Chapter 4.
Suddenly I was aware of something moving above me. I tried to open my eyes but found I couldn't. I tried to get up but something held me down. Something sharp pierced the skin on my arm and I let out a low moan of pain....
I awoke slowly and felt the presence of something. I didn't move but listened. I could hear something in the distance and tried to focus on that direction. It was not low but not high and I realised with a shock that it was somebody talking. The language was strange and I wondered whether I'd been kidnapped by aliens and they were preparing to dissect me, but I dismissed that thought in favour of another one. Natives. I moved slightly, raising my arm into the air. Instantly there was an explosion of sound. I noticed the sound of somebody giving short sentences. Instantly there was pressure on my arms and legs. I struggled but the pressure was too strong for me to fight in my present condition. I tried to open my eyes or say something but my eyes stayed shut and the only sound I could make was a gurgle.
Suddenly the pressure ceased and I leapt up. Somebody said something but I couldn't make any sense of what they were saying. I stumbled blindly for a few seconds before I heard someone walking away followed by a creak. I walked in the direction of the sound, my arms outstretched before me. Suddenly I walked into something. It only took a few seconds for me to realise the object was a stick stuck vertically in the ground. I moved slightly to the left and found an identical stick. I kept moving until I came to a vertical stick barred by a horizontal stick. I found that the horizontal stick only continued for about a foot in both directions. I felt dizzy and sat down. For a while I sat with my head on my hands before I changed position. I crawled along the floor with one hand in front of me until I found something resembling a bed. I laid myself slowly down onto it, for my chest still hurt a bit. I lay there for some time, drifting in and out of sleep continually. Finally I settled and fell into a deep sleep.
I awoke suddenly, as I often do, and remained silent. I listened for a while before I felt something loosen in my right eye. Suddenly light appeared from nowhere and I cried out, shielding my eyes. I heard a low creak and felt someone move. I turned to see them. As I turned I quickly took in my surroundings. I was in a small hut, built of wood but bagged with measured amounts of clay. The roof was pointed heavily and had handfuls of various materials stuffed all over it. Light filtered through small holes and I could see that I was in a clearing of some sort. I also saw that I was in a small "jail" like structure. Solid branches were spaced unevenly and were tied to a horizontal branch at the top, just below the roof. At the entrance stood two warriors, blocking my view outside.
Finally my gaze rested on the person who had just entered. He was old and scantily dressed in ragged jungle garb. As soon as he saw me looking at him he said a few short words over his shoulder and two people at the door, dressed much the same but younger, entered the small hut. They were carrying spears and one also held a wicked looking knife. As they moved I was given a clear view of outside the hut. There was some kind of dance going on outside. There were many warriors dancing around a fire. Many other people watched from the shadows. My eyes widened as I saw what was happening. A struggling man was brought to the fire by two warriors who pulled his arms out to the sides, pinning his arms against two poles. Then, with horror, I watched as two arrows were fired through the mans arms, pinning him to the post. The man roared in pain and the people in the shadows watched with smiles as he was chopped to pieces by a young band of warriors and fed into the raging fire. Seeing my eyes full of terror, one of the warriors turned to the fire and shone me a smile that a shark might give a small fish just before eating it. Instantly I realised its meaning, they were cannibals!
I leapt up and with speed and agility that surprised both myself and my captors. I jumped and leapt over the wooden bars, accidentally tearing the top bar away. I landed firmly on the other side and darted out of the hut, knocking the door shut as I ran out. Instantly everyone stopped and stared at me. The mothers of children quickly turned their children away just as the warriors raised their bows. I dived aside just as three arrows whizzed past. I rolled and was on my feet to meet a charging warrior. He thrust his spear at me and without realising it I moved aside slightly while bringing the branch that I was still holding, down. The stick met the spear and just deflected it but the impact jarred the stick out of my grasp. I grabbed the spear and pushed forwards, pointing the tip towards the sky. The attacking warrior, expecting his prey to be speared to a wall by now, was not prepared for this counter attack and the spear hit him firmly in the nose. He cried out and dropped to the ground on top of my leg, pulling me to the ground. A arrow flew over my head and sank deeply into the wall. The warrior I had attacked tried to bring his spear around but the weapon was too big to be handled at such close range and hit another warrior in the face, cutting deeply into his cheek. I rolled free of both the warriors grasps and stumbled to my feet. I ran to the nearest exit, which, quite conveniently, was unguarded. Another volley of arrows impacted around me and one ripped a light gash in my side before hitting a retreating mother in the shoulder. The tip appeared on the other side and the women screamed before running into a low branch and falling to the ground. I ran as fast as I could but after only a few seconds I stumbled into a river. The river was flowing like there was no tomorrow and even with only one foot in the water it made me fall. I landed heavily and bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. A warrior appeared above me with his spear pointing to my heart. He cried out as he launched the spear at me. I rolled aside and the spear hit a rock, breaking the tip off and knocking it out of the warrior's hand and into the water. I threw myself at the spear and managed to grab it just before I realised my mistake. Instantly the river took hold of me and I yelped in surprise as it dragged me over the smooth rocks. In only a minute I was long gone from the cannibal tribe but the gash in my side was painful and my lip was bleeding freely. I still had the spear, just, and I held onto it as I was swept down stream. I sighed with relief and let the water carry me along.