Feet slipped on the muddy incline. Rain poured down from the sky, only making the trek harder. The lone figure was in the middle of the Colombian jungle, trying to get past the tall mountains. Her body was soaked from the water, her curls drenched and straightened, mud caking the skirts of her dress. Word had it that there was a safe haven sheltered by these mountains.
Marcella fell onto her hands and knees for the umpteenth time, rain pouring over her, mixing with the tears rolling down her face. It didn't matter how long the journey was, or how dangerous it was. She had to reach that town. Mama would spend time telling the miracles that only sounded like fairytales. A magical town with magical people. It sounded too good to be true, but Marcella needed to get someplace safe.
The wind began blowing strong, almost a little too strong. It was almost giving Marcella a push up the mountain.
"No… no…" the girl panted.
She had to make it on her own. Marcella couldn't accept any unnatural help. Not again… Wherever this wind came from, she had to push back against it. The ordeal was a struggle, but after a while, Marcella made her way to the top of the mountain. A smile came to her face as she looked down at the safe haven nestled safe between the tall mountains. A wall surrounding the buildings. Decorations could be seen blowing from the strong wind. Looked like a wedding occurring.
"I did it…" Marcella panted, catching her breath. "I did it, Mama…"
The girl felt she deserved a break. Climbing up a mountain was hard enough, but to do so in this weather was demanding. The wind continued blowing unnaturally strong. Just as Marcella was about to sit on a nearby rock, a soft growling could be heard. That was never a good sign. Slowly, she turned her head to see a large spotted cat hiding in the bushes. A jaguar…
"No, please", Marcella uttered. "Buen gatito… "
The jaguar jumped out from the bushes, teeth and claws bared. The girl screamed as she fell back, beginning to roll down the overgrown path. Scrambling to her feet, Marcella knew stopping was not an option now. Her feet dug into the mud, making her way down the mountain, bringing herself closer to the town. The jaguar snarled as it chased after the human, motivating her to run faster.
With the muddy terrain, Marcella lost her footing, yet again. She rolled down the hill, shrubs and small rocks in her path, all hitting her and failing to stop her. She reached the bottom, coming to a stop at the river outside the town walls. The jaguar growled, seeing how close the human was to the town and turned back toward the jungle.
Marcella gave a faint moan as she laid on the ground covered with mud, blood and leaves. Her body hurt, she was tired. Everything was fading to black around her. The last thing the girl saw before her visioned darkened was a pair of feet walking toward her.
"Mama!" a male's voice yelled out. "Mama, get Julieta!"