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Chapter 10

As is turned out, we didn’t get very far before deciding to call it a day, the sun was setting fast and the jungle was being thrust into darkness at an alarmingly quick rate. I’m not sure if we’d even walked a mile, but it felt more like ten miles. It’s surprising how much effort it takes to get through the jungle. It wasn’t just the fact that I was swinging my machete every so often to clear the way, or the fact that the ground we were walking on was uneven and covered with roots and other things to trip us up, it was the humidity that was really getting to us. You’d think that coming from Florida would prepare us for it, but I can assure you, nothing can prepare you for that unbearable jungle humidity. I must’ve sweated from every single pore in my body…not pleasant I can tell you!

But it was Howie I really felt the most for; the poor guy soldiered on despite his horrific leg injury. He must’ve been in agony, yet he wasn’t going to let it stop him, and refused offers of being carried on my back (which I’m kind of glad about, even though I would’ve carried him if need be).

“Are you sure no one sneaked a phone into their bag? Did you check them all?” AJ asked as we dumped our bags down in a secluded spot, which would be where we’d set up camp for the night.

“You know I checked, and you also know that if there was any chance there was a phone stashed away, we would’ve found it. But I somehow doubt a phone would work out here…not that we actually have a phone to try” I replied. I wished that I had brought my phone, but we’d been told that phones weren’t allowed and so it was back in the hotel. I wondered if we’d ever see the hotel again, or civilization for that matter.

“True. I don’t think there’s much need for phone coverage in the jungle!” Brian agreed.

“You OK D? How’s that leg?” I asked

“Well, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt like hell, but I‘ll manage” he said looking down at the leg which was heavily bandaged up. He took two more pain killers, but they weren’t powerful enough to really alleviate his pain. He needed proper medical treatment and a prescription for something stronger, but Tylenol was the best we had to offer and so that would have to do until we got out of here.

 

Luckily we had sleeping bags in our back packs, and I was grateful for that. Even though it wasn’t cold, the temperature had dropped along with the sun and the sleeping bags would provide a little comfort whilst sleeping on the jungle floor.

“Shall we make a fire?” Brian asked, already gathering twigs.

“Sure” Jordan replied, which was the most animated he’d been all day.

The pair of them collected twigs and a fallen log, which Brian chopped up with the machete and within no time, we had a good camp fire going. We sat around the fire, eating packet survival food and sipping water whilst talking about our imminent rescue, and what we were going to do when we got back home.

“First thing I’m doing is taking a cold shower” I told the group. I felt sticky, dirty and gross; it was as if I hadn’t showered in days.

“I’d give anything for a nice ice cold drink and a shower” Brian agreed.

“That does sound good” Howie nodded in agreement “after I’ve got my leg looked at”

“Well, I’ll have to agree about the shower, but I’ll be taking mine with the love of my life” AJ smiled, obviously picturing the scene in his mind.

Of course we couldn’t forget what had happened or those people who had lost their lives earlier that day, but it felt like it had happened to someone else. It was unbelievable that we had survived a plane crash and were in the middle of the jungle somewhere in Peru. I suppose the shock hadn’t really hit us.

Its funny how in the daylight, we hardly noticed the sound of jungle critters, but now in the darkness, the place seemed more alive. I was used to hearing things like crickets at night, and had seen bats, but nothing compared to here. I just hoped they’d leave us alone; we’d had enough to deal with for one day without having to add scorpion stings or whatever the hell else was out here into the mix.

“I’m gonna hit the sack” Brian yawned and climbed into his sleeping bag.

“Don’t let the bed bugs bite!” I teased.

“Dude, can we not talk about bugs and bites when I’m already freaked out enough here?” AJ stubbed out his last cigarette of the night and gave me a look. “Do you think anything will bite us?”

“How the fuck should I know, I certainly hope not though” I replied. Just because I was teasing Brian didn’t mean I was fine with all these jungle nasties. I would literally shit my pants if I found a snake or a huge spider in my sleeping bag.

“I’m sure they’re more afraid of us than we are of them” Howie suggested, always the diplomatic one of the group.

“Yeah, what he said” Brian agreed.

It wasn’t long before we all followed Brian’s lead and were nice and snug in our sleeping bags, under the stars and a canopy of trees. I just hoped nothing else bad would happen to us.

“Do you think we’ll get out of here?” AJ whispered, as if reading my thoughts.

“Of course we will, have faith” Brian whispered back.

“I’ll believe it when I see it” Jordan said in a flat tone.

“Guys, we’ll be out of here tomorrow” I told them. How could we not be? There had to be search parties looking for us by now, maybe they were closer than we thought. Maybe we wouldn’t even have to wait until morning. I held on to that thought as I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.