The spring weather is muggy. It's extremely humid here in the jungle. It takes a while to get used to until you've lived here for a while and adapt. Not like I stay here long enough for that though. I'm only here when I either get paid time off from my work in the city or leave of absence when it's granted to me. On my time off, I like to travel, especially when I can get money for doing so!
The truck we are in thuds against the bottom of a pothole. Some of the people in the back yelp in surprise and some of the people just groan. The potholes and terrain out here are crazy. "Out of Trojes, Honduras and into the deep jungles of Nicaragua! We're only about 6 hours from La Reserva Natural Bosawas!" I exclaim as I open the back window, letting everyone know the update. Everyone just groaned and tried to get comfortable on the very bumpy road. You know, it has to take a lot of guts to go HERE on your vacation out of all places. Like, most people go to the Caribbean Sea, or some special fancy family resort. Though I guess it takes a certain type of person to be here on their vacation, as someone who's here on their vacation. No room for me to talk about that, now is there?
The pay isn't even especially great in comparison to my main job in the big city. I just know the place really well and love to travel, show other people good spots, you know? Well, I guess I'm gonna be talking in my head for the next 6 hours, good thing I brought very bitter coffee to keep me awake. I hate the stuff but the aftertaste is even worse, you drink more and more just to get the aftertaste out of your mouth. I'd buy creamer and sugar but sometimes you have to make do, makes me grateful for the good stuff when I get back home.
After about 5 hours of hardcore spacing out, I notice how deep in the jungles we are. Thankfully I know this area inside and out... for the most part at least. I turn my head towards the window while still keeping my eyes on the path. "We're getting close everyone! The tropical forest is the richest biome in the planet and estimates say that 13% of known species worldwide can be found in Bosawas as well as there is a significant number of Quetzals. A small bird with commonly brown or black feathers on it's head, a green-blue feathered upper chest and wings, and a bright red stomach, so keep your eyes out for those!" I exclaim yet again.
"Um, mister Malakai?" A young girl most likely in her teen years, pipes up and asks concerned followed by a couple light taps on my shoulder, "Are there any poisonous animals or bad people that might hurt us out there? Er- I don't know- What's it like here, is what I should have asked instead." A sense of deep regret in her voice as she did not mean to come off as prejudice. I smile kindly "Yes, but don't worry. If there are any bad people here, they don't normally attack tourists, only if you're too wealthy or rich. They say you have a certain smell when you have that much money. But don't worry, I used to be a local here in these kinds of parts, I know everyone in this village... As for the poisonous animals, they do live in these parts but as long as we all stick together, there will be no issues. Just make sure the snake's heads are rounded, not triangular. And no matter what, don't. scare. the. animals. Poisonous or not. If you're unsure, take precautions. I have a survival kit just incase of any bites or wounds. I am a certified EMT after all too, not just a tour guide you know." I say with a cheeky grin on my face. The shy teen girl softly chuckles.
"Hey tour guide guy! We need to use the bathroom. We've all been holding it for like a million years now!" An older guy in the truck bed yells grouchily. "Okay, yup sounds good Victor! I'm just going to pull over here and we can all take a bathroom and stretching break for the next ten minutes! Don't worry about where you go number one or two, we don't really have bathrooms here as you may have noticed, so the forest will do for everyone. You get used to it after a while I promise!" I exclaim to all those walking away especially so they can hear me. "Don't go too far though!"
"Okay everyone just stay here, lets wait for them to get back. Then after that, how does a small hike sound?" I ask everyone who stayed. Everyone nodded in support kindly. We waited around and almost everyone came back. Suddenly there was a huge cracking sound deeper into the woods, afraid someone veered off and got lost. Worried, I tell everyone "Stay by the truck while I go find our other member real quick." I go into the forest and call out for him "Victor! Victor! Not trying to intrude, just heard a loud noise and wanted to check up on you! Call out if you're there!" I yell. Absolute silence reeks the atmosphere besides the leftover raindrops trickling down the big plant leaves. I go in further and call out for him again, saying the same thing several times, now starting to really get worried. I bend down to grab the survival knife I have in my boot when suddenly something hits me in the back of the head. HARD.
I fall to my knees and flip around to face my attacker and clench my knife, only to find it's not in my hand anymore. I dropped it on the ground about a foot away from me. My attacker is holding a machete with a gun behind his belt. I try to think quickly, "uh- what do you want from me? Do you want money? I can give you money- Anything really!" I try to weasel and bribe myself out of the situation. "You do not have the money I need." The attacker says in a sly, yet cold voice. Suddenly I'm hit with a strong twinge of pain on the back of my shoulder. I don't dare break eye contact with my attacker. 'It's probably just a mosquito.' I think to myself, the adrenaline in my body going rampant. I start to feel very sleepy and can't keep my eyes open any longer.
God I'm so pathetic...
Slowly the light starts peering through my eyelids. Dizzy and forgetting where I last was. I am now in a wooden cabin that is dimly lit with some candles. The smell of rain and humidity in the air more and colder than previously. So much so, that it's almost hard to breathe fully. I notice the mumbles of a few people talking in front of me. Slowly, I start to look around the cabin. The memories coming back to me quickly though. I notice machetes, rifles, black trash bags, blow darts, bows and arrows, chains, hand knives, tape, plyers, and... hot rods. One of the men talking is familiar to me. It comes back to me like a bullet train. Victor, the one who took forever to use the bathroom, apparently was not needing to go to the bathroom, but instead was wanting to kill me... or whatever their intentions are. Noticing the tape forcing my wrists together and my ankles to this pole. There is nothing I can do right now about this situation right now, but I do need a plan to get the fuck out of here.
I find my second microblade in my secret back pocket that was custom made for these jeans. Thank god I took precautions. The men talk in Spanish but I don't know much anymore. I know enough to get by but not enough to understand what these men are talking about. They continue mumbling to themselves while occasionally looking over to me. My body posture is limp and leaning against the pole I'm bound to. They think nothing of it. They open the door and walk out. Catching a glimpse of the outside, it's now starting to get dark. That's gonna complicate things a little. Taking the knife in my pocket, I start rubbing the ropes on my hands first. Almost done, the door opens up again briefly. I made sure to stay in the same position I was in previously. False alarm, one of them must have leaned up against it for a second. I continue to cut the rope even faster than before, worried they could come in at any point.
Wrists done. Now just the ankle rope bounding me. I cut it only a quarter of the way when the voices of the men turn from only slightly tense and meticulous, to yelling. The men rushed inside to grab their weapons. Not even beginning to worry about me, they rush back out and seemingly fight these other men. No time to think about the context, I start cutting the rope faster than ever, not wanting to get abducted yet again by another, potentially worse group of people. Finally! I'm out of my restraints. The yelling stops one voice after a couple rounds of gunshots fire. I hide against the wall next to the black bags. I look inside... I had a feeling but I didn't want to think about it before, and I don't have the energy to right now despite silently gagging multiple times from the mere smell. I reach into the bag and get some blood on my hands and cover myself with it, I make my body go limp as much as possible, even to a point of un-comfortability. I hear the door open, several men dressed in black and green tactical suits walk in and look around. One of them looks at me and inspects me closely, only to smell me in the end. The supposed leader of the group stands up after inspecting me only followed by a slight grunt. They then leave immediately after. I can't helped but feel relieved. I'm sure my truck is missing or the group drove to the nearest town for help, but I'm sure no one would help. It's for the best that the people don't help either.
After about 30 minutes I decide to leave into the jungle again to find my way back. Its almost dark and I have no flashlight. I try to get used to the darkness but it's extremely hard since there is no moonlight or any cars that come by here in the night especially. I start to lose my balance little by little, realizing I'm more drugged up than I thought I was. Or maybe the dose was just too much for my body. I wander more and more into the jungle but have no reference to get me out. Feeling the adrenaline settling down, the shock is hitting my body pretty hard suddenly. I continue forward, concerned that those men who killed my attackers might find me. Oh! I think I see a light spot through the trees and plants. I think it's moonlight! Walking faster, I then slow down after seeing the most glorious, stunning, perfect woman in the distance. She looks like she's in a small tree picking something off of it. My heart practically stopped. The moonlight bouncing off of her silhouette is the most ethereal site that I was photographed. But why is she completely naked? She looks like she's been out here for a very long time. Attempting to walk closer to the very intriguing woman, I stop dead in my tracks after seeing two glowing green eyes coming from the depths of the huge dark jungle leaves from the tall brushes.
"Okay stand still, they usually aren't dangerous to humans unless if provoked or the mother's cubs are around..." I whisper to myself. I look away, trying not to make eye contact to avoid confronting the predator with conflict. Keeping the big cat in peripheral vision just in case the beast tries to do anything.
By the time I notice the unreal looking girl more and more, I notice the growls growing louder and louder. As the big feline moves out of the bush slowly to being in front of the decently long path away from this girl. He looks back down at the now identifiable Jaguar, he backs away from the path slowly, trying not to provoke the jaguar further. "Easy girl, easy, easy..." I coo softly, backing away faster and faster. My fight or flight kicks in so my body bolts for it, no longer having control of it. The adrenaline making me forget how drugged I was, I run only a few yard before tripping over my own foot. Not even over the many trunk branches reaching out from under the ground. How unfortunate is that?
I try to get up quickly after falling onto my face, turning quickly to face the jaguar, the jaguar pounces on my torso. I can't breathe. Its now or never...
I use my final breath to scream out to the woman in the distance as loud as I could, "RUN!! GET OUT OF HERE- THERE IS A WILD JAGUAR!!" I feel my lungs deflates and starts to lose consciousness, the last thing I see is the teeth of the jaguar getting closer and closer to my face as the huge cat growls deeper, gripping my chest and shoulders with it's claws.
