The minute that the knife started slicing, the chosen vine abruptly pulled away, causing Ana’s arm to suddenly snap back. Another vine, its end lifting off the jungle floor, had then tried to wrest the knife from her hand. Ana had shrieked in surprise and retreated, causing the vine to instantly drop back to the ground and the surrounding vines to relax.
Ana was grateful the vines weren’t aggressive but that didn’t make them any less dangerous. The only way to the beach was either through the vines or through the swamp. She had no intention of trying to swim her way out, being neither a strong swimmer nor wanting to chance having a run in with anything that might be lurking in the swamp’s depths. Ana also had no desire to immerse herself in the slimy water, worried that it would cause infections or worse.
Continuing to stare at the vines, Ana clasped her hands behind her and rocked slowly, trying to come up with a way out of this current predicament. She considered finding a log and trying to paddle through the swamp but was unsure she would be able to traverse the entire length safely. Needing to stand up and maintain her balance while poling the log along, Ana also had to hope Jax kept still for the entire journey while still keeping watch for anything that could possibly upset the little raft.
Discarding that option as she felt the chances of successfully making it out of the swamp were poor, Ana next gazed at the wall of green itself. She decided that even if the vines allowed her and Jax to climb one of the trees, there simply was no way she would be able to get high enough to safely scramble over. In addition, Ana had no idea how wide the wall was, so unless she suddenly grew wings or became a monkey, she would never be able to travel across the treetops. Looking left showed an unending wall of vines that stretched into the distance, which meant days of travelling with no guarantee the beach could ever be accessed. It was entirely possible that the vines would only end when met by some obstruction, meaning she would face the same dilemma she currently found herself in but no longer absolutely sure the beach was on the other side. Ana concluded the best bet was to try and figure out a way through the vines using her present location as a starting point. Plopping on the ground, she dropped her chin in her hands, still working on formulating a plan that would successfully end with the pair on the beach.
Jax joined Ana, cuddling in her lap. Ana absently stroked the little creature while trying to think of something that would get them to the other side. She considered sending Jax up and over the trees to try and find another way out but wasn’t sure Jax would fully understand the request. Even if Jax did comprehend the plan, there was no guarantee her furry friend would be successful.
Ana next considered scouring the surrounding jungle for branches to try and fashion a rudimentary raft. But she quickly realized there was nothing she could use to tie them to each other. Even if something could be found to lash them with, Ana had no idea if it would hold long enough to allow an escape. The last thing she wanted was to get halfway through the water, only to fall in, requiring a swim back to the starting point or an attempt to try and make it to the through the swampy water and past the mangroves.
Sighing softly, Ana next considered paddling a log from little island to little island. While it might work, provided she found one that was suitable for her needs could be found, this plan was again based on her ability to maintain balance even if something bumped into the makeshift raft. Ana also felt fairly certain the islands didn’t stretch all the way to the sea, meaning she would have to attempt traversing a large body of water, all while trying to stand upright while poling along and watching for unseen objects. Ana had not forgotten about the large reptilian humps she glimpsed the first day and had no desire to meet up with whatever creature the hump was attached to, either while standing on a thin log or worse, after being dumped in the water. Ana was unable to see where the swamp ended but it appeared the small islands petered out well before the mangroves started, and the more she considered the idea of trying to cross the water, the more unwise it seemed.
Ana was beginning to realize that her survival was not just a punishment, but also a test. The government did not want her dead; it wanted her to survive. The island itself was a real-world testing ground for the creatures the government created, and she concluded that the government wanted to not only see if their creations would work, but also if they could be defeated. In the event the experiments were bested, the government wanted information on how easily it could be done and what methods the victor used. Ana was looking at another test, and all she had to do was find a solution. She fought down the rage rising within her, recognizing another of the government’s manipulative tactics, and tried to focus on solving the latest puzzle. At least this time, there was no immediate threat to her life, allowing time to consider the problem from multiple angles.
Ana rose and started pacing. She had already discovered that if she didn’t touch the vines, they left her alone. The area in front of the vines was clear of any undergrowth, creating a path that ran along the wall of green. Ana didn’t plan on walking the entire length of the wall since there appeared to be no end in sight. For now, she wanted to stay relatively close to a reliable source of food and clean water, preferring not to travel too far and take a chance on getting lost or encountering another one of the island’s experiments. Ana only wanted to move to try and clear her head, allowing her to focus on finding a possible solution.
Pacing slowly down the path, Ana kept her eyes focused on the ground, not wanting to be distracted. Jax had jumped on her shoulder and sat quietly, scanning ahead as Ana walked. The path was about three feet wide and entirely clear of any sort of debris, except for small piles of fish bones here and there. Ana absently kicked them as she walked, scattering them about and then crunching them underfoot as she passed. Becoming frustrated as no solution came, Ana clenched her fists and ground her teeth. Turning around, she stomped back to the edge of the swamp and plopped down, Jax crawling into her lap once more.
Sighing heavily and dropping her chin in her hands again, Ana almost missed the flash of movement off to the left. Turning her head slightly, she saw several of the vines that were hanging in the water had started to move. Focusing on the commotion the vines were causing, Ana watched intently, curious to see what would happen next. The movements became more hectic and Ana tensed, wondering if she was far enough away to escape should one of the vines lash out. Starting to tuck both feet under her and motioning Jax to her shoulder, Ana continued watching nervously.
The vines started thrashing, throwing up streams of water in the process. Just as Ana started to rise, several of the vines lifted clear of the water, small fish trapped in the coils at the bottom. She stared in surprise, watching as the vines curled upwards, delivering the fish to the treetops. When the coiled ends with their recent cargo disappeared from sight, Ana dropped her gaze to the water again and noted that the vines hanging there had now gone still. Continuing to watch the water, Ana’s mind began working feverishly, trying to determine if this new information could be of any help.
Hearing a slight noise to her left, Ana looked over and saw fish bones come sailing out of the trees, landing on the path in small piles. Turning back to the swamp, she saw the vines becoming agitated again, repeating the entire process and once more disappearing into the treetops with their meal.
She suddenly remembered the birds and the flowers from her last trip. A symbiotic relationship had developed, allowing both species to benefit. The birds had fed the flowers fresh fish and in return, the plants produced a slime that the birds ate. Ana wondered if a gift of food would be enough to convince the vines to allow her and Jax to pass. It looked like she was going to have to go fishing.
Ana had never been fishing in her life, another pastime that had held little interest as it seemed both boring and useless. Now she had no choice but to try her hand at it. Unfortunately, Ana knew very little about the process and wasn’t sure she would be able to pull this off.
She knew there was no way she would ever manage this u
sing a pole. The multiple steps involved in making one were both labor intensive and probably almost impossible to achieve. First, she would need to find suitable piece of wood, either by searching for one or by trying to craft something. Then, some sort of string or cord would have to be fashioned and Ana wasn’t sure her floss, the only thing currently available, would be strong enough to hold a fish. Even if she were to get this far, fashioning a hook could prove to be difficult, if not completely out of the question. Finally, should she be both lucky and successful in creating a suitable rod, Ana would need to dig up something to use as bait, hoping whatever was found wasn’t poisonous. And that was all before the hook was thrown into the water. After dropping the line, Ana would need to both catch and land a fish that was acceptable, then do it all over again. Looking back at the wall of vines and unable to determine its width, Ana had no way of making any sort of guess as to how many fish would be needed but was certain it would be a lot more than she would be able to catch in an afternoon using only a pole. She also had no way of knowing if the fish would be acceptable to the vines and if they would even take them if any of the fish died.
Ana thought about it for a bit, then rose and trotted down the water’s edge, scanning the immediate vicinity until she found an acceptable lily pad. Jax had jumped down as Ana stood, but followed Ana to the waterline, watching intently at everything Ana did. Reaching out, Ana snagged the pad and pulled it in. She removed the roots and tubers, then studied the pad itself. Having zero desire to enter the scummy water, Ana instead set about braiding the roots and hooking them under the pad to create a rudimentary net. Thinking if it could be tossed far enough out, Ana believed she should be able to troll the water, picking up fish as the net was hauled back in.
The roots from one pad were not enough, so Ana was forced to pull several more. It took longer than she liked to create what she thought was suitable, but after it had been completed, a rough net with four long roots attached to each corner lay at Ana’s feet. Placing the pad in the center, Ana tossed the contraption in the water and started hauling it back in. And immediately realized her mistake. The pad was buoyant, so it only skimmed the top, not catching anything but algae and the occasional bug. But what water the pad caught didn’t filter through, making the pad incredibly heavy and almost impossible to pull. Ana let go of two of the roots, allowing the water to run out of the pad, then pulled the entire thing back in. She studied it for a few minutes, then made several slices in the center. Tossing it back in the water, Ana found the water now filtered out the back as intended, but the rips grew when it was pulled, meaning that the weight of any fish caught would probably destroy the pad or the rips would become so large the pad would only last for one pass or worse, the fish would escape through the ever-widening gaps.
When Ana retrieved the pad, she saw that even with the rips, she had managed to catch a few fish. Picking up the entire thing, she trotted over to the green curtain and dropped the fish on the ground, taking a step back after the rude net was empty. The reaction was instantaneous. The surrounding vines attacked the small pile of fish, curling towards the tree canopy and leaving a slight opening in the wall. The opening lasted only minutes before the vines dropped back down, but Ana thought that those few moments would be enough, provided she moved swiftly.
Ana quickly realized a lot more fish were going to be needed, along with a way to carry them when she entered the vines. She knew this would be a one-way trip and that she was going to have to move fast. Extremely fast. Ana was sure that as she worked her way forward, the vines behind would eventually drop, essentially trapping her inside. She had to make sure there were enough fish to get all the way through.
Moving back to the water’s edge, Ana studied the rudimentary net. Placing the pad on the ground, she removed the root webbing and laid it out. She then removed her shirt and placed it in the netting.
“Jax. Hey, Jax!” Ana called, motioning her companion to her side. “Do me a favor and stay with me. I will probably need your help in a few. Thanks, furball.”
Ana tossed the shirt, now backed by the root web, into the water and dragged. The shirt and roots sunk as they were pulled back in, initially raising her hopes the plan would work. Unfortunately, the shirt balled up as the net was hauled, and the first pass only netted more scum, causing Ana to curse softly in frustration. Removing the shirt carefully to avoid as much of the algae as possible, Ana walked to the nearest stream and thoroughly rinsed it. Returning to the net, she tied the shirt to each corner, using the sleeves for the top and tying the section where the two flaps buttoned together for the bottom. Standing as close to the water as possible, Ana tossed the net one more time.
This time, even though the shirt retained quite a bit of water, most slowly filtered out the back as it was being dragged. When Ana had pulled the net almost to shore, she lifted it clear of the water, letting the last bits drain out while grunting at its weight. When it stopped dripping, she turned and placed it next to the pad, happy to see that the net had caught at least twenty or more small fish in just this one pass. With Jax’s help, Ana emptied the fish into the pad, then stood up and tossed the shirt again.
She repeated the process until the pad was overflowing. Knowing it would be heavy, at least to start, Ana opted to drag it behind her. Returning to the stream, she rinsed the shirt out again, utilizing a tiny sliver of soap to get it as clean as possible. Ana then washed her hands, drank her fill, and squatted to speak to her companion.
“Okay, Jax, time to go. Not sure I have enough fish, but the pad won’t hold anymore, so it will have to do. Drink up, furball, while I go harvest enough food to hold us for a while.”
Ana ruffled the little animal’s fur, then returned to the swamp and harvested a few more lily pads. Quickly stripping them down and cutting off the nodules, she stored them in her pack, leaving a small space on top. Shaking the shirt to remove as much moisture as possible, Ana put it back on, carefully lifting it over the rash to keep the possibility of infection down. She returned to the pad full of fish, hoping it would be enough to get through the vines safely. Laying the netting alongside, Ana dragged the pad onto it, replacing any fish that fell out.
Jax had followed Ana, staying at her side but out of the way. The little animal helped her replace the fish in the pad, then looked at Ana, confusion written across her furry face.
“Time to make yourself less of a target, furball,” Ana told Jax, pointing inside the pack. “I know it’s tight, but it’s safer for you in there than on my shoulder. Stay put until I tell you to come out, okay?” Dropping a kiss to the top of Jax’s head once the animal had gotten settled, Ana hoisted the pack. Grunting at the extra weight, Ana took up the long ends of the net and started moving.
Ana slowly dragged the pad with its load of fish to the vine wall, careful to make sure it didn’t catch on anything and stopping to replace any fish that fell out. Reaching the wall of vines, she took a handful of the potential food and tossed it directly in front of her. The vines immediately seized the fish and curled skyward, allowing Ana to move forward. She continued the process as quickly as she could, moving the minute the vines grabbed the pile and making sure to keep the pad as close as possible. Just as she suspected, the vines behind dropped once she passed, leaving only a tiny place in which to work. Ana continued in this manner, never slowing even when the air became fetid and claustrophobia set in. Taking shallow breaths, Ana moved steadily forward, picking up the pad once it became light enough to carry. Her progress became quicker as the pad became lighter, allowing Ana to increase her pace.
She almost made it. Ana could hear the surf, an indication that beach was not that far away. Unfortunately, the pad was empty, and without any more fish, there was no way to force the vines to let her pass. Knowing she couldn’t take time to puzzle this through, Ana realized there was only one option available. Gently unsheathing the knife, she softly reminded Jax not to move. Gripping the blade tightly, Ana slowly raised her arm and tensed. In one fluid
motion, she cut an arc from left to right across the nearest vines, then leapt forward as the cut vines left a small opening after they fell. Swinging the knife back, Ana cut another arc, slicing another small opening that she immediately stepped into. The vines went into a frenzy, but Ana ignored them and concentrated only on what was directly in front of her. The next slice opened a clear view of the beach. One final swipe and she was through. A green goo had seeped out of the open ends of the cut vines, splattering Ana as she moved, but she couldn’t take the time to wipe it off yet. As soon as the last cut vines fell, Ana took off and headed straight for the water. And screamed as she felt a vine wrap itself around one ankle and pull.
Falling face first in the sand, Ana struggled as she tried to get away. Another vine joined the first, causing her to shriek in pain as it wrapped itself tightly around the same ankle and yanked. Ana could feel herself being dragged backwards and when she plunged her hands into the sand to try and stop the motion, it had no effect other than leaving deep trails behind her. Reaching around, Ana unhooked the pack and tossed it as far as she could, telling Jax to grab it and run. Once Jax had safely exited the pack, she quickly rolled and sliced the two vines, leaving a coil from each still wrapped around her ankle. Ana tried to stand but fell over, the ankle refusing to support her weight. Leaning back, she pushed off with both feet, using her arms to pull her body away from the wall of green. Several more vines were reaching out and terror spiked Ana’s adrenaline, allowing her to move even faster. Eventually, the vines dropped back and retreated, finally allowing Ana to slow down. She continued a little further, panting and sobbing in both pain and relief before ultimately coming to a stop. The ankle was throbbing, and her throat was now raw from screaming, but Ana had at long last made it.
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