The Green and the Violet

Afternoon on the Amazon

  ***Note: the following chapter has no dialogue. It was written entirely to flow in sync with the soundtrack of my choice...
(BG Music: The Right Path by Thomas Greenberg)
Sometime later found Chris and Aviva cruising down the placid waters of the Amazon river, now swollen by the recent rains. The pair leisurely rowed in their canoe, their eyes looking in all directions, admiring the pristine, tranquil state of the rainforest, and pointing out the various animals that came in their direction: mild mannered capybaras, giant rodents, foraging for aquatic vegetation or frolicking in the cool water; playful otters splashing and play fighting among themselves in the shallows; cold blooded caimans basking along the river's edge; and flocks of scarlet, blue-and-yellow, and even the extremely rare Spix's macaws flew overhead in dazzling arrays of color. Giant lily pads measuring over ten feet in diameter dotted the surface of the river, firmly anchored by elongated underwater stalks, the perfect resting spots for various frogs and dragonflies. Further down river, they drifted to a part of the forest that had been completely flooded over by the deluge. As a result, the trees and foliage were now submerged thirty feet underwater. Despite this, life carried on as myriads of different kinds of fish from colorful peacock bass to giant Arapaimas swam through every nook and cranny, seemingly unbothered by the change in the scenery while freshwater stingrays lazily cruised along the sandy bottom. And high in the canopy above, the tropical birds and monkeys, who so seldom venture on the ground, continued their daily routine, business as usual.
   Suddenly, a slight disturbance scattered the fish, slightly rocking the canoe a little. The surface of the water was disturbed by slight ripples, and occasionally pierced by the movements of smooth, streamlined bodies as a school of river dolphins glided effortlessly through the water. Some of the elusive cetaceans boldly approached the boat, tiny eyes peering curiously at the strange creatures traversing in their world. Chris and Aviva were equally entranced by the sight of aquatic mammals, typically associated with life in the ocean, flying in and out of the submerged tree trunks and flooded forests of the Amazon. The couple exchanged knowing glances.
Joining the dolphins proved to be a temptation too great to resist. Before long, the pair swam and splashed in the water alongside the frolicking cetaceans who performed lazy acrobatics beneath the surface, seemingly without a care in the world.
Leaving the river behind them, the pair traveled hand in hand along a well worn path further into the jungle. The Kratt in green carried well filled picnic basket in his free hand, the basket courtesy of Jimmy's teleporter while the inventor walked with a spring in her step, adorning a violet flower behind her ear. The pair arrived at a small grassy meadow in the center of a forest clearing, the ideal spot for a picnic. They were just about to get settled when a tiny water droplet suddenly splashed on Chris' nose, earning a giggle from Aviva.
Others soon followed, faintly dripping on the surrounding leaves and foliage in the jungle like silent chimes.
Drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop.

The rainforest's various insects, amphibians, snakes and lizards began to slink away silently, instinctively taking refuge in the relative dryness under the cover of thick foliage or scurrying for their burrows.

  Drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop.

The larger jungle denizens also read the signs and started to retreat, disappearing without a trace. Flocks of tropical birds abandoned the skies to take shelter in the branches from what was to come.

  Drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop drip-drop.

   Thunder rumbled from the heavens, and without further warning, the skies unleashed their torrential downpour. All thoughts of their picnic forgotten, Chris and Aviva scrambled back to the tree line to escape the rain, laughing as they splashed through puddles or slipped over the muddy ground, ever mindful not to accidentally tread on the emerging worms in their path. In the flight to take cover from the deluge, a careless misstep on the inventor's part caused her to trip over on the slippery quagmire, sending her tumbling straight into Chris. Needless to say, the impact caused the pair to fall ungracefully in a SPLASH!
They struggled for half a minute to right their footing, a task which proved difficult on such muddy terrain. Aviva slipped for perhaps the fourth or fifth time, falling forward. But instead of the cold wet ground, her right hand made contact with Chris' palm, who had an inviting smile adorning his face. This caused her to smile back, and before they knew it, the couple found themselves waltzing in the pouring rain, oblivious to all else, their eyes solely on each other. The Amazonian torrents continued to fall, dampening their skin and clothing, but they did little to dampen their hearts filled with happiness and love for one another as they danced on. The earth has music for those who listen.
Chris and Aviva then gazed deeply into each other's eyes, hazel brown meeting stormy gray, their faces slowly drifting closer and closer, eyelids beginning to close, until they paused, now just a lip's distance apart. A momentary pause... until the next moment, their lips met in a passionate kiss. Aviva's arms wrapped around Chris' neck as his strong but gentle arms constricted around her waist, deepening the kiss, slow yet full of meaning and passion.
Moments later found the pair snuggled under the shelter of an ancient fig tree, a warm blanket draped over them. Aviva's head resting on Chris' chest as the Kratt in green was lying on his back, neither saying a word as they watched the rain continue to pour outside. Before too long, the pair drifted off to sleep, lulled by the steady drumming of the tropical rain.
                                  The End
**** That concludes The Green and the Violet! I hope y'all enjoyed it, I know I had a lot of fun writing it. And the image above was made by yours truly...
And special shoutout to dragonrider1234 for inspiration and all those who followed/favorited this story! Means much more than you can imagine, and I apologize for the long wait... Hope y'all are doing well despite all that's going on in the world. But keep in mind that no storm lasts forever. The sun will come out again, just wait and see. ;) Remember to stay safe and take care of your personal hygiene. And hopefully with all this extra time, we'll be expecting some new chapters and content in the not too distant future. See y'all on the creature trail!