CHAPTER 6:
INTO THE JUNGLE
The adventurers headed into the jungle. It was pretty much like any other jungle. It was dark, humid, and moist, not to mention thick. It would have taken an entire day for them to travel ten feet if Justin didn't have his sword with him to hack through the underbrush. However, this jungle was quite different. There were new plants and sounds surrounding them that even amazed Rapp.
"So, Sue," Justin began. "This is your first time in a jungle. You like it?"
"I would like it a whole lot better if the entire mosquito population weren't after me. Can't you get malaria from these things?"
"That's why Rapp brought some paccu fruit with him. Rubbing the juices on your skin will keep the mosquitoes away."
"Yeah, but now I'm all sticky! Kitty litter makes good mosquito repellant."
"Where did you hear that?!"
"From Aunt Lilly. And guess what? It actually works!"
They continued on and on. The journey through the jungle was most unpleasant. They had already stepped into quicksand four times. Fortunately, Feena had her whip, and could use it to latch on to something to pull them out.
The jungle had several other nasty surprises in store for them. The quicksand was only a minor setback compared to other things.
"Remember, we don't know a thing about this jungle," Feena reminded them. "I strongly advise you not to touch anything."
"What a pretty flower!" Sue exclaimed, running up to a red, three-foot-wide flower on the ground. She bent down to sniff it.
"Uh, Sue," Feena began. "I wouldn't do that if I were you! That's a...." Sue sniffed deeply into the blossom. "...rafflesia."
Sue recoiled in disgust. "Ugh! I-it smells like rotten meat!"
"I know," Feena replied, smiling slightly. "It smells that way to attract flies."
Sue coughed. "Blah! Why didn't you warn me?!"
They continued on through the jungle. After Sue's too close encounter with nature, they finally decided that Feena was right. They should leave everything alone. Justin didn't want to think what would have happened if the flower Sue smelled was toxic.
However, the mosquitoes, quicksand, and foul smelling flower were only small inconveniences compared to what happened next.
"Hey, Feena," Justin began. "Maybe we should find some cover. It's starting to rain. Well, of course it is. We're in a rain forest."
"I am getting kind of drenched," Feena announced. "Everybody, look for some cover...YYYYYAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"
The ground had suddenly given way under them, and they plummeted down into darkness. Fortunately, they landed on soft ground.
Justin sat up, and shook his head. He couldn't see a thing in the darkness. The ground felt extremely wet. "Is everyone all right?"
"I think so," Feena answered. "Hang on a sec." She pictured the image of fire in her mind, and magically produced a flame in her hand, which she used as a light source.
Justin could now see the room they were in. They had fallen into a cave just below the surface. The floor, ceiling, and walls were very damp, and covered with thick, soft moss, which was what cushioned their fall.
"J-Justin!" he heard Sue scream.
Justin turned to her. "Sue, what is it?"
She was looking all around, her face white with fear. "L-look!!" She pointed all around the cave.
They looked around. Then, they knew what Sue was so afraid of. All around them, sticking out of the floor, walls, and ceiling, were enormous Venus flytraps. However, these were obviously not meant to catch flies. Each of the traps was almost five-feet in diameter!
"Man, I liked Virgin Forest much better than this place!" Rapp said.
Feena looked down at Rapp, and noticed that he had landed right into one of the traps, but fortunately, it hadn't closed...yet. "Rapp!! Don't move!!"
"Why not?"
"Rapp, I don't mean to scare you, but you're lying in an open flytrap."
Rapps eyes opened so wide, Justin thought he could see inside him.
"Wh-what do I do?!" Rapp stammered.
"A venus flytrap responds to movement. For now, just keep perfectly still. And, whatever you do, don't touch the trigger hairs in the trap!" Feena thought for a minute. "The only thing I can think of is quickly pulling him out faster than the trap can close."
"And what if you're not fast enough? Just lay it on me! What'll happen?!"
"Well, the trap will close over you. You won't be able to move at all. The trap will stay locked until you starve. Then, digestive juices will be released into the trap, liquefying your body. Your fluids will be absorbed through the trap and down the stem. Finally, the trap will open, and your dehydrated body will be blown away by wind or rain. That's pretty much it."
"Feena, your scaring him," Justin said.
"Get me out! I don't care how, just get me out!!"
"Okay, calm down," Feena coaxed him. "Just, slowly give me your hand."
Rapp did as she said.
"Now, when I say 'three', you kick out of the trap as hard as you can, okay?"
"Okay."
"One...two...three!!!"
Feena pulled him, and Rapp kicked himself outward. Unfortunately, they weren't fast enough, and the trap snapped shut, trapping Rapp and Feena's arms inside. It didn't seem like it hurt. The trap's teeth were actually quite soft. But Feena was right. They couldn't move.
"Wmll, whmt mrm wm gmnnm dm, nmw?" Rapp's muffled voice said from inside the trap.
"I'm working on it, Rapp! I'm working on it!" Feena replied testily.
"Why not do this the old fashioned way?" Justin suggested. He walked up to the trap, pulled out his sword, and sliced through the stalk just below the trap. Then, with Sue's help, he pulled the trap open, freeing Rapp and Feena.
Rapp gasped for air. "Whoo! That was close!"
"Hey, guys!" Sue exclaimed. "I think I've found a way out of here!" She pointed to the back of the cave.
Light was pouring through a small hole in the wall. The hole was just large enough for them to crawl through one at a time.
The adventurers crawled through the hole, and were greeted by the sunset. Right in front of them was a slow moving river, complete with a waterfall.
"This looks like a good place to spend the night," Feena announced.
So, they set up their tent, and concluded their first day on 'Justinia'.
TO BE CONTINUED
INTO THE JUNGLE
The adventurers headed into the jungle. It was pretty much like any other jungle. It was dark, humid, and moist, not to mention thick. It would have taken an entire day for them to travel ten feet if Justin didn't have his sword with him to hack through the underbrush. However, this jungle was quite different. There were new plants and sounds surrounding them that even amazed Rapp.
"So, Sue," Justin began. "This is your first time in a jungle. You like it?"
"I would like it a whole lot better if the entire mosquito population weren't after me. Can't you get malaria from these things?"
"That's why Rapp brought some paccu fruit with him. Rubbing the juices on your skin will keep the mosquitoes away."
"Yeah, but now I'm all sticky! Kitty litter makes good mosquito repellant."
"Where did you hear that?!"
"From Aunt Lilly. And guess what? It actually works!"
They continued on and on. The journey through the jungle was most unpleasant. They had already stepped into quicksand four times. Fortunately, Feena had her whip, and could use it to latch on to something to pull them out.
The jungle had several other nasty surprises in store for them. The quicksand was only a minor setback compared to other things.
"Remember, we don't know a thing about this jungle," Feena reminded them. "I strongly advise you not to touch anything."
"What a pretty flower!" Sue exclaimed, running up to a red, three-foot-wide flower on the ground. She bent down to sniff it.
"Uh, Sue," Feena began. "I wouldn't do that if I were you! That's a...." Sue sniffed deeply into the blossom. "...rafflesia."
Sue recoiled in disgust. "Ugh! I-it smells like rotten meat!"
"I know," Feena replied, smiling slightly. "It smells that way to attract flies."
Sue coughed. "Blah! Why didn't you warn me?!"
They continued on through the jungle. After Sue's too close encounter with nature, they finally decided that Feena was right. They should leave everything alone. Justin didn't want to think what would have happened if the flower Sue smelled was toxic.
However, the mosquitoes, quicksand, and foul smelling flower were only small inconveniences compared to what happened next.
"Hey, Feena," Justin began. "Maybe we should find some cover. It's starting to rain. Well, of course it is. We're in a rain forest."
"I am getting kind of drenched," Feena announced. "Everybody, look for some cover...YYYYYAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"
The ground had suddenly given way under them, and they plummeted down into darkness. Fortunately, they landed on soft ground.
Justin sat up, and shook his head. He couldn't see a thing in the darkness. The ground felt extremely wet. "Is everyone all right?"
"I think so," Feena answered. "Hang on a sec." She pictured the image of fire in her mind, and magically produced a flame in her hand, which she used as a light source.
Justin could now see the room they were in. They had fallen into a cave just below the surface. The floor, ceiling, and walls were very damp, and covered with thick, soft moss, which was what cushioned their fall.
"J-Justin!" he heard Sue scream.
Justin turned to her. "Sue, what is it?"
She was looking all around, her face white with fear. "L-look!!" She pointed all around the cave.
They looked around. Then, they knew what Sue was so afraid of. All around them, sticking out of the floor, walls, and ceiling, were enormous Venus flytraps. However, these were obviously not meant to catch flies. Each of the traps was almost five-feet in diameter!
"Man, I liked Virgin Forest much better than this place!" Rapp said.
Feena looked down at Rapp, and noticed that he had landed right into one of the traps, but fortunately, it hadn't closed...yet. "Rapp!! Don't move!!"
"Why not?"
"Rapp, I don't mean to scare you, but you're lying in an open flytrap."
Rapps eyes opened so wide, Justin thought he could see inside him.
"Wh-what do I do?!" Rapp stammered.
"A venus flytrap responds to movement. For now, just keep perfectly still. And, whatever you do, don't touch the trigger hairs in the trap!" Feena thought for a minute. "The only thing I can think of is quickly pulling him out faster than the trap can close."
"And what if you're not fast enough? Just lay it on me! What'll happen?!"
"Well, the trap will close over you. You won't be able to move at all. The trap will stay locked until you starve. Then, digestive juices will be released into the trap, liquefying your body. Your fluids will be absorbed through the trap and down the stem. Finally, the trap will open, and your dehydrated body will be blown away by wind or rain. That's pretty much it."
"Feena, your scaring him," Justin said.
"Get me out! I don't care how, just get me out!!"
"Okay, calm down," Feena coaxed him. "Just, slowly give me your hand."
Rapp did as she said.
"Now, when I say 'three', you kick out of the trap as hard as you can, okay?"
"Okay."
"One...two...three!!!"
Feena pulled him, and Rapp kicked himself outward. Unfortunately, they weren't fast enough, and the trap snapped shut, trapping Rapp and Feena's arms inside. It didn't seem like it hurt. The trap's teeth were actually quite soft. But Feena was right. They couldn't move.
"Wmll, whmt mrm wm gmnnm dm, nmw?" Rapp's muffled voice said from inside the trap.
"I'm working on it, Rapp! I'm working on it!" Feena replied testily.
"Why not do this the old fashioned way?" Justin suggested. He walked up to the trap, pulled out his sword, and sliced through the stalk just below the trap. Then, with Sue's help, he pulled the trap open, freeing Rapp and Feena.
Rapp gasped for air. "Whoo! That was close!"
"Hey, guys!" Sue exclaimed. "I think I've found a way out of here!" She pointed to the back of the cave.
Light was pouring through a small hole in the wall. The hole was just large enough for them to crawl through one at a time.
The adventurers crawled through the hole, and were greeted by the sunset. Right in front of them was a slow moving river, complete with a waterfall.
"This looks like a good place to spend the night," Feena announced.
So, they set up their tent, and concluded their first day on 'Justinia'.
TO BE CONTINUED
