Here's the second chapter, which, much like the first, is being crossposted on AO3 as well. Putting this out is rather a therapeutic exercise, since I currently have a bruised rib from falling on the ice near my house. All I can think about is how lucky I am that I fell forward rather than backward, and that I can still write. Count your blessings, people! And enjoy!
Current music: Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O'Connor
There's nothing quite like hearing the birds chirp to start the day. Only after so long living in the city can one become so numb to one's surroundings that they come to believe that urban life is the way one is meant to experience their existence on this planet.
On the contrary, there is another way. There's the slow and easy life, the knowledge that every morning, you'll hear the call of the songbird, the howl of the monkey, the cock-a-doodle-doo of the rooster…that's how we are supposed to live. So take your plastic, city life and toss it right out the window - it's not for me.
"Isn't this amazing?" Molly wondered aloud as she sipped some of her coffee. "I mean, honey, we're literally in the middle of the jungle."
I smiled. "It's pretty special, isn't it?"
Unlike my wife, I did not need any caffeine to start the day. Quite frankly, being in nature is better than a cup of coffee. It's the perfect antidote to the way modernity wears you down.
"The Costa Ricans know how to do it" Molly told me in between bites of her banana pancakes. "And yes, I know that not all of them live this way, but it's just heavenly. I'd retire here if I could."
I winked. "Who says we can't?"
My wife giggled a bit. "Okay, that's fair. But riddle me this, Garrett…".
"Yes?"
"How is it that they've achieved carbon neutrality here when we're still trying to build a high-speed rail system back in the States? I mean, the T is so abysmally awful back home - surely this would be so much better!"
"That's a question for President Fiddlesticks, not me," I replied with a smile. "Anyway, you'd better chow down. Those pancakes aren't going to eat themselves."
"Indeed they will not" Molly assented, taking yet another bite. (Yes, the resort had a limited menu owing to its location in the literal middle of nowhere, but far be it for me to complain.)
Of course, given that I typically ate almost like an animal, I had already polished off my plate. Breakfast had been more than enough to energize me for what was to come.
"You remember what we're doing today, right?" I asked my wife. "What excursion we signed up for?"
Molly narrowed her eyebrows. "Yes, of course I do. Did you really think I'd forget that crazy stunt so easily?"
"What stunt? Molly, it's perfectly safe! Why would they offer it here if it wasn't?"
"They might cover something up," my wife retorted. "Besides, it's not like I had any choice in the matter! Garrett, you blew so much on this trip -".
I did not respond; I didn't want this argument to escalate any further than it already had. Besides, I knew that Molly, a preschool teacher who spent her days in the classroom with twos and threes, hadn't stayed bitter for very long.
"Wasn't it more important to pay off our rent before the splurge?" Molly continued.
"Molly," I said, "we only have one honeymoon. In the long term, won't we want to remember it for something special? Besides, we're already here! Might as well make the most of it."
My wife sighed. "Fine. Let's go canyoning, just like we signed up for. Do they make you sign a waiver beforehand?"
"We already did the day we arrived."
"True" my wife responded with a shrug. "But you know that I'm not cut out for this. I am a preschool teacher, and my type doesn't tend to engage in extreme sports."
"Corralling dozens of toddlers at once sounds like an extreme sport to me, but okay."
With that, we lined up with a few other couples who had assembled at the pavilion. Pedro, our guide for this activity, stood in the middle of the circle we'd made, demonstrating the equipment we'd be using.
"This is your brake" he mentioned, pointing to a clamp attached to one of the straps. "If you squeeze it, it will slow you down as you descend down the cliff face. And I know it's counterintuitive - it's not how you'd think it would work, but leaning backward actually gives you more control over your descent. So keep that in mind."
Pedro and his assistants helped Molly and I into our harnesses and helmets, making sure everything was just as tight as it needed to be. Then…
"Okay, everything is good to go," the guide told us. "Follow me into the reserve."
The couples' resort was situated on several hundred acres of Costa Rican tropical rainforest. The trail consisted of a steep uphill gradient through thick orange mud - good thing we'd all been provided footwear similar to adult versions of those kids' rain boots.
Along the way up, we passed the resort's orchard. All of the produce consumed on the property was ostensibly farmed right there and sent right to our tables. Whether that was true or not, I'll leave for you to decide.
"Is that rope for us to hold?" an older woman enquired as we continued our trek into the reserve.
"I mean, you can," Pedro said, "but it's occasionally covered in bullet ants."
The elder gasped. "So you're saying that if I touch it -".
"- you might get stung by a bullet ant? Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. It pays to be careful when you're near that rope, because you never know when - zap - one of them will look for revenge."
"But will it kill me?"
"All you need to know is that there's a tribe in Brazil that has its boys wear gloves sewn with those ants for ten minutes at once. It's seen as building character - that's how boys become men in that culture. Now, Miss Judith, are you going to be brave?"
Miss Judith did not respond. Fortunately, she didn't have to, for we were soon at the top of the first waterfall.
"Get a view of the forest," Pedro began, "and marvel at Mother Nature's handiwork. I mean, it doesn't get much better than this, does it?"
From this vantage point, a wide expanse of greenery was abundantly visible. A few dark clouds lay on the horizon, but they were far enough away that we'd have plenty of advance warning if they decided to come for us. Besides, as Pedro had assured us, the downpours came often, but they were always fleeting.
"Anyway," our guide explained, "just get to the edge of the waterfall, lean back, and walk down calmly. That's all there is to canyoning. You'll be safely at the bottom before you know it."
"Promise?" Miss Judith enquired.
Pedro winked at the older lady. "I promise. You don't need to be scared when you're with us. Who wants to go first?"
"I volunteer as tribute" I said, raising my hand as high as it would go.
"Very well, Garrett!" Pedro exclaimed. "Allow me to hook you into the rope, and then just follow my directions!"
Molly gave me a look. I wouldn't describe it as a dirty look, since she didn't seem mad at me anymore. Rather, it was one of evident resignation.
"Garrett Gold," my wife began.
"Yes?" I asked as Pedro attached one of the clips to my harness.
"This is exactly what I envisioned when I married you. What I saw is what I got."
I felt myself blush. "Awww, don't make things all sappy like that. Please. There are people watching."
"Yeah, but I wanted to say that just in case…".
"Everything will be fine" I insisted. "We'll have fun. This is what I promised you when I booked this trip, is it not?"
Molly did not respond, so I submitted to the final safety check before making my way to the edge.
"Hold onto the rope, tightly," Pedro instructed me. "It's not going to snap. It could handle the weight of a grown elephant - you're a lightweight by comparison."
I snorted. "Thanks."
"Enjoy!"
With that, I leaned back as much as my nerve would allow me to and walked backwards over the edge. At first it was pretty unnerving, just trusting in the equipment's reliability and going in reverse down a waterfall, but once in the groove, I found it rather fun.
It wasn't long until I landed in a small pool of water. Since I was wearing tall, waterproof boots, my ankles did not feel wet, just pleasantly cool. Honestly, it's the type of sensation I think everyone should experience at least once, just to know what it's like.
"Okay, there's another descent behind you!" I heard Pedro call from high above me. "Second verse is the same as the first, okay?"
With a nod, I leaned back yet again and continued negotiating my way down the falls. The ground was twenty feet away, then ten feet, then -
Snap.
To this day, I'm not sure exactly why the rope broke; was there wear and tear that should have been a telltale sign that the line had to be replaced? For whatever reason, it simply decided that it no longer wanted to support my weight, and it collapsed.
I hardly had time to process my fall until I was lying flat on my back in a pool of water. Now that I was more fully immersed in it, I shivered.
Vaguely, from some distance above me, I could hear some shouts. Perhaps it was Pedro loudly swearing, insisting that he'd checked the rope's viability just yesterday and that it should be fully sound. Or maybe it was Molly, calling out to make sure I was all right.
Whatever the case might be, I was too stunned to respond at first as I tried to process what had just happened. Luckily, nothing seemed to be broken except for my pride.
Wait - what's that right there, behind the waterfall?
I staggered to my feet and blinked numerous times to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. Perhaps the shock of the impact was enough to make me hallucinate to no small degree. But seeing a full-on cave where it wasn't supposed to be…that could hardly be a simple figment of my imagination.
And so, holding my hand in front of me to feel my way, I waded through the spring and into the cave.
I recoiled at the sight, but not because it was ugly or horrifying. Rather, it was heart-stoppingly beautiful. The chocolate-colored walls were illuminated by a series of gemstones embedded within the rocks and dirt. Everything was covered in a fine layer of sand.
All in all, it was a lot drier than I would have expected, considering that it was quite literally behind a waterfall. (And yes, I'm ready to accept my accolades for that one.)
The atmosphere was calming and unnerving at once, serene and mysterious at the same time. I could have stayed there all day, just as I'd once stood wide-eyed in front of an audiokinetic sculpture as a child, not caring about anything or anyone else. I could remain transfixed on that thing forever, quite frankly.
But I couldn't. I had to go back to my group, to assure the other tourists (including my lovely wife) that I was safe. I could not stay here forever. In fact, I couldn't stay here very long at all.
As I prepared to exit the cave and rejoin the canyoning tour, however, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye.
It was insignificant. It had to be, because I just wanted to enjoy the rest of my trip. I wanted to forget that any of this had happened. It was a secret I'd take to my grave, if my lips didn't loosen during a make-out session with my aforementioned lovely wife.
And yet…that rock's shape was familiar, was it not?
Where have I seen that one before?
The brown rock was spherical, perhaps four or five inches in diameter, and contained a "belt" of course that linked to what looked like a "button." Were I half my current age, I might have compared it to a belly button, which would have made my adult self cringe. But it did not matter.
All that mattered was that I suddenly had an irresistible urge to seize that stone and chuck it against the wall of the cave.