RETURN

by S. C. Deutsch

  Ana continued plodding along, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other, and absently rubbing the arm where the butterfly dust had stuck. She thought about asking Jax to be on the lookout for food and water but decided not to expend the energy. Besides, her companion still seemed annoyed and Ana wasn’t sure Jax would heed the call. She hoped that Jax would take the initiative and lead them to sustenance if any were around, despite how irritated the little creature might be.

  The two of them trudged on, Jax continuing to lead the way. They were still using the deeper dread off to the right as a guide, concentrating only on what was directly in front of them. Ana put off stopping to refresh themselves for as long as possible, ignoring the cotton forming in her mouth and the hollow in her stomach until it became impossible to disregard any longer. When her lips started cracking, she finally called a halt and squatted, bringing the pack around and placing it on the ground in front. Absently rubbing the arm again caused her to flinch, it now being painful as well as itchy. Frowning, Ana tentatively placed a finger on the area, wincing again as she did so. Not sure why it now hurt, Ana resolved to check on it after eating.

  “Jax,” Ana called softly, causing her companion to turn, an annoyed look still marring the cute face. “I know you’re pissed, although I’m not exactly sure why, but I’ve decided it’s time we had something to drink. Since there’s still no water, I’m going to split open a couple of the root things. Feel free to join me.”

  Jax hesitated, then ambled back to Ana’s side, squatting while still refusing to offer a friendly look. Ana chuckled quietly, finding the little temper tantrum humorous. If she wasn’t so worried about insulting her friend further, Ana would have laughed out loud, but the animal was going to be needed very soon and Ana didn’t want Jax continuing to sulk for much longer.

  Opening the pack, Ana removed four tubers. She had only managed to find a dozen while scouting the meadow before leaving and the remaining eight needed to last as long as possible. Eyeing the berries and grimacing in disgust, Ana decided they could wait. The hunger was still manageable, and she had no intention of eating the detestable things until there was no other choice. Slicing the tubers, Ana placed two in front of Jax and consumed the other two, licking every last drop of liquid from the husk. She couldn’t be bothered digging a hole to bury the remains. It seemed too much of an effort and Ana saw no point in wasting energy on something that seemed so worthless. Instead, she tossed them off to the right and was surprised that she never heard them hit the ground. Ana peered into the deeper gloom but saw no sign of the remains, which she found mildly confusing. Frowning, she wondered at the lack of both noise and visible remains. She hadn’t tossed the debris far and it should have easily been seen as well as heard. Unable to come up with any explanation and not willing to try and locate the tubers, Ana decided it wasn’t worth worrying about and gladly pulled her gaze away. It bothered her in a physical way to try and look at that part of the jungle and even a short glance in that direction caused an intense pressure to build, starting at the back of her neck and eventually encasing her skull in an iron band. Ana also found herself feeling nauseous and an intense tingling that traveled down her arms and legs made her jittery and caused her heart to race. The feeling immediately ceased when she tore her glance away, although it left a feeling of mental exhaustion in its aftermath. Ana wished they could move further away from the ominous dread that that part of the jungle emitted, but she needed the edge to guide them, certain that without it they would get hopelessly lost.

  Trying to ignore the sense of doom seeping from the area to the right, Ana removed her shirt, wincing once more as the fabric slid over the irritated area. Glancing down, she groaned. A large section of the arm was inflamed and covered in tiny blisters. She lightly pressed one of the blisters and let out a scream when it popped. And then screamed again. The pain was intense when the blister burst, and it felt like a match was being held to her skin. But what erupted from the blister was even worse. A small white worm was crawling out of the opening, wriggling as it made its way down her arm. Ana swatted it in disgust and shrieked as additional blisters popped, ejecting more worms onto the skin. Lurching to her feet and shaking the arm in an attempt to rid herself of the gross creatures proved futile, and Ana started to panic.

  “Oh no. Oh no, no, no. Help me, Jax,” Ana wailed, tears brimming as she appealed to her companion for help. “Help me. Please, Jax! Please!”

  Jax looked at Ana with remorse clearly written on the furry little face, which only made Ana cry even harder. She stared back at the mass of wiggling white bodies and promptly threw up.

  After emptying the contents of her stomach, Ana realized she had forgotten a cardinal rule about this place. Nothing was as it seemed, and just about everything was dangerous. She had been so taken with the beauty of the butterflies she had never considered how deadly they might be. Ana now understood what Jax had been doing and mentally kicked herself. Jax was from the island and knew not only how to protect herself but also how to survive. Ana never should have questioned Jax’s directions and she swore to pay attention to her friend in the future. Providing, that is, she actually had a future. Which was highly doubtful, considering all the setbacks she had suffered so far.

  Ana pressed her lips together and reluctantly looked back at the arm, hoping it didn’t cause another bout of vomiting. About a quarter of the blisters had popped, leaving a sizeable number still bubbling under the skin. Most of the worms had dropped to the ground but a few straggled about, causing her stomach to spasm again. Ana forced herself to swallow the bile, then removed the knife from its sheath. Using the tip, she flicked the remaining worms off, stomping on them before they could scurry away. Contemplating the remaining blisters, Ana looked at Jax and asked if the rest should be popped. Jax shook her head and mimed having Ana put the shirt back on. But before the little animal allowed Ana to do so, Jax took the shirt and rubbed the entire thing on the jungle floor, not stopping until every inch was covered in dirt. Ana carefully removed her pants and repeated the process, hating the idea of putting such filthy clothing back on but not wanting to expose herself any more than she already had.

  Gingerly placing the infected arm in the sleeve, Ana slowly drew it up, trying to keep the fabric from sliding over the blisters. She finished dressing, returned the knife to its sheath, and picked up the pack.

  “Thank you, Jax. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you. I promise to do better from here on out,” Ana said softly.

  Consciously ignoring what the arm now contained, Ana asked Jax if she was willing to sit in the usual spot. Jax didn’t hesitate this time and scrambled up, settling down and coiling the furry tail loosely around Ana’s neck. Slinging the pack over her shoulder, Ana winced slightly, then set off again, hoping against hope that the beach was not too far away.

  The pair traipsed on as Ana valiantly tried to think of something, anything, other than what was happening on her arm. She was successful for short periods of time, until it started itching again. Jax seemed to commiserate with her, gently stroking the side of Ana’s face whenever she gritted her teeth or fought back tears.

  Hours went by with nothing changing and Ana was growing more and more despondent with every mile they travelled. She sunk so far into the depression that she almost missed the slight sound off to the left. Fortunately, Jax, who was still comfortably ensconced on Ana’s shoulder, didn’t. Tapping Ana hard enough to make her yelp, her companion tugged on an earlobe until Ana came to a stop. Scrambling down, Jax peered intently to the left, then beckoned for Ana to follow.

  Changing direction, Ana hoped Jax wasn’t going to get them lost. She had no choice but to trust her furry friend, knowing that doing otherwise would be extremely unwise. Calling to Jax to slow down, Ana followed the little creature, now hearing the same sound that had alerted her companion. She wasn’t able to decipher it yet, but any sound was better than the unending silence they had been dealing with for the last several days.
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  Jax had come to a stop and was looking up. Ana peered at the surrounding area but couldn’t see any change in the light nor in the type of trees the jungle contained. The sound, however, had become almost deafening. Following Jax’s gaze, Ana finally saw what was making the noise. Bats. Scores of giant brown bats. The noise was coming from their rustling wings.

  Ana shuddered. She wasn’t afraid of bats, but she wasn’t fond of them, either. Truth be told, they creeped her out. Who hadn’t heard stories of bats that sucked a human’s blood, turning them into vampires? Ana knew the stories were probably tall tales, but that was back in the real world. Here, anything was possible. There was a very good chance these bats had been created to do what their mythical counterparts had been doing for ages, sucking the blood until the person didn’t actually turn into a vampire, but got sick, went mad, or even died. Ana had no desire to find out if that was the case and she looked at Jax, wanting to leave the bats to their roosting as quickly and as quietly as possible.

  Jax was staring at the bats intently, no sign of fear on the little face. Eyes never leaving the rustling mammals, the little creature motioned Ana alongside, squatting on the ground when Ana reluctantly joined her companion. Ana, in turn, watched the bats as well, trying to figure out what Jax found so fascinating, but nothing struck her as being worthy of such intense concentration. The bats continued rustling, heads swiveling periodically and ears flicking slightly. Gradually, Ana lost interest and dozed off.

  Ana woke to a shove from Jax, who had suddenly risen from a seated position and now looked ready to run a race. Looking up, Ana saw the bats were becoming more active. Some had already dropped from their roosts, flitting around, while others were stretching their wings in preparation for flight. She glanced at Jax, who bobbed her furry head twice, so Ana stood and turned, facing in the same direction her companion was. It was clear Jax was getting ready to follow the bats, so Ana readied herself as well. Not wanting to lose Jax in what was obviously going to be a sprint through the trees, Ana also wanted to make sure to follow the same exact route as Jax to avoid any unseen dangers in their path.

  Jax’s gaze returned to the bats once it was obvious Ana was also preparing to run. Watching intently, Jax took off as soon as the first bat stopped flitting about and flew away. The lead bat set off on a straight path across the jungle canopy, the other bats following close behind, all of them as silent as the jungle itself. Ana ran after Jax, trying to follow exactly in the little animal’s footsteps whenever possible.

  The pair raced through the jungle, Jax swerving to avoid things both seen and unseen. Looking up regularly to check on the bats progress, the little animal would slightly change direction whenever the bats did. Ana was quickly becoming exhausted, the sleepless nights and lack of food starting to take its toll. Her legs were cramping, and a stitch had developed in her side, but despite the urge to stop she pushed on. It was obvious Jax felt that the bats destination was of vital importance, so Ana tried to ignore the discomfort, taking deep breaths while praying the ordeal would soon be over.

  Too busy watching the path Jax was taking, Ana had not been following the bat’s progress through the trees. She was caught by surprise when Jax came to a sudden stop, almost tripping over her companion in the process. Jax danced nimbly out of the way and waited for Ana to right herself.

  Ana regained her balance and peered at the surrounding area. They had reached a swamp. The still water was dotted with little humps of land covered in low growing palms. Snakes slithered through the water as well as across the little islands, ugly yellow and blue frogs grasped onto the reeds, and Ana could see hunched reptilian shapes rising slightly above the scum between the islets. The bats had descended and were now silently gliding low over the swamp, snapping up flying insects before winging away. Ana looked at Jax, disappointment and frustration clearly written on her face. Jax looked back, delight written on hers.

  Looking back out over the swamp, Ana frowned. She couldn’t fathom what was making her companion so happy. The water was a dark green with sludge floating on its surface, and the islands were placed too far apart to be reached without stepping in the muck. Ana also wondered what terrors the water held. Her childhood had been spent in a sector that was known for swamps and Ana had been lectured often on the dangers that lurked in them.

  Flaga was located in the southernmost region of Atlantica. The climate was sub-tropical, meaning Ana was no stranger to heat and humidity. Her home, as were all the buildings, had been located within the large metropolitan area. Citizens were only allowed outside of the sector with the government’s permission, requiring a special pad that identified the individual and the purpose for leaving. The north and east side of Flaga was surrounded by a double set of high walls, separated by a wide paved area. The south and west sides were riddled with canals, a double set of tall chain link fencing topped with barbed wire marking the sector’s boundary. The entire thing was monitored by surveillance cameras, facing out to watch for enemy incursions. The citizens were warned that the undeveloped areas outside the sector’s walls were dangerous, the government never specifying what those dangers were, and that staying inside them was the only way to remain safe. Further, the population was informed that any attempt to leave without permission would be met with disciplinary action. Neither Ana nor anyone she knew ever questioned the government’s prohibition as everything they needed could be found somewhere in the vast sector. In addition, she had been raised on stories of the dangerous swamps that surrounded her home, often hearing the tales from others who had travelled through them at the government’s order. Those stories and the availability of anything and everything she could possibly want or need only increased her lack of interest in what might lie beyond the sector’s borders.

  The southwestern portion of the sector was riddled with canals and Ana’s childhood home was situated on one of them. While the government did not allow its citizens to own motorized boats, canoes, paddleboards, and kayaks were allowed. Ana had often gone canoeing with her father when she was small, travelling up and down the canals while her father visited with friends or went birdwatching, a favorite hobby of his and one which Ana enjoyed for years. Her father had regaled Ana with stories of the swamps that drained into the canals, telling her that often the creatures who inhabited the swamps were swept downstream after the heavy summer storms, managing to get past the fencing when the government opened the gates to keep the bodies from piling up and rotting. Ana had been warned never to enter or even dangle an arm in the water, her father explaining that the water itself would make her sick or possibly kill her if she ingested any of it.

  Ana had stopped going with father as she got older, bored with the shop talk and tired of seeing the same birds over and over. She could see no point in paddling about, staring at something that provided absolutely nothing of value or worse, being stuck in a house with people she didn’t care about, especially when there was shopping to do and friends to visit instead. Ana had mostly forgotten the stories as she grew older since they no longer impacted her daily life, but the memories now resurfaced as she looked out over the dark green swamp. Ana again let her gaze travel over the open water, wondering what Jax planned on doing next.

  Jax stood on hind legs and did the little water dance. Ana watched the little creature, more bewildered than ever. There was water everywhere but none if it looked safe or inviting. Jax dropped to all fours and slowly trotted along the water’s edge, the bats now forgotten. Ana followed just as slowly, taking care to avoid the muddy patches and the bugs that scampered out of the way.

  Jax repeated the water dance twice more before Ana was rewarded with an answer. A small stream, no more than eight or nine inches wide, trickled out of the jungle and drained into the swamp. She could see the water was clearer than the swamp water, although it was still cloudy with silt. Jax looked at Ana, a pleased look on her furry face, and Ana smiled in return.

  “Hey, furball,” Ana called, bending over and patting t
he ground. When Jax made her way over, Ana gave the small animal a big hug and a kiss to the top of the head.

  “Thank you, thank, you, thank you,” she continued. “The sight of this creek, however small, just made my day. Would it be possible to follow it a little way upstream? I’d like to clean my clothes of the dirt as well as wash out the cut from the goat. And I need to do something about that mess on my other arm and I’m going to need water that’s as clear as possible.”

  Ana pointed to the arm with the goat cut and the filthy clothing while relating this information to her companion. Jax nodded and led Ana a short way back into the jungle. The light here was a little less dim and the undergrowth was greener, looking moderately healthier than what they had seen so far. The dread also seemed to have receded. Ana could still feel it, but it was now more of a mild annoyance than a physical menace, and the availability of clean water overrode the mild displeasure she felt. Ana didn’t push Jax when her companion stopped, having learned her lesson with the butterflies and not having any intention of questioning the animal again.

  Settling at the side of the stream, Ana let Jax drink first, then followed suit, sipping slowly and pausing often. When her thirst had been sated, Ana removed her shirt and placed it in the water, rinsing and wringing until the water running out of it was almost completely clear. She repeated the process with the remaining clothing, hanging them over low branches to dry. The only exception was the underwear, which she put back on. There was absolutely no way she was going to sit on the ground naked.