06-24-2020, 10:54 PM
(This post was last modified: 06-24-2020, 11:08 PM by Jay Carpenter.)
The jungle was about how he remembered it.
There were nuances, of course. More of those spike-death trees erupted in South America compared to here. The tone of wildlife echoed different pitches: more howler monkey in central America; more bird-like in Mexico. The canopy filtered patches of light, but it also cut any wind. After only a minute or two, Jay was drenched with sweat. Usually he didn’t mind the shirt-sticking manly stickiness when a pretty girl was around, but he would have preferred a more athletic cut of cloth than the cheap cotton glued to his skin.
They had to cut through the undergrowth to make it alongside the dirt path. Twin lines made for tracks, but vines and various other ruts from rainwater said the path hadn’t been cleared in a while. That meant the house wasn’t an active safe house for Amengual in some time, and all the safety precautions had yet to be finished. Hopefully that played to their advantage. Regardless, he would not assume the path want unwatched. It only took one active camera to blow the element of surprise. Best to stay off path at least a little. But it made for some extra work on his part. Couldn’t have a lady getting snagged on vines and bit by scuttling nasties on the way up the hill.
He made use of the power to cut through what his hands couldn’t shove aside. Branches carefully hewn were laid aside quietly. Enormous leaves bigger than their heads could have been shields for how thick and heavy they drooped. Those too were cut down. At one point, he plucked a fuzzy tarantula from his arm and waggled it at Natalie before dropping it into a nearby bush. The entire bush shivered with the heavy movement within, and Jay grinned for the tease. He wasn’t worried about her though. Natalie was tough for an English princess. Africa wasn’t exactly a luxury cruise, but it was different to be in the wild like this.
He pointed upward, “keep an eye above you. Snakes tend to fall once in a while. There will be pythons here, but it’s the little ones that are more worrisome. Shit, there’s even caterpillars that secrete a mucus that will burn your skin like acid if it falls on you. Happened to me in Colombia once. This fat bastard drops from the sky and lands right in front of my feet. Don’t pick them up without gloves. Not even to see someone squirm.”
He stopped to rest for a second. Mostly for Natalie’s sake, because he was clearly in good enough shape to manage the climb without water or proper kit, you know, without a break. A swipe of the hand brushed the sweat from his eyes, scrubbed back through his hair. A waterfall would have been handy about then. Or even a canteen.
He started to lean against a tree only to realize it was swarming with ants and thought better of it. Another gesture showed their path. “Their bite will make you wish for something as gentle as bee stings,” he said, swiping at his shoulders just in case. Turning, he showed Natalie his back, “brush those off would you?” he asked, able to feel a couple of crawling legs but unable to reach the fuckers.
Once cleared, he put his hands on his hips and looked around. The tree in question looked dead, or dying at least. It was probably great fodder for the ants, which was why they were swarming it. A glance at the road and an idea came to him. He motioned for Natalie to stand back. Far back. Ants fell out of trees as bad as snakes, spiders and caterpillars.
The power flared and flamed. Tendrils reached to the tree, wrapping it with ropes stronger than chain that glowed to his eye. Jay groaned not unlike when lifting a heavy weight, then snaps popped on the air. The wood creaked and the earth buckled underfoot. The tree then lifted from its seat, roots mangled and twisted, splaying unnaturally. Gentle. Careful. He wanted to throw it, or drop it, but instead, with a shower of specks of things he didn’t have the ability to really notice at the time, the power laid the tree across the nearby dirt tracks. It rolled into position. Came to a halt. Big enough to block any vehicle from traversing.
Jay exhaled deeply, then dropped the power to rest.
Then the first bite pinched his neck. And his cheek. And his arm. And hands. He smashed, slapped, swiped. Curses strung like pearls. He tugged his shirt off frantically, and red specks crawled over his face.
Heart beating hard, the pinches dug deep, awakening memories better off dormant. “Get them off!” he urged. Seriously considering torching his own skin with power-wrought flame throwers if it helped.
This was why you wear kits in the jungle.
There were nuances, of course. More of those spike-death trees erupted in South America compared to here. The tone of wildlife echoed different pitches: more howler monkey in central America; more bird-like in Mexico. The canopy filtered patches of light, but it also cut any wind. After only a minute or two, Jay was drenched with sweat. Usually he didn’t mind the shirt-sticking manly stickiness when a pretty girl was around, but he would have preferred a more athletic cut of cloth than the cheap cotton glued to his skin.
They had to cut through the undergrowth to make it alongside the dirt path. Twin lines made for tracks, but vines and various other ruts from rainwater said the path hadn’t been cleared in a while. That meant the house wasn’t an active safe house for Amengual in some time, and all the safety precautions had yet to be finished. Hopefully that played to their advantage. Regardless, he would not assume the path want unwatched. It only took one active camera to blow the element of surprise. Best to stay off path at least a little. But it made for some extra work on his part. Couldn’t have a lady getting snagged on vines and bit by scuttling nasties on the way up the hill.
He made use of the power to cut through what his hands couldn’t shove aside. Branches carefully hewn were laid aside quietly. Enormous leaves bigger than their heads could have been shields for how thick and heavy they drooped. Those too were cut down. At one point, he plucked a fuzzy tarantula from his arm and waggled it at Natalie before dropping it into a nearby bush. The entire bush shivered with the heavy movement within, and Jay grinned for the tease. He wasn’t worried about her though. Natalie was tough for an English princess. Africa wasn’t exactly a luxury cruise, but it was different to be in the wild like this.
He pointed upward, “keep an eye above you. Snakes tend to fall once in a while. There will be pythons here, but it’s the little ones that are more worrisome. Shit, there’s even caterpillars that secrete a mucus that will burn your skin like acid if it falls on you. Happened to me in Colombia once. This fat bastard drops from the sky and lands right in front of my feet. Don’t pick them up without gloves. Not even to see someone squirm.”
He stopped to rest for a second. Mostly for Natalie’s sake, because he was clearly in good enough shape to manage the climb without water or proper kit, you know, without a break. A swipe of the hand brushed the sweat from his eyes, scrubbed back through his hair. A waterfall would have been handy about then. Or even a canteen.
He started to lean against a tree only to realize it was swarming with ants and thought better of it. Another gesture showed their path. “Their bite will make you wish for something as gentle as bee stings,” he said, swiping at his shoulders just in case. Turning, he showed Natalie his back, “brush those off would you?” he asked, able to feel a couple of crawling legs but unable to reach the fuckers.
Once cleared, he put his hands on his hips and looked around. The tree in question looked dead, or dying at least. It was probably great fodder for the ants, which was why they were swarming it. A glance at the road and an idea came to him. He motioned for Natalie to stand back. Far back. Ants fell out of trees as bad as snakes, spiders and caterpillars.
The power flared and flamed. Tendrils reached to the tree, wrapping it with ropes stronger than chain that glowed to his eye. Jay groaned not unlike when lifting a heavy weight, then snaps popped on the air. The wood creaked and the earth buckled underfoot. The tree then lifted from its seat, roots mangled and twisted, splaying unnaturally. Gentle. Careful. He wanted to throw it, or drop it, but instead, with a shower of specks of things he didn’t have the ability to really notice at the time, the power laid the tree across the nearby dirt tracks. It rolled into position. Came to a halt. Big enough to block any vehicle from traversing.
Jay exhaled deeply, then dropped the power to rest.
Then the first bite pinched his neck. And his cheek. And his arm. And hands. He smashed, slapped, swiped. Curses strung like pearls. He tugged his shirt off frantically, and red specks crawled over his face.
Heart beating hard, the pinches dug deep, awakening memories better off dormant. “Get them off!” he urged. Seriously considering torching his own skin with power-wrought flame throwers if it helped.
This was why you wear kits in the jungle.
Only darkness shows you the light.