Chapter 9.
It was a long time later when I started to have problems. It had already been raining for nearly half and hour and it was getting heavier all the time. The river was swelling and had already risen a foot. Progress was slow as the rain had softened the mud along the bank and I was sinking further into the slimy goo with every step. I had only one fruit left and I was already starting to get hungry again. I had spotted no other fruit trees at all and all the trees seemed the same. I trudged on, but it was only five minutes later when even worse disaster struck.
I came to where the river had burst its banks and flooded the surrounding area. I couldn't see the other side of the flood water but I knew it would be a long way away. Little golden frogs were starting to appear everywhere and it was like a plague. I don't hate frogs but the convinced me to cross the flood water. I waded into it and instantly it was up to my waist. Another step brought it an inch higher. Each step put me into deeper and deeper water until I was half swimming to stay afloat. I was coming closer to the source of the flood and the current was slowing me down tremendously. I pushed on, swimming towards what I thought was the other side of the flood water.
It was nearly and hour later when an astonishing thing happened. I was just resuming my swim, having stopped to eat the last fruit, when suddenly I felt something big brush past my leg. I recoiled my leg and cried out, thinking I was about to be eaten by a Piranha or electrocuted by an electric eel. But instead, a little grey head and snout broke the water only a few metres away. I couldn't believe it! A boto dolphin! It swam cautiously up to me and I reached out my hand to touch it. It back away but didn't swim off. I ducked under water to get a better look at it.
It was nearly two metres long and its tail took up nearly half its body. It had a long snout and kept poking at submerged plants. As it did so it turned its head around in a semicircle. It was doing so to spread its "radar" and I guessed it was seeing if I was accompanied by any hungry people, looking for dinner. I swam towards it and it darted behind me. I ducked around to follow it but when I got around I found it had gone. I broke the surface and looked for it but it was out of sight. After a little while I swam on, not realising I was going with the current, not against it.
It was nearly an hour later when I realised my mistake. The water was slowly draining away and there were no rivers, hills or valleys in sight. I guessed I was in the flat river basin and moaned, realising I had no idea which way to go. Since I couldn't even see the sun I had no idea which way was north or south. I thought of climbing a tree but the memory of my last tree climbing experience put me off it. I had to choose a direction or settle down for the night so I span around with my eyes closed and stopped. I opened my eyes and walked in the direction I had stopped on, which was nearly the same way the water was going. I walked for ages until the sun seemed to disappear and I was forced to find a place to spend the night. The area of the forest I was in was not very thick and so the best I could do was between two buttress roots from one of the trees. I settled in and fell asleep.
When I awoke I followed the direction I had been going in, which I had marked with a pointer stick. I walked on for ages and ages. The trees started to look the same and I wondered if I was walking in a circle. It didn't matter. My stomach was starting to hurt and I was beginning to get a head ache. I cursed myself for eating the strange fruit. I should have waited longer, maybe if I had set off earlier I would have avoided the flood water. My eyes were threatening to close and I leaned against a tree to catch my breath, a big mistake as I was sleeping in seconds.
Again I awoke and walked on. My stomach was a little calmer but me temples were throbbing and I was feeling dizzy. I walk on. The jungle was becoming scarcer and I was able to see for nearly thirty metres in all directions. Soon this became forty until finally, the forest retreated altogether and dawn brought a beautiful sight. In the valley below me there stood a gleaming city, lit up by the morning sun. I cried out with joy and ran all the way into the city.
As I passed people they stared at me. I had not noticed it but my t-shirt was literally in ribbons and I was missing the bottom of my pants. My shoes still looked the same, dirty and falling to bits but my socks were worn right through from walking. I didn't care. I was back in civilisation and far from the dangers of a hostile forest. I ran passed a hospital and after a moments consideration ran in. I was met by a nurse and she took one look at me before rushing me through some doors into the critical ward. I fell asleep upon a nice clean bed, safe from the dangers of the forest. I dwelled on the fact that the vicious forest couldn't get me in the hospital and my dreams where filled with that thought.
I awoke to the faces of my worried mother and father. There was much hugging and kissing until a nurse came in with a smile on her face. "We made space on a flight tonight," she said to mum and dad and, turning to me said "you're going home!" It took a few seconds for the words to reach me and when they did I just about leapt out of bed with joy, I was going home after only a day since I found civilisation! There was more kissing and hugging with the news and the doctor came in to read out my report. "You're a very lucky boy," he said and a smile came to my face as I heard those famous words. He then went on to explain my condition, "....this and that were cut and this was bruised and that...." I wasn't listening, I was too happy, I was going home! I kept saying it over and over in my head until I fell asleep, the words echoing in my head as I was put onto a flight home. Home.
The end. By Wade.Rad.
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