I lean down and press my lips to the crown of her head. One thing civilization brings is an end to our private journey. The path widens, and beside the tracks of animals, there’s no denying the presence of men.
We’re close.
NINETEEN
Rosalie
Hayes and I move on after spending the night beside the river. I fed the fire while Hayes recovered from his near-drowning event. Our clothes are dry, our spirits up. We head out early, eager to leave the jungle behind.
As we walk deeper into the forest, we notice small signs of civilization: a worn path here, a stream there. A sense of hope and excitement grows inside of me, knowing that we’re getting closer to civilization.
“We must be getting close.” Excitement grows within me.
But as we push on, the jungle grows denser and more overgrown. Hayes and I are extra cautious, watching out for rough tree roots and large rocks hidden beneath the undergrowth. Our pace slows as we carefully pick our way forward.
As we walk, the sun shines down on us, warming our tired bodies and bringing a renewed sense of hope. We chat and laugh, amazed at how quickly our moods have changed since last night.
Hayes is a great companion, always making me laugh and keeping me entertained. I want to get closer to him, to touch his skin, and feel his warmth against me.
As I leave the jungle behind and head off into the unknown, I’m filled with excitement and a bit of trepidation.
After several hours of hiking, the underbrush thickens as the trees thin and allow more light to penetrate near the ground. We stop for a moment to take in the view. Behind us, the jungle appears endless and teeming with life. It’s a beautiful sight. Dangerous for the unaware, but it welcomed us.
We leave the comfort of the jungle behind, and I can’t help but feel gutted by the loss.
Civilization brings the unknown.
By late afternoon, we hit the boundary of the forest. Hedge rows spread out in the distance, outlining farmers’ fields and fertile crops. The air is much hotter and more humid than in the forest. It takes my breath away, but I force myself to focus on the task at hand.
We approach the outskirts of a village and my anxiety spikes. As much as I wish we could disappear into the jungle and leave everything behind forever, we can no longer avoid the inevitable.
We find ourselves in a small clearing, surrounded by houses made of thatched roofs and mud-brick walls. A few villagers mill around, talking among themselves, but they seem indifferent to our presence.
I breathe a sigh of relief and tuck tight against Hayes. We head to the nearest house, where an old woman sits outside on a stump. Before her is a flat stone with a fire underneath. She rolls balls of dough, smashes them flat with her hands, then cooks the tortilla on the heated stone.
“You should let me do the talking.” I keep my voice low. “Unless your Spanish...”
“No. I agree. Ask her if there’s anyone in the village with a phone, or if she knows of another village that has one.”
I approach the old woman and start up a conversation. While I talk, Hayes canvasses for threats, while trying to appear non-threatening. Which is laughable, considering he towers over the villagers and is obviously not a native.
They keep a wide berth around him but are friendly to me.
The woman looks at him with distrust. I get her hesitation. How often do strangers appear out of nowhere?
“We’re lost and looking for help.”
“Where did you come from?”
“Tourists.” I don’t give specifics. “We got turned around and lost. We’re tired, hungry, but mostly want to call home.”
“You can’t stay. Up the path…” She points to a well-worn path leading out of the jungle. “There are others who can help.” The miserly woman offers no further aid. With a dismissive snort, she turns away.
Despite her dismissal, I thank her and pull Hayes to the side.
“She says there’s a village up the road. How far? I don’t know. What do we do now?”
He grimaces with the news, but doesn’t appear surprised.
“How sure did she sound about the next village having a phone?”
“She didn’t. Only that there were others who could help us. I assume it’s bigger than this one, but I’m not so sure she understood what I was asking.”
“We continue on. News of our arrival will spread. We keep moving.”
There’s no need for him to expound on that. Matias is out there, looking for me. Word will spread. We just have to stay ahead of it.
We pass through the village without incident and continue along a path that leads away from the village and dumps out on a well-worn road. I debate asking Hayes if we should return to the jungle, but that will slow us down. He’s right.
Right now, speed is our advantage.
The miles pile up behind us. Soon, the sun dips toward the horizon. It’s been a long day, with little rest.
“How are you holding up?” Hayes takes my hand in his, giving a little squeeze of assurance.
“Tired.”
“Need a break?”
“The next village can’t be that far. I’m good to keep going.”
“Okay, if we don’t come across it soon, we’ll find somewhere safe to settle down for the night.”
“Agreed.” A large yawn escapes me. “Sorry. I’m more tired than I thought. Give it another hour?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
We continue along the road, but it becomes clear we’re not going to make it to the next village before nightfall. We come across a small clearing that seems like the perfect place to set up camp.
“This looks like a good spot.” Hayes tugs me off the road. “No fire tonight, though.”
“I thought as much.” I’m disappointed, but understand. We can’t draw any unwanted attention. An old, broad-leafed tree catches my eyes. “There’s a tree at the edge of the jungle. I say we sleep in it? Like old times? It keeps us off the ground…”
“Yeah, like old times.” Hayes agrees with my logic. Sleeping in the middle of the field leaves us exposed.
It only takes us a few minutes to cross the field and climb the tree. Like the other one, we find a safe place to curl up for the night. We have the advantage of height, and should see, or hear, anyone long before they get to us. With the shadows growing long around us, I snuggle with Hayes as we prepare to spend one last night in the jungle.
He holds me through the night, taking the first watch, then he gently shakes me awake.
“What time is it?” I stretch out the kinks and blink to clear the sleep from my eyes.
“Oh-four hundred.”
“Four in the morning?” I give a start and poke him in the arm. “You were supposed to wake me to take second watch.”
“You were dreaming.”
“Hayes…” I shake my head. “We both need rest. You can’t do it on your own.”
He looks like he’s about to disagree, but gives in with a nod.
“I’ll grab a couple of hours. Wake me at first light and we’ll get a jump on the day.”
“Any sign of…”
“I doubt anyone in that village alerted Matias to our presence.”