Safe and Sound

Chapter 1

The trees around me danced in a sequence of rhythmic steps performed under the supervision of the music provided by the howling wind. Some of them stood tall looking at the sky making me do the same as I wondered about the sudden change in the atmosphere of the jungle.

I looked up as the dark clouds covered the hot sun, veiling its golden beauty and hotness - for which I was grateful because the unrelenting heat made my jungle trip seem like the trip to hell - making the whole sky dark.

I looked at the happily swaying trees again and stared at them dumbfounded. Shouldn't they be disappointed because there was no one to give them sunlight? Maybe, they too were fed up of this bloody hot climate.

Well, who cares? I was busy observing the rich, lush and green surroundings around me. Fortunately, I got the chance to see the dozens of species of migratory birds in flight, the monkeys swaying tails and swinging from tree to tree - not to forget the glimpse I got of some weird-creepy-kind-of insects - And, of course, I was busy walking more like dragging my feet as I was squeezed between two bodyguards guarding my front and derrière respectively - though it was the most useless thing I'd ever known. Well, not exactly two bodyguards, one was the bodyguard while the other was my stone-headed employer.

The next few miles I was just straying my eyes all around and moving my head like a wheel, looking from the trees to the sky and then from Karim to Mr. Ambrose - just to see their expressions but again, both of their faces were implacable. The wheeling of my head resulted in the excessive pain in my head as my brain thumped against my skull. Since when did my brain adopt the function of my heart?

I clutched my head with both of my hands as the organ responsible for the intelligence of a person took away my curb. And when I thought my brain was bumping against my head something bumped into my back or rather someone.

What was that with everyone bumping?

'Bloody Hell!' I cursed as I fell on my knees and balanced myself with my hand as I didn't want to land face-first on the ground. I didn't move from the spot as I poured the list of all the profanities I had known since birth until-

'Mr. Linton get up. We don't have time to waste.'

'You,You ! Blast you! You are the one responsible for my fall!'

'Indeed Mr. Linton? I don't remember wandering around looking at the sky.' He said coolly as he eyed my posture. 'I presume that you have ultimately decided to be an animal.'

'Why, thank you very much! In fact I had decided to become a carnivore.' I smiled at him very sweetly. 'I advise you to go away from me before I kill you bare-handed and eat you up.'

'I don't pay you to become a ravenous beast.'

'Of course, you wouldn't, sir.'

I smiled looking at him.

'Now, Mr. Linton get up! We don't have all day to laze around.'

Taking his hand which he had offered - because he knew very well I wouldn't get up on my own without wasting his time - I stood up on my feet.

I smiled dusting my clothes with my hands.

'Yes sir, right away, sir!'

*

We were walking for hours as the jungle swallowed us in its impenetrable thickness while the dark clouds swallowed the burning fire ball from the sky. The very existence of the light disappeared from our surroundings. The only thing which didn't cease but only increased was the darkness and of course, my headache.

The stormy winds brewed in all directions. The trees bowed towards us while our feet discovering the depths of jungle - though I felt like I would collapse anytime - never stopped, thanks to Mr Rikkard Ambrose.