It was some kind of a ritual of an old tribe named Ee-na-Lea-Kiripanu which was located deep in the heart of Australia to go on a hunt for koala bears. Not only for their flesh to get meat or their fur for clothes but also for the myth-enshrounded Koala Beer. The term Koala Beer has been introduced way later actually. Originally the translated version of its name is "The Red Essence of Life".
At first the head of the koala was ripped or torn off. A priest of the aboriginal tribe used some sort of ritual blade for this procedure. The blood coming out of the carotid artery was filled into jars or other repositories.
At the following full-moon on this event the ritual was executed.
The whole tribe assembled near an old tree which was standing there for more than 3000 years. On its tree bark there was a symbol carved into.This symbol also got painted on the ground as a part of the ceremony with the blood of a young woman which sacrificed herself. It was an honor to die like this in the Ee-na-Lea-Kiripanu tribe.
At last the whole tribe got to drink exactly two sips of the koala blood.
They believed it would give them powers and the ability to communicate with the dead which was one of the highest goal as a member of the Ee-na-Lea-Kiripanu to be a beacon to the spirit realm.
If someone has ever managed to become one is not known but stone carvings deep into the caves of the center of the Simpson Desert showed drawings and texts in an unknown language which we never got to understand because the whole tribe became extinct as a result of the smallpox epidemic of 1789.
In the summer of 1978 a group of teenage hikers heard of this legend and wanted to try the "Koala Beer" out for themselvs as they heard it should have some kind of intoxicating effect such as various drugs. To hunt the animals down they also put some firearms into their luggage followed by knives and beer.A dubious guide led them to the area where they could hunt for fresh koalas which could deliver the best blood for their trip. What they did not know were the requirements on how to harvest Koala Beer without going through the gruesome aftermath which shall follow if the instructions are not attended to.
When the guide was aboriginal himself and abandoned the group which consisted of four young people named Daniel, George, Katherine and Richard when they arrived at a huge rock. They were all between 17 and 19 years old and were looking for that trip in their summer vacations.
"So what are we going to do now?", said Katherine when they were just standing there not knowing how to continue since they were without a guide now.
- "I have no clue at all. How about we set up our camp? It is getting dark and I could use a beer now", replied Richard while he began to unpack a sleeping bag.
"Sounds like a plan", said Daniel. He started to gather wood and sticks to make a campfire.
So they continued to build up their camp and it started to get dark even if it was about four or five o'clock.
Ten minutes later the tents were standing and the campfire has been ignited.
"Ah what a peaceful evening, right?", asked Richard as he already finished two bottles of beer and attempted to open up the third one.
- "When should we get some of this... Koala Beer?", asked Daniel while he loaded the guns for the upcoming hunt.
"Good idea. It's what we all came for right?", stated George who was already holding is rifle locked and loaded ready to move on.
- "Well then what are we waiting for", cheered Katherine getting up from the ground playing around with the flashlights to check if they were working correctly.
So they all got up and headed into the deeper into the unknown desert to find the koalas they were looking for. But what they did not know was that this should have been the worst decision in their entire life...
It was pitch-black when they arrived at the place were they should be able to find them. It was some kind of forest but the trees have no leafs at all and were all dead.
"Strange isn't it? I always imagined that koalas were eating from rich green trees and eucalyptus", said Daniel when they were moving through the forest slowly looking for prey and swining around the flashlights hoping to reveal some of those fluffy animals. But with no success. At first!
After about half an hour and three or four beer the mood was getting cheery and the students were getting tipsy - except Daniel who never drank.
George was spotting the first koala. It was sitting on a tree branch just sitting there staring at the kids.
"There! Up there! There is one of them. Give me the rifle", he said. Daniel handed it over and George cocked it.
A loud bang rang out as the load of pellets hit the koala and it fell on the ground.
"Good shot!", shouted Katherine as she ran towards the body of the koala. Its whole stomach was blown up and guts were hanging out. It was a disgusting view but Katherine was way too lit to care and she took out a machete and wanted to cut off the head in ordered to get the blood.
- "Wait a second, girl!", slured Richard, "be careful or you might waste too much of the precious blood".
"I'll keep an eye on it, man", she replied and cutted into the animals throat. Blood was gushing out and Katherine backed away in disgust. Richard though already reached out for a bottle to fill with the blood.
In less than a few seconds it was full and he proudly presented it to the group.
They were all a bit surprised that they have actually done it. Now there was no way back.
"Who wants to go first?" asked Katherine.
- "Ladies first, eh?" answered Richard who was handing the bottle over.
"Yeah, let's go!" shouted George who started to yell.
Daniel felt insecure and he regreted the decision to come with the trio the moment they got off that Jeep which was leading them here. He puked into the bushes while Katherine started to take the first slug.
"Hey.. This isn't that bad actually", she stated as she was giving the smudgy bottle to Richard who wanted to be the next to taste the Koala Beer. He also took a sip and was surprised: "Wow, this tastes sick!".
Afterwards George tasted it too and they also wanted Daniel to drink a bit of the Koala Beer. He refused persistently but the group hustled the shy teenager to do it. So he put the bottleneck at his mouth pretending to drink. His friends wouldn't find out anyway - they are too drunk for it.
"What the...", he acted shocked and disgusted.
"Now there is no way back, haha", laughed Richard as he flicked his rifle over his shoulder wanting to continue the hunt.
- "Leeeeet's do it then!", yelled Katherine and they were running deeper and deeper into the woods leaving Daniel behind.
He just continued acting like he was punking until they were gone. After a while he wanted to follow them and as he came by the body of the koala a deep shock spreaded in his whole body.
It was still staring at him with an empty look. An eerie feeling broaded itself as he realized that something awful is going to happen.
He was running towards the trio and when he was able to take a last look at the koala it was looking straight towards him. Daniel was running like a little child which has turned off the lights in the kitchen at night and was now heading to his room with his back facing towards the dark, the monsters and all the horrors he could imagine.
In the distance he saw the light cones of the flash lights from his friends and he just sprinted and sprinted until he could see their backpacks on their backs.
"Damn... I am so... glad... you are still here", he moaned from exhaustion.
There was no reply so Daniel went closer to them: "Ehm... Guys?". Now he touched the one seeming to be Richard on the shoulder but he only fell over... Dead.
His whole face was torn off and an axe was stuck in his chest and his whole body was bloodshot while he was still shaking.
Daniel screamed out and ran into Katherine who has been killed too. Her whole body was full with bullet holes and dozens of bullet shells and empty magazines were lying next to her. There haven't been any gunshots at all. What happened?!
At last he went to take a look at George already lying on the ground coughing blood with an open stomach and a slashed throat. His whole upper body was covered in blood and the blood flow wouldn't stop.
"What happened! George stay with me!", Daniel yelled as he tried to think about what to do.
George just stared into the woods raising his right arm pointing at something in there...
Daniel turned around and he saw dozens of koalas sitting in the trees with a red glare in their eyes.
He just stood up and started running, trying to get the hell out of the damn woods.
On his way he was dashing trough bushes and leaves and branches not caring at all but he could see dead bodies hanging from the trees and the sky was getting completely bright as he continued running for his life before he ran into a bright white light.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!", Daniel screamed.
"Is he alright?", a voice sounded with a terrible echo hurting in Daniel's eyes.
- "I think he has a flashback again, Doctor."
"You mean about these... Koalas?", another person replied.
- "We need to get him into another therapy session again as it seems. Prepare to transfer him into cell block 2-3", the doctor repeated two times.
Daniels vision was completely blurry and he was trying reached for his head in order to hold his ears because every sound hurted them. His hair was cut off and he was sitting in a wheelchair. He had no idea what was going on he just started to cry: "I want to go home! Where is my mother?!"
"Mom? Moooom?!" he kept shouting for minutes before a man in white came and gave him a shot of a tranquilizer.
He slowly began to fall asleep and right before he closed his eyes he could recognize the guide which lead them into the desert as well as a koala sitting on his shoulder looking at him with a twisted head which continued spinning like the head of an owl.