Dated 10/30 - Partly cloudy & exceptionally cold, dusk.
Halloween RE: Nathaniel, you scavenge a carcass only to find that it's overgrown with maggots... and what's that thing crawling out of its chest?
Nathaniel had not managed his time well, a fact that was by now painfully clear as the sun had disappeared amidst the thick forest canopy, casting the gloom of dusk over the land. Orange light remained, filtering through best it could but it could not be argued that night would be upon him soon and still he had a mountain to climb to return back home. It was considered that perhaps he should save such a feat for the morning, that his energy would be best spent seeking shelter, yet the thought of bedding down in strange territory so thoroughly separated from his pack made the man feel incredibly uneasy.
As he neared the falls, the air began to grow heavy with moisture, eroding away the scents within the air. Perhaps this was why he could not smell the putrefaction within the carcass as he discovered it, tangled within the brambles of brush that rest beside the plunge pool created by the falls' erosive force. Hunger panged dully within his stomach, and he paused his determined return to partake in the free meal. Yet as he approached the marmot's corpse, it began to writhe, and Nathaniel jerked his skull back away from it, a sneer of disgust spreading over his features.
Just perfect, it was inedible. He was close enough now to see the tears within its hide, and what little light was left within the air glinted off the pale maggots as they devoured the putrid flesh. It occurred to him to wonder just how many of the minute beasts had infested the body, laying it to rest with only the crashing of the falls to serve as an epicedium, for it was difficult to believe that such tiny creatures could make the entire carcass tremble so. Perhaps he had imagined it, his mind magnifying the motion as it had raised such abrupt red flags, his teeth so close to taking a bite. With a chuff, he turned his back to it, green eyes scaling the mountainside apprehensively as he was made to face the prospect of climbing without a meal.