These two brothers were experienced fishers and thought they could fish quietly. They hadn’t spoken to each other in a while and thought their love for fishing was the perfect opportunity to bring them together and reconnect. What they didn’t know was that their fishing trip would soon turn into a nightmare. The brothers didn’t realize that they weren’t alone; something was spying on them from within the tall grass beside them.
The brothers were licensed and experienced fishermen, which allowed them to fish in such a beautiful nature reserve. The morning was calm and peaceful, with the occasional birdsong in the distance. As the hours passed, the brothers caught zero fish, but they didn’t care much about it. They were just happy to be in each other’s company. Derrick was almost ready for retirement and shared his struggles, while Justin told his brother about how he sprained his ankle. The day was perfect, and they had the time of their lives. But that would soon change.
Not too far from them in the tall grass, something was watching them, its eyes fixed on the brothers, observing every move and waiting for the right moment to strike. They continued to fish and chat, unaware of the predator watching their every move.
The sky darkened as the afternoon wore on, and the wind picked up. The brothers decided to stay for 30 more minutes, and after that, they would pack up their gear and head back to the car. The brothers sat silently and enjoyed the last few moments of the day together. It had been very quiet and peaceful until then, but suddenly the tall grass around them began to rustle violently.
Derrick turned around and looked at what could have caused the movement. “Probably the wind,” he said, shrugging. But in fact, there was no wind. Meanwhile, the predator positioned itself perfectly to strike when the time came. It waited patiently. Then that time came, as fate would have it, when a stranger nearby saw the danger lurking near the brothers.
He was a bird watcher who had followed a trail of rare ivory-billed woodpeckers to this exact location. This man was well-equipped for these surroundings and held the tool that made the discovery in his hands. The camera had followed the bird’s trajectory perfectly and accidentally crossed paths with the brothers and the danger nearby.
The bird watcher noticed the two brothers fishing and was immediately taken in by the beauty of the scene. The sun was setting, casting a nice glow to the sky while the men sat closely together. This was too beautiful to ignore, so he paused from bird watching and decided to take a picture of the situation, not knowing this decision would possibly save the lives of the fishermen.
A smile appeared on the photographer’s face as he clicked the button and got ready to check the result. But then the hairs on his neck stood up, and his skin went from soft pink to pale white. His camera had captured something that he hadn’t seen himself.
He had to do something.
The bird watcher dropped everything, including his camera, and rushed down the hill toward the two fishermen. He tried to get the brothers’ attention. Both Justin and Derrick stood up and turned toward the running man. The brothers couldn’t make out what he was saying, and his frantic gestures didn’t make any sense. When the brothers unexpectedly moved, the rustling sound from the tall grass momentarily stopped. But once the predator knew it was still undiscovered, it continued with its hunt.
Confusion filled the air as their attention focused on the figure running down the hill. Their backs were turned toward the tall grass — another mistake.
Then the screams of the man started to make sense.
“What is that?” Derrick asked, trying to focus.
“Run! Watch out behind you!” the man screamed, and the fear on his face indicated something terrible was behind the brothers. They froze on the spot, paralyzed with fear. The rustling of the tall grass behind them grew louder. The screams of the man faded away, and a new sound arose — a low hissing sound followed by a big splash.
“Get away now!” the man screamed again.
The strange combination of hissing and splashing finally made the brothers turn around. A massive creature surfaced from the water — a gigantic alligator, over 12 feet long, its mouth wide open, revealing sharp teeth. Its eyes were fixed on the two brothers as it charged straight at them. Justin and Derrick froze for a second, but then instinct took over. They turned around and saw the man already running back up the hill. They followed.
The other man soon disappeared from view while the brothers ran as fast as they could. They could hear the alligator’s heavy breathing and claws digging into the ground as it chased them. They knew they had to find a way to outsmart it, or they would become its next meal.
As they reached the top of the hill and ran into the forest, the alligator’s snapping jaws followed behind. The brothers looked up at a tree ahead and saw the man from earlier. It seemed like an impossible feat, but with no better option, the brothers decided to follow his lead.
After what felt like an eternity, they waited for help to arrive. The men finally had a moment to catch their breath and reflect on the day’s events.
Suddenly, everything made sense. The lack of fish, the rustling in the tall grass — all of it explained by the presence of the alligator.
“Why did it attack us?” Justin asked. “An alligator doesn’t usually attack humans unless provoked.”
The brothers peered down at the alligator, which was now slowly crouching around. Then Justin noticed something strange.
“Look at its leg!” he exclaimed. The alligator was wounded. A metallic strap was around its hind leg and tail. That explained its aggression.
As the brothers and the bird watcher discussed this unusual situation, the bird watcher thought about his camera. He remembered it had captured something during the chase. He quickly rummaged through his bag and retrieved it. The screen lit up in the dark, revealing a surprising expression on the man’s face.
“It captured a video,” he said.
They watched closely. In the footage, they saw a small shiny object fall off the alligator, glinting in the fading sunlight before disappearing into the tall grass.
