I have forgotten what dry was. The relentless pounding of water that engulfs everything, I can deal with. The infections on my feet that the rain causes are beginning to inch further and deeper into my skin, yet I can tolerate this. Hiking all day in these cheap government issued mud covered sponges I can deal with. My toes have been replaced with blisters that remind me of my misery with every step; but still I can deal with this. Even the biting, stinging, and burning insects don’t compare. I really don’t mind sharing the moisture in my mouth or eyes with them. Since I've been here the most flavorful thing I’ve tasted has been the salt from sweat pouring off me. The repugnant smells I've gotten used too. I have been accustomed to the smell of death as I inch closer to it. None of these things compare to the sounds. The sounds ravage me.
I wish I was deaf; the sounds torment me throughout the night. We’ve trekked all day and my joints now threaten to crumble when I move. We set up camp hours ago and now I can hear the watchman’s steady breathing as he begins to sleep. Every cell of my being is pleading with me to sleep, but these sounds forbid it. I can hear the rain as it dive-bombs the plants, the sharp splash as it makes contact with the millions of leaves. I can feel my pulse echoing in my ears as it accelerates the pounding is maddening. The jungle creatures are beginning to taunt me; they move as I attempt to catch a glimpse at them. First from above; my eyes dart upwards as quick as the lightening that exposes us. Just when I'm sure I’ve found the culprit it has moved, now deeper into the trees, again now with more movement. The trees now ruffling as hundreds of demons are moving about; I know they're targeting me I can hear them laughing.
I need to sleep, tonight is the night. A promise I tell myself every night, a promise that the jungle sets out to break. My heart drops and my hairs begin to stand on end; the jungle has sent out its soldiers. I can feel their legs clinging to my neck; they march in single file just as we did all day. I shouldn't swat at them; I've done it before and the outcome is too familiar to me. The first slap would be a signal to them that would send them in a frenzy. They will scatter about my body biting and stinging with every step. I would instinctively flail my arms and attempt to bombard them with more swats. This was not an option tonight, not now. I couldn’t risk alerting the true insects that were lurking just behind the tree line. My breathing is too heavy. Is it enough to agitate them? They've begin to spread out in search for food. Will they be able to hear my pulse? I don't see how they won’t; it is so loud it’s started to fracture my skull. The rain has decided to remind me of its presence. I can see the shadows moving faster now. Why won't they show their faces! They're jumping about from limb to limb; gravity is no hindrance to them.
They're mocking me again. Why do they laugh at us? They're no different than the soldiers. When we walk they ignore me. As we set up camp, they ignored us. I can see them stare at us! They don't care that we're slowly dying!
The storm has picked up. The jungle does nothing if not amplify the thunder. My mind stops as the monstrous bang erupts. First the flash, it reveals more jungle and reminds me that I'm truly surrounded. With every flash I can feel their eyes bearing down on me. Then the explosion of the thunder; my ears ring with every crash.
How are they asleep? How can they even think to sleep when we are surrounded. We’ve been in this jungle since the start of the war. The movement in the trees has gotten worse. Whatever is out there is even tearing some down. I can hear the splintering crashes as they are dragged down. Every time I look up the leaves shake; they're laughing at us again. What can we do? Our rifle! It’s only a foot to our left. If I move slowly it might not alert the colony of insects that have claimed our body. I close my eyes as I begin to extend our arm. I can feel the mud between our fingers, its cold; I'm tired of the cold. We hate the cold. I clasp my hand on the gun's stock. Relief cascades over me. now we can defend our-self. No we slowly begin to retract our arm soon our rifle will be able to protect us.
This whole country wants me gone; my own country, company, and mind have forsaken me. I don't trust them they stare at me in silence, as the jungle screams. But now we have our rifle the voice hissed. Leave! I want you to leave!
The movement hasn't let up. My eyes widen, maybe I'll be able to get a glimpse of whatever has been keeping me up. We have our rifle now Yes. The cowards won't dare show their faces now! What if they did? When they do show themselves, I'll make them pay for the torture they put us through. And then? Then I'll dance on their graves and finally be able to sleep.
The rain is trying to wash away our new strength. Let it try. When will this end? Whenever you want it to YOU'RE LYING, I want you to leave! run through the jungle the voice whispered LEAVE! run through the jungle it beckoned. I won't go in there, not alone! You're not alone, you just need to…RUN THROUGH THE JUNGLE, It hissed at me You're no different then what’s out there!
The movements in the trees began to creep closer and the laughs amplified. ENOUGH LAUGHING!
The rain slowed, the movement in the trees began to stop. I gripped my gun as I began to stand, slowly and cautiously. The rain let the smell of the damp jungle rush towards me. My feet were numb, and my toes seemed fine. I closed my eyes and listened attentively. It seemed quiet.
Suddenly a tsunami of hot wind stormed past me, almost taking my rifle with it. A bright flash revealed the jungle to me again. And finally the deafening burst of thunder pressed upon me as if the sky itself had collided with the ground. Now my ears began to ring the sound pounded my blank mind, there was movement around me. Figures began to awake and appeared to climb out of the ground around me. Through the ringing I began to hear the familiar whisper. Run through the Jungle. The figures began to point; their eyes glowing as they stared at me. They started to surround me, Run through the Jungle. One grabbed me on the arm; just as another reached for my rifle. RUN THROUGH THE JUNGLE, I squeezed the trigger, instantly the cold steel began to heat up. The ringing in my head was now joined with the accelerating pulsing of drums. The figures were now startled and more alert. I pulled the trigger at the one closest to me, I was showered by a warm rain just as the lead entered its neck. The beat of the drums quickened, the ringing still present but now the voice screamed, BETTER RUN THROUGH THE JUNGLE
I held my trigger down sweeping my rifle left and right. I looked down and noticed my legs were moving, faster and faster. Towards the jungle. I looked in the trees, they were still moving and I could hear them laughing. I pulled the trigger again. I knew they could die. I reached into my pocket grasping a new mag; I quickly swapped it out. The trees were still moving. I began to shoot and more debris began to fall. They stopped laughing; now I was laughing. I don't know how much time had passed but it didn't matter, the creatures were dying. The jungle was dying. I kept running and my speed seemed endless, but then my pace slowed. It was quiet. The laughing had stopped. I looked around, there was no noise, the rain was still cold, but suddenly there was warmth. It flowed from my neck, and I leaned against a tree. The warmth was dripping down to my chest and I slowly slid down the tree and softly landed on the ground. I couldn't feel the rain. The infections on my feet were cleared, they no longer burned. I no longer could feel the blisters, as I wriggled my toes. The bugs had abounded me, they had given up their fight. I couldn't taste my sweat, and when I breathed in through my nose I smelled nothing. I strained to hear the jungle, but it lay silent, the loud drums that had once pulsed in my ears finally went quiet. I smiled because I knew that tonight I would finally sleep. I closed my eyes; I was dry now.
