imaginary rifle at the motionless creatures. Riley turned away. Weston’s
need to be the center of attention every moment disgusted her. But his reaction to
the bats was just a little too close to the way she was feeling—and she didn’t want
to feel anything at all in common with the man.
She turned her attention back to her mother, taking her hand and gripping it tightly.
This morning they’d left the main river and begun the journey up the tributary toward
one of the most remote parts of Peru. The jungle had closed around them, at times
nearly scraping the sides of the two boats chugging upriver. The forest was in constant
motion, almost as if the very animals were following them. Monkeys stared with great
round eyes. Colorful macaws fluttered above their heads, darting in and out of the
tree canopy.
They were definitely entering the world of the rain forest, the lush jungle of mystery
that only deepened and became more dangerous with each passing second. The river narrowed,
and the air grew still with the dark pungent scents of the deep rain forest. She recognized
the signs. Soon, the river would be impossible to navigate. They would be forced to
abandon the boats and tramp through the forest on foot. Unlike many places in the
rain forest where it was easy to walk because very little could live on the forest
floor without too much light, this area was dense. She’d traveled extensively, but
the smells and the stillness of this place was a thing she’d found nowhere else on
earth. Unlike any of her previous visits, this time Riley felt a little claustrophobic.
“Hey, Mack,” Don called to the other engineer. “What the hell is going on now? I swear
the jungle is alive.” He gave a nervous laugh as he pointed out the strange way the
branches dipped down and reached toward them as the boat passed.
Everyone turned to watch the bank closest to them as a great green wave built, following
them. Every branch shivered, leaves unfolding and stretching out across the water
as if seeking to stop their progress upriver. The first boat had passed unscathed,
but the moment the second boat came close to the bank, the leaves reached for them.
The stirring was eerie, as if the jungle had really come alive like Don said.
Riley’s heart dropped. She’d seen the phenomenon many times before. Her mother attracted
plants everywhere she went. There was no getting around it. The force of the magnet
in her had never been quite this strong, but the thick foliage along both banks welcomed
her with opened arms, even grew inches in an attempt to try to touch her. It never
was good to draw too much attention to oneself in the rain forest around the superstitious
guides and porters. Riley felt a deep need to protect her mother. She stepped between
her mother and the bank, gripping the railing with both hands and staring out at the
unfolding plants with wide, shocked eyes.
“Wow,” she added to the sudden murmur of conversation. “This is amazing.”
“It’s creepy,” Mack said, stepping back away from the rail.
The porters and the guide stared at the reaching plants and trees and then turned
to look directly at Annabel. They whispered to each other. Riley felt other eyes on
them. Both Gary and Jubal were looking at her mother as well. Only the three engineers
stared into the rain forest as it closed in around them.
The two boats continued upstream, drawing closer to the mountain. Black caimans, giant
dinosaurs of the past, sunned themselves on the banks, keeping a hungry eye on the
small boats invading their space. Great clouds of black insects bit every inch of
exposed skin and got caught in hair and even teeth, this time mosquitoes and other
bloodsucking bugs. There was nothing to do but endure it. Below them, the dark waters
grew shallow, slowing progress, and twice, the boat ground to a halt and had to be
cut free of the tangled reeds reaching out
Katherine Alice Applegate