Jungle Trouble

• Talia Goldsworthy, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2022

Cirrus SRSS had hit lots of air turbulence, my cheese and bacon sandwich would have to wait. The airplane swerved from left to right. “Just a bit of air trouble Dr Basswood,” announced a stressed-out looking pilot. The jungle below seemed eerie and dark, enclosed in its own separate world. The escape entrance suddenly tore free from the metal clasps, as it swung violently open. As the flying vehicle spun, so did the broken hatch, spiralling through the canopy cover. My life flashed before my eyes as I tumbled through the whistling wind like an unprofessional acrobat. I was falling through the green carpet, tumbling, twisting…
I raced through the undergrowth, tripping on twisted tendrils and fallen twigs. The dense, cluttered trees guided me, coaxing me through the tangled vegetation. Slipping on leaves and swinging on vines, I glanced backward, my pale face glistening with salty sweat. The single American Black Bear galloped wildly, making a beeline for me. The massive beast was about 7 feet tall, with beady eyes and colossal teeth. His (I assumed) nose was enormous and wet. The boar’s jaws were hovering apart, his slobber falling awkwardly onto the slimy fronds. He bounded through the whispering trees, for I had come to a stop. I peered around an immense Silver Maple. It was still coming.
The chase continued, the treacherous creature lumbering as swift as a cheetah. I trampled on multi-coloured leaves as a muffled hiss escaped from underneath my sneaker. Piercing pain shot through my leg as I saw it slither away. A South American Rattlesnake. The snake was a devil, it was about a metre long, its distinctive pattern warning me to stay back. Several growls penetrated the faint rattles in the distance. Cautiously, I gazed behind myself. My eyes popped out of my head. Thoughts raced through my mind as I considered my next step. “Climb a tree or not?” “Run or stay?” “Face ‘them’ or hide?” Run. I lumbered through the crowded bush land, however, I was no match to the pack of wild bears.
The sleuth circled me, there was nowhere to go. My breathing was shallow and haunting. The entire pack lunged and tackled me roughly to the ground. I squirmed and struggled. My voice was raspy as I tried to scream. The sow was drooling on my nose and her cubs were intently sniffing all around me. The sleuth reared up and wrenched my pants in all different directions, tearing skin and cloth. The bears shuffled and searched for something. “Hey!” I yell, agitated for once. “Come back here with my bacon and cheese sandwich!”
From that day onwards, the pack and I became close friends, even family! We lived in the jungle together, guiding and hunting for each other. I had survived for many years in the rainforest, with my sleuth there to aid me forever and always. But my time had come. Today, I am going back into human civilisation…
Hopefully, a safer expedition this time.