Jungle Land by Eric Walters

Author:Eric Walters
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459811515
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2016-08-01T04:00:00+00:00

NINE

Time blurred with the darkness and the danger. I pulled out my phone to check the time again, but the battery was dead. Using the flashlight app had drained it completely. It would have been nice to know. It would have been nicer to have made a phone call to Grandpa or the police or even my mother, but even with a charge, that couldn’t have happened. When I’d last checked, there hadn’t been any cell reception. I didn’t expect that would change.

The path was clearly marked, and we were making good progress. Almost always the path was narrow, the jungle pressing in on both sides. It was worst when the trees overhung the path. They blocked out the moonlight and fueled my imagination. Every overhang could be where the jaguar was sitting, waiting to drop down on us.

A continual chorus of noise rose from the jungle. Bugs and frogs sang and called out. There were louder noises too. Birds and monkeys yelled and moved through the trees—at least, I hoped it was birds and monkeys.

Alejandra stopped, and I bumped into her. Even in the darkness I could see she looked annoyed.

“Sorry.”

“We are far enough now.”

“Far enough for you to teach me to use the gun?”

I’d been thinking a lot about how much better I would feel if I was holding the gun instead of it being buried in my pack.

“Far enough for this.”

She turned on her flashlight, and the space around us became bright. I pulled mine out of my pocket and turned it on, doubling the light. I let the beam play in a circle around us. There was nothing on the path behind us—not jaguars or people. Ahead, the path disappeared around a curve. On both sides the jungle pressed in, blocking the light from going any more than a few meters.

“I have been thinking about the gun you carry,” she said.

“So have I. Can you teach me to use it now?” I started to take off my pack.

“No, I am thinking it is not a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“You said you have never even held a gun before. Giving you a loaded gun could cause mucho bad things to happen.”

“Even worse than me being eaten by a jaguar?” I asked.

“Oh yes. You could shoot yourself, or even worse again, you could shoot me.”

“I wouldn’t do that!”

“Not on purpose, but accidents happen. You are tired and scared and it is dark. Does that sound like a good time to be taught to use a gun?”

I had to admit that she was right.

“How about if we wait until the morning?” I suggested. “At least it won’t be dark.”

“Perhaps when we are in the boat I can show you.”

“When we’re in the boat, won’t it be too late?”

“Not really. Jaguars also swim,” she said.

“Great.”

“But do not worry. That is rare.”

At least that was a bit reassuring.

“Usually they do not swim where there are caimans. Jaguars are rare. Caimans are common. We will see many of them as we move downriver.”

“In that case, I think I do want that lesson.

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