Apocalyptic Love

Without Jimmy, the air breathed silently. Not a single snap of a twig reverberated through the trees. Not the rustle of leaves, or whistle of the breeze. It was as if the jungle was in mourning, having shed tears all through the night; it was no longer able to weep its sorrow into the already dampened soil.

We were nearing the nest now, silently weaving through the night like shadows. My footsteps barely made a sound, even against the moist earth, and I was surprised to see that Jared and Ellis were just as quiet. I tried not to notice the prickling feeling of watchful eyes, staring at the back of my head. Ellis had been uncomfortably close to me for the rest of the journey through the jungle. I could only feel suspicion, wondering if he planned to dispose of me in some way once I’d taken them where they needed to go.

Turning to the boys, I lifted a finger to my lips in warning, reminding them to be extra careful even though they’d been more than trustworthy so far. But, as I then pointed to the blanketed sky, they knew that it wasn’t just caution anymore.

I glanced up into the treetops, at the thick branches entwining together in a large nest hundreds of metres above our head. At the moment it looked small, just a thumbnail amongst the green leaves, but I knew better and the thought made me shiver. As my eyes trailed the only path into the nest, I could feel my heart fluttering in turmoil and my gut churned. I didn’t want to go up there, but I knew I had to.

A warm hand on my shoulder snapped my gaze back to the jungle floor, meeting the steely determination in Jared’s eyes. This wasn’t just a mission to the boys anymore, it was a rescue. I’d known what had taken Jimmy, and unfortunately it just so happened to be the one species we’d been hunting. It probably wasn’t the wisest decision to inform the boys of my information. I somehow felt as though I’d given them a hope that was in vain.

Their reactions weren’t surprising. I was sure most people, if given the chance, would jump at the imminent danger if it meant saving a loved one. I, however, having been isolated in this greenery of a home, knew better than to hope that a rescue might be ensued. The beasts of this world were not ones for trophies and storing their prey. No, Jimmy could only be so lucky.

As my hands felt the surface of a tree trunk, I could hear the unsettling rustle of movement in the nest. Loose leaves drifted to the jungle floor, dancing weightlessly through the humid night air. With it brought a subtle hint of what waited for us up above. Still I didn’t deter from my search, scrambling quickly as my fingers grazed over the bark.

Finally, I found them; little grooves just wide enough to squeeze my fingers through and glancing back at Jared and Ellis, I made sure they watched exactly what I was doing. Motioning and miming an explanation as to what exactly we were going to do, I watched in mild amusement as Jared’s jaw dropped, and Ellis’s face paled. A smirk was stretching across my face as the boys eyes slowly climbed the tree trunk I clung to. Holding in a snort of laughter, I shook my head. What had they been expecting? How exactly did they think we would get up there?

Bracing my feet against the tree, I clutched at the slit in the trunk tightly, my nails grinding painfully into the hard bark. I could feel the length of them begin to bend back, almost forcing a wince out of me, but I simply clenched my teeth together and wiped the sweat tickling down my forehead against my arm. I’d climbed this tree before, and I could do it again.

Jared’s laboured breaths hummed into my mind, matching the vertical climb as I counted the steps in my head even as the sound of him got further away. Though I tried not to notice the height we were beginning to reach, a single glance down past my feet confirmed that the boy was indeed slowing down, falling behind so far that once I reached the top I could barely see him in the dark night.

It was as if I had stepped into a completely different universe as my foot touched down on a wide branch stretching out into the air. A subtle breeze brushed my cheeks, the touch relieving the heat and sweat of the climb. Tiptoeing back to the edge of the branch, I peered over the curve, my eyes squinting as they tried to see through the darkness.

Sinking my teeth into my bottom lip, I held a hand out to Jared, bracing my feet as I pulled him up and stumbling slightly as he abruptly fell into me. A blush stained my cheeks, I was sure it was clearly visible in the darkness, as Jared’s chest pressed against mine. His arm snaked around my waist, steadying me as if I were about to fall, though I could see the mischievous lopsided smile plastered across his face. It wasn’t long before I felt the not so subtle squeeze of Jared’s hand over my ass cheek and a tingling sensation creep through me as his teeth bit lightly into my neck.

“Hey!” I squealed.

It was as if time stood still in that brief moment, allowing the sound to echo longer than it really should have. Subtle grumbles quivered the branch beneath me, almost toppling Ellis back off the edge he’d just climbed over. A collective sigh seemed to shift the wind, collapsing back the way it had come like the intake of breath, making my body freeze.

I pushed away from Jared, turning sharply on my heels to meet a steaming cloud of white smoke breathing over my face.

“I’ve been expecting you.”