RETURN

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RETURN Page 3

by S. C. Deutsch


  Scooting back a bit, Ana called Jax. Jax looked up from her perch on the flat rock she had found, and Ana could see her companion had been busy sunning herself. The little animal seemed annoyed that Ana was bothering her and, after a minute, went back to dozing. Ana called again and Jax reluctantly stood up and trotted over. Sitting next to Ana, her companion studied the diorama intently.

  “Okay Jax,” Ana said as she pointed to the cleared area, then swung her hand around in a large circle. “This is where we are right now.” She pointed to the mud and then at the mountain rising behind them. Showing Jax the leaves and grass, she swept her hand in an arc, gesturing to the jungle on both sides and in front of them. Finally, she picked up the two stick figures. She placed one in front of Jax and the other in front of herself.

  “This little hill is the mountain behind us,” she continued, “the green leaves are the trees, the pebbles show the beach, and the blue things show the sea.”

  “This is you, Jax,” she said, touching the figure in front of Jax first, then tapping Jax lightly on the chest, using Jax’s name both times.

  “And this is me,” she continued, repeating the process with the figure in front of her. After this little display, she placed both figures back in the clearing.

  Ana had no idea how much Jax understood but Jax had shown time and again to be extremely intelligent and exceptionally perceptive. Ana was counting on that intelligence now, hoping Jax would get the picture on the first try. After placing the figures back in the clearing, Ana sat back.

  “Do you understand what this is?” she asked her companion, sweeping an arm across the diorama.

  Jax sat for a moment, apparently taking it all in and then processing it. The little creature started off by repeating Ana’s actions, correctly placing the figures in front of Ana and herself. Ana smiled in acknowledgement and asked Jax to show her what the other things represented. Her companion began with the lump of mud. The creature touched the little hill, then stood up and pointed directly at the mountain. Next, Jax tapped the greens, walked over to the jungle’s edge, and pointed, sweeping her little claw around the perimeter. Jax then returned to the diorama and placed one claw over the clearing. Loping back to the jungle’s edge, the animal trotted around the perimeter, pointing inside at where Ana sat. Returning to Ana’s side, Jax looked at Ana questioningly.

  Ana laughed and swept Jax into her lap. Kissing her companion on top of her head, she set the furry animal down and became serious again.

  “Good job! Now please pay close attention. I cannot stay here. In order to return home at the end of the month, I have to make it back to the same place they picked us up last time. Since I have no idea where the pick-up point is, the only possible way to find it is to leave here as fast as possible and head towards the beach. Once there, I’m going to have to walk around the island until I find the correct spot. Do you understand?”

  Ana picked up the two figures and mimed them walking out of the clearing and into the trees. She then slowly walked them through the jungle to the shore, showed Jax the figures walking the beach, and making a complete circuit until they ended up where they started.

  Returning the figures to the clearing, Ana sat back and watched Jax expectantly. Her companion sat for a moment, then picked up the figures and repeated the actions before returned the crude dolls to the clearing.

  Ana instantly realized the mistake she had made. Jax was smart but took everything literally.

  “Ooops. My mistake,” Ana chuckled. “Forget the last part about putting the little dolls back. Let’s try this again.”

  Repeating the entire show, Ana omitted returning the figures to the clearing at the end, Jax watching intently. This time, Jax repeated it exactly as Ana asked, leaving the two figures on the beach instead of bringing them back. Jax looked at Ana, concern shining in her dark eyes. The little animal then sat and patted the ground, shaking her furry head slowly.

  “I know, furball,” Ana said sadly. “But I have to leave. As much as I would love to stay here, there is no other choice.” She repeated the performance with the figures a final time.

  “You are free to stay if you want, but I do hope you will come.”

  Jax crawled into Ana’s lap and curled up. Ana looked down and her companion peered back, sadness slowing settling on the little creature’s face as Jax nodded in acknowledgement.

  “Oh, Jax. I’ll never leave you!” she assured the little animal. “But I will also never force you to come if you don’t want to. I love you too much for that.”

  Jax tried to climb inside Ana’s shirt, popping a button off in the process. Chuckling, Ana set Jax down on the ground and located the errant button. Placing it in one of the shirt pockets, Ana made sure it wouldn’t fall out while silently telling herself there would be time to repair it later.

  Jax never moved a muscle. The little creature sat staring at Ana as she stood and shouldered the pack, sadness never leaving the furry little face. Ana destroyed the diorama, making it appear like nothing had ever been there. She then bent over the pool and drank her fill, telling Jax to do the same. Jax reluctantly drank, then sat back and stared at Ana again.

  “You coming?” Ana asked, pointing to her shoulder. Jax’s face lit up and the little creature practically flew up Ana’s side, nestling securely once settled and wrapping her tail loosely around Ana’s neck.

  “Oh, Jax! I am so sorry if I wasn’t clear! I never meant to suggest you had to stay. I am thrilled you are coming!”

  Reaching up, Ana ruffled Jax’s tail, then settled the pack more comfortably.

  “Ready?” Ana asked her companion. When Jax tugged her ear, Ana continued, “Time to earn your keep, furball. Can you get us to the beach by the fastest route possible?”

  Jax peered around at the surrounding jungle. Coming to a decision, the little creature directed Ana slightly towards the left. Ana thanked her companion, double checked to make sure nothing was left behind, and set off into the trees.

  The pair travelled through the jungle for several hours. It was hot, muggy, and very still. They had not come across anything other than the occasional bug. Of course, these bugs were either oddly colored, huge, or both. But they seemed more afraid of Ana than she was of them, and quickly scuttled away at her approach.

  The jungle was eerily silent, which had the effect of both pleasing and terrifying her at the same time. With it being so quiet, Ana was pretty sure the two of them would hear anything that might approach. But the silence wasn’t normal, and it set her teeth on edge. Jungles are notoriously noisy places, and this total lack of sound was creepy. Ana kept looking around, expecting something to jump out from behind a tree or drop on them from above. Jax also seemed tense, the creature’s tail coiled a little tighter around Ana’s neck.

  The hot, humid air was exhausting, and Ana was worried about possibly fainting from the heat or becoming dehydrated. Coming to a stop and placing Jax on the ground, she squatted and looked at her companion, a serious expression on her face.

  “Can you find water? Or something to eat that will also be refreshing?” she asked. “I am worn out from trudging through this sauna and without fluids, there’s a good chance I’ll pass out.”

  Jax was extremely unhappy with being removed from Ana’s shoulder and immediately tried to climb back up, ignoring Ana’s protests in the process.

  “Jax, stop!” Ana exclaimed, forcing Jax to stay on the ground. “This is serious. We need to find water or fruit and I need to know if you can do it. I’ll help you, but you are the only one here who knows what’s safe and what’s not.”

  Jax reluctantly turned around and stood on her hind legs for several minutes. Moving to the right, the little animal did not do the little water dance but headed instead in a straight line to a clump of small bushes. When the little creature reached it, she stopped and looked back, beckoning Ana to follow. The brush appeared impenetrable, the branches heavily intertwined and covered in inch-long thorns. Rising several feet over thei
r heads, it was obvious Jax expected the pair to go through and not over the barrier. Ana gazed at it for a moment, then looked at Jax while pointing straight at the bushes. Jax nodded, so Ana slid the pack off her shoulder and removed the fabric strips stored inside. Wrapping both hands in them, Ana replaced the pack, unsheathed the knife, and carefully set about cutting her way through.

  She was surprised at how easily the bushes cut. Ana had anticipated having to saw through the branches, but they sliced easily under the knife. The thorns, however, were long, extremely sharp, and held some sort of venom. While cutting her way through, Ana accidentally brushed against one and scratched her face. Regretting it instantly, Ana felt like a whip had been laid across the skin. Lightly running a finger across the area caused it to sting, and she could feel the welt that had formed. Indicating the wound, Ana looked at Jax questioningly, who shook her slightly and pointed back at the tunnel Ana had been carving. Ana assumed that while the scratch burned, it wasn’t fatal and could be ignored for now. From that point on, however, she was careful to not get near any of the thorns, pushing the branches out of the way with a foot when they fell on the ground.

  After several feet, Ana cut through the last branches and emerged in a small, circular clearing. A single tree, no more than ten or eleven feet high sat in the center. Small delicate leaves colored bright orange decorated the branches, but she could see no fruit hanging from them. Scanning the area, Ana was more confused than ever and wondered why Jax had brought them here. The ground was entirely bare and other than the tree, there was nothing else to be seen.

  She searched for Jax, a quizzical frown creasing her brow, but the little creature had scampered ahead and was now climbing the tree. Following her companion, Ana wondered what Jax was up to. When she reached the base of the tree, she looked up and saw Jax sitting on a branch near the top. Jax had pulled one of the smaller branches to her mouth and appeared to be attempting to chew through it. Ana watched Jax intently, more bewildered than ever.

  Jax finally succeeded in chewing the branch off and held the cut piece in her claws. A bright yellow sap-like substance was running out, gathering in fat droplets at the ragged ends. Jax scooped up the drops before they fell and daintily licked the sticky substance off her long, delicate fingers. The process was repeated until no more sap dripped out. Jax tossed the branch to the ground, moving to another one and repeating the process.

  Ana understood what Jax was doing and pulled out the knife, hacking off a branch that was within easy reach. Tilting it slightly to allow the sap to run faster, Ana spooned it into her mouth. She found it bland with almost no taste at all, but it somewhat quenched her thirst. It was also thick, filling her stomach and quieting the hunger pains. Ana cut several more branches, draining each one dry. Gathering up the cut branches, she carefully placed them under the bushes, making sure to avoid the thorns. Jax rejoined Ana, cleaning the last of the sap from her fur, and they retreated back into the tunnel. Only to be met by a goat.

  Stopping short while still inside the tunnel, Ana stared at the creature confronting of her. It definitely looked like a goat. But again, nothing here was exactly as it seemed. Nor were any creatures here comparable to anything back home. This goat was tiny, measuring no more than two feet tall. Bright green, it had orange eyes, and its tiny horns ended in extremely sharp points. It made no move to enter the tunnel, but it also did not flee at their approach. Ana knew better than to think that the goat’s small size made it less of a threat. She looked over at Jax, who was eyeing the goat warily. Looking back at the tiny creature, Ana found herself at a loss as to what to do next. They couldn’t stay here all day and Jax was being no help whatsoever. Thinking her much larger size might scare the goat, Ana took a small step forward. And instantly regretted it.

  Like a light switch being turned on, the goat went from placid to enraged in seconds. The lips curled back, exposing wicked looking teeth. and the eyes turned red. Lowering its head, it charged, making an awful screeching sound as it did so. Surprised at the sudden ferocious nature of the creature, Ana scrambled backward. The goat continued to charge, causing Ana to hastily turn around and run.

  Reaching the tree, Ana quickly scrambled up, Jax jumping off her shoulder and heading higher. She didn’t have to climb far, the goat halting its charge at the base and staring up into the branches. Ana stared back, hoping the goat would leave once it realized it couldn’t get to her. But the goat didn’t show any signs of wanting to leave, instead circling the base of the tree and uttering another screech that set Ana’s teeth on edge.

  Ana continued watching, running different plans of action through her head. The directives allowed her to kill if attacked, but that meant she would have to force a confrontation. If possible, Ana wanted to avoid having to do so. Having only a knife for a weapon, she would need to get close to the creature in order to attempt a strike. Based on what Ana could see, those horns might do serious damage before she was even able to land a blow. Ana sat back and thought about it some more. They might have to wait this one out.

  Jax lowered herself from the higher branches, settling back on Ana’s shoulder. The little creature also watched the goat, gripping the shoulder hard enough to cause mild pinpricks of blood to seep through Ana’s clothing. Ana tried to calm her companion, but Jax did the opposite, becoming more and more agitated as the minutes passed.

  Turning her gaze back to the goat, Ana noticed it had stopped making the awful noise and now stood completely still, intently staring up at them. Heaving a deep sigh, she set about mentally preparing to climb down, deciding there was no choice but to force a fight. A quick glance across the small clearing caused Ana to reconsider the idea.

  Exiting the short tunnel was another goat. More than three times the size of the one below, it was trailed by three more small goats. Ana had confronted a baby and Momma was coming to its rescue, no doubt in an extremely foul mood. This was not good. Not good at all.

  Momma goat approached the tree. After nuzzling the baby, it looked up at the pair. The same bright green color as the youngsters, its deep red eyes clearly radiated hate. Lips pulled back in a snarl, it revealed incisors that were very long and very sharp. Lowering its head, it charged the tree.

  Ana quickly spun and grabbed the trunk, Jax again leaping off her shoulder and ascending to the upper branches. Wrapping both arms and legs around the tree, Ana hung on for dear life. Momma kept at, constantly backing up and battering the tree as hard as it could. Ana thought furiously, wondering how she was going to get out of this. That’s when she heard the sharp crack.

  Taking a quick look down, Ana saw the tree was now listing sharply, a deep crack running up the trunk. The damage encouraged the goat to redouble its efforts, filling Ana with a fear she wouldn’t be able to escape. With each head butt, the tree leaned further over. Taking a quick look behind her, Ana realized staying in the tree would eventually land her smack in the middle of the bushes. She tried to judge the distance to the outside edge and decided there was a small chance of being sent over if she could climb higher. However, this required also moving to the other side, which would send the tree crashing down even faster.

  Taking a deep breath, Ana looked up and saw Jax peering at her. Motioning her companion higher, she took a second, deeper breath and let go of the trunk. Instantly grabbing a branch higher up, Ana swung around and scrambled to gain purchase, swinging a leg over and using the strong thigh muscles to pull forward. The tree bent more sharply, cracking and groaning non-stop, encouraging her to climb as fast as possible. The higher Ana climbed, the more horizontal the tree became, causing her to slow down as she tried to keep her balance. Only moving as far as her weight allowed, Ana eventually stopped and concentrated on the outer ring of the bushes. Eying the distance, she concluded there was no other option but to attempt a jump over the wicked growth.

  Ana tried to time the leap so it was made as close to the ground as possible. As soon as the goat realized there was no longer anyone inside the circle
, Ana was sure it was going to come after them, only granting her and Jax a short amount of time to escape. Steadying herself as the tree continued to fall, Ana waited until the last possible moment.

  As soon as it hit the bushes, Ana leapt off the tree. Curling into a tight ball, she attempted a somersault immediately upon striking the ground. When her left shoulder and upper arm took the brunt of the fall, Ana ended up rolling sideways, grunting in pain the impact produced. Standing up, she flexed the arm and shoulder, testing for injuries. It hurt terribly and Ana had some trouble getting the arm over her head, but it didn’t appear to be broken or dislocated. She pulled the knife from its sheath, gestured to Jax, who had leapt off the tree seamlessly as it fell, and ran.

  Ana didn’t run into the jungle, having come up with another plan on the way down. Instead, she ran around the perimeter, staying close to the bushes and listening intently. Just as she figured, the goat had turned and exited the clearing as soon as it realized it was alone. Ana had counted on this, believing the goat would continue to attack the creatures that had threatened its baby. She knew the goat was probably faster and running full tilt through the jungle had not gone well for her the last time, making any effort to flee more dangerous than confronting the maddened animal. Instead, Ana was going to try and make it as uncomfortable for the goat as possible, hopefully convincing it to leave before it was seriously hurt.

 

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