibido!” several of the porters shouted and turned to run. Manses hurriedly jumped in front of the main group of natives and shot into the ceiling. 

“Fique onde esta’, ningue’m pode sair.” He shouted at the terrified porters.

“What are they saying?” Jeffery asked.

“They say this place is forbidden, they want to leave. I told them they weren’t going anywhere, but down that tunnel.”

Jeffery looked into the tunnel, nothing looked menacing.

“Tell them to get our things; we have an expedition to finish.”

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February 29, 2007

I had that dream again, it is of the mummies. Yet they aren’t mummies in my dreams, they are beautiful young girls. They keep warning me to beware, of what I don’t know, because all I ever see is them amongst a multitude of flowers. 

We lost over half of our porters, they fled in the night. Their superstitious fears are rubbing off on me. I wish the journal didn’t end so abruptly, I have so many questions and an unease that won’t leave me, even in my waking moments. Sir Edmonds last entry is probably what is fueling my unease. He wrote: 

                                Beauty is deceptive,

                             The fragrance draws you in

                               Paradise is in your grasp

                              Until blossoms do you in.

What could it possibly mean? Is it just whimsical scribblings or is or a warning?

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The next day.,,

“What are you looking at Professor?” Darling asked as he walked up.

“Just the path, look how it vanishes into the mist ahead.”

“Is the mist unusual?”

“I haven’t heard of mist or fog on glaciers except near coastal regions, which obviously this isn’t. I read some where that Aconcaqua use to be a stratovolcano, sitting on the Nazca plate.  Its written that when the subduction angle decreased, the stresses between the oceanic plate and the continent lifted the mountain off its volcanic root. Sir Edmonds journal mentioned thermal pools. So there must be some volcanic activity here still.” Jeffery said.

 Soon they enter the mist; it was dense like fog, allowing only about 10ft. visibility. The remaining porters were visibly nervous, but Jeffery wouldn’t slow down. The path took them down under the layer of mist, to a sharp curve. As they rounded the corner Jeffery froze as light and warmth engulfed him.

Two large trees stood on each side of the path, like sentinels guarding their domain. The canopy of their leaves rose high in the air entwining and blotting out most of the light shining upon them. The source of the light was a mystery, but it reminded him of the sun trying to break through clouds on an overcast day. Jade vines hung from the branches, their turquoise claw shaped flowers draped like clusters of grapes waiting to be picked. Parrots beak wrapped around the trunks of the trees giving it the illusion of red flames dancing along the bark. 

“Amazing! How are these here? The Jade vine is only found in the Philippines and the Parrots beak is from the Canary Islands. and where is the illumination coming from?” Darling muttered as they passed the trees. Jeffery was too awestruck too speak. He saw flowers of every kind, from every continent. There were common varieties of roses, carnations, tulips and gladiolas. He also saw extremely rare flowers, like; Chocolate Cosmos, Ghost Orchids, Flame Lilies and Kadupul’s. 

Different scents invaded their noses, the farther into the garden they went: lavender, chamomile, rose, sage, jasmine, juniper berry, even vanilla and chocolate teased their senses.

“Let’s find a place to set up camp. Tomorrow, bright and early we’ll start collecting samples.” Jeffery excitedly told them.

Manses ordered the porters to set up near a thermal pool, Ghost orchids and the extremely rare Middlemist Reds blanketed the area. Darling walked around, examing and touching the flowers.

“You shouldn’t wander to far, until I check the area for any dangers.” 

“Really Manses? What could possibly be dangerous in this beautiful place?” Darling laughed and continued on his way.

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Darlings wanderings took him deep into the foliage, he came across a group of flowers with dark reddish brown petals, he knelt down and smelled the most appetizing aroma of chocolate. He realized they must be the Chocolate Cosmos. He wondered if they tasted as good as they smelled. He pulled a petal from the flower, at the same moment a cry sounded. He jerked upright, what was that? He stood still searching his surroundings, seeing nothing he began to relax. It was probably just a bird, he thought. Absently he put the petal in his mouth, the flavor of chocolate burst over his taste buds. 

“Ahh, so goo…” he couldn’t finish the thought, acid burned his tongue and traveled through his throat and down his trachea. He fell to his knees gasping for air as the acid burned through everything it encountered. The twin mummies watched his body spasmed then went still. Then the jungle enveloped his body.

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“Have you seen Darling?” Jeffery asked Manses.

“Not since we started setting up camp.”

“That was hours ago and it’s getting dark now. Maybe we should search for him.”

“Go if you want, I’m getting ready to retire. I told him not to leave camp. He chose to do it anyways.” Jeffery watched Manses walk away. He was sure Darling would show up soon, but unease clawed at his belly.

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Screams woke Jeffery, he wasn’t sure if it was him or someone else. He was shaken by the dream he’d been awaken from. The screams sounded again, sending him scrambling out of his tent. Manses ran to the screaming man, he was being devoured by a giant red polka dotted flower with bulbous petals. It was around 6 feet in diameter and it was eating one of the porters. Manses shot into the flower, but it was unfazed. It spit out the man from its stamen and started moving like a slug toward Manses. Jeffery tried to get his head around what he was seeing, the flower was a Rafflesia, it was a parasitic plant that lived off its host, it had no leaves, no root and no stem. They were indigenous to Indonesia. But they weren’t carnivorous and they weren’t mobile.

Out of ammo, Manses ran to the fire pit and grabbed a branch from the flames, then he stabbed it into the heart of the flower. Unearthly shrieks came from the flower, much to Jeffery’s horror. He stood still as a statue watching the burning plant; his brain was refusing to function. Out of the corner of his eye he saw another Rafflesia inching toward the camp.

Manses grabbed him and pulled him toward the path they had come in on. There were only five of them now, he didn’t know if the others had fled or been killed. It was like his nightmare. Jeffery ran behind Manses, he had no shoes and was only wearing a t-shirt and his undergarments.   They traveled for hours but couldn’t find the tunnel they had come in through. 

When they finally came to a clearing up against the wall of the glacier and Jeffery dropped to his knees. 

“We need to go back.” Manses told him.

“What about the flowers?”

“They are slow moving and we know fire kills them, we’ll be fine.”

“We don’t know if that’s the only dangerous flower here.”

“We have to take the chance or just curl up and die, because we won’t survive one minute on the glacier dressed as we are. Tomorrow we’ll head back.”

Jeffery noticed a fine mist covering the ground.  Suddenly his head started spinning. Manses fell to his knees and toppled over. That was the last thing Jeffery saw before he fell into a troubled sleep, and began dreaming of being devoured by flowers.

He was awakened by the twin girls.

“We warned you of the dangers; you have harmed the flowers, now you all will be punished”

“How did we harm anything, we’ve done nothing!”

“What one has done, all will pay.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“The twins came forward and touched his forehead.” He felt the rough texture of their mummified fingers as his minds eye opened to see Darling. He watched him rip a petal off the flower and put it in his mouth. Horrified, he saw Darling contorting in pain as he died a painful death and he saw the jungle dispose of him.

“We’ll leave. I’m sorry I didn’t know.”

“The flowers don’t want you’re sorry, they’ve come here to live in peace yet people still find them. You all must die."

"Please let us go we’ll never speak of this place.”

“No one leaves here.” They say as they step back and point to the foliage.

Jeffery stares at the porters and Manses. They are all trapped inside the middles of Corpse flowers, they are held tight against the center column, by tendrils of the flower. Each one is at least 9 ft. tall. As the large frilly petals slowly close around the men, Jeffery sees the terror on their faces, his ears burn listening to their dying screams, while the flowers slowly dissolve them.

Unable to comprehend what is happening Jeffery’s mind shuts out everything but the botanical knowledge he has and even as the flower closes in around him. His last conscience thought is; the books are right; these flowers do smell like rotting flesh.

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March 5, 2104

“Hey Julie, look at this old Journal. It says it was written by Jeffery Turnbuckle.

"Wasn’t he that famous Botanist that disappeared in 2007?"