Fight or Flight

The loud chirping of a bird overhead woke me as the sun barely shone through the dense trees above. It had been another day in the bitter Amazon rainforest, and what was supposed to be an exciting forest exploration had turned into a nightmare. I was left alone with barely enough water to last the day before. The ground was littered with leaves and insects that rustled as I struggled to stand up, for it had rained the night before. Looking around, I saw that the storm had put out my fireplace, which probably explained why I had been so cold all night. All I had with me was a hunting knife, and finding something to eat seemed like an impossible task.

I spotted a small pond on the other side of the river, but keeping my balance on the muddy ground was difficult. Slipping and hurting myself was not a mistake I could afford, nor was drawing unnecessary attention to myself. The river was ankle-high, but that was the least of my worries. The water felt icy cold as my feet were starting to go numb. I felt myself losing my balance, stumbling to the other side and landing hard on my wrists. It felt like they were throbbing so hard they were going to explode, but I had to muster the strength to get up and use the tree next to me for support.

It was not far away, but as I trudged over the uneven ground, I heard rustling deep in the trees. "Please don't tell me that's what I think it is," I thought to myself.

Slowly, I brandished my knife, and I could feel my heart pulsating in my chest. The rustling stopped as I looked around and carefully cut through the branches hanging directly in front of me. Not a word, not another sound, except for the frogs croaking softly by the pond.

Carefully, I turned and dipped my hand into the pond, hoping to catch a fish. The icy cold water began to numb my wrists, leaving them painless for the moment. Something got caught in my fingertips, and when I pulled my hand out, I saw a grey fish gasping for air, tossing and turning in my hands.

Turning quickly to remove my backpack and find my lighter to start a fire, I saw the

shadow of an animal in the branches. There it was, what I hoped was not rustling in the leaves earlier. A jaguar met its eyes with mine, and I was defenceless, merely holding a fish in my hands.