The Forest at Night

Gonzo and Jumanji had walked for miles, stopping only to collect a pear or coconut from a tree. Thus far, they had only one pear and one coconut.

The day was breaking and they seemed to be getting lost.

"Looks like we're slowly yet surely approaching the swamp," said Gonzo as he noted an increased level of mud on his shoes.

If there was a day where time was on Gonzo and Jumanjis side, it was not today.

"Where'd the sun go?" asked Jumanji, as he recalled they had only 3 coconuts and 2 pears to live on.

"We might be in tribe territory," said Gonzo as he noted the footprints etched in the now solidified mud while setting his sleeping bag.

Jumanji had started to clear his sleeping area of the strange bugs he had sketched in his pocket data book seconds ago when he was stuck with tragedy.

Due to the possibility of a tribesman encounter, Gonzo appointed Jumanji as president of the night watch council (he would be awarded one coconut). An hourglass was set, and after the final grain of sand fell, Jumanji’s turn as night watch would be over.

That night, Jumanji's spirit mixed with the forests as he witnessed the dark side of the forest. Be it the rustling he heard, fresh pine he smelt, firefly he saw, fresh air he felt, or pear he tasted--none could truly describe the surreal surrounding atmosphere the forest was enveloped in.

Time itself had fallen into a dark backward and abysm the night Jumanji heard a wolves cry.

"Wolves?" whispered Jumanji to a sleeping Gonzo.

"Gonzo, wolves!" said Jumanji silently to a snoring Gonzo. Jumanji returned to watching the forest. Jumanji's spiritual conversation with the forest resumed after another wolves cry.

After the hourglass indicated his watch was up, Jumanji shook Gonzo.

"It's your turn now", but Gonzo only mumbled.

"Gonzo, I hear something getting near!" exclaimed Jumanji, no longer whispering.

"What!" said Gonzo, who had awoken and could also hear something getting near.

"Good, you're awake," said Jumanji, "now I can finally sleep,"

"Not now, Jumanji! We have to make a run for it--there's no time," exclaimed Gonzo, who was hastily packing up his sleeping bed.

Before Jumanji had time to look back, Gonzo pulled him into a run--a direction reverse of the sound--into the darkness.

"Do you know where we're going?" asked Jumanji.

"Just run if you don't want to encounter an undesirable!"

Gonzo observed that he and Jumanji were in the swamp. The swamp! No the swamp, what with its yellow alligators, red leeches, green poison mushrooms, and green snakes! This was going to be quite an adventure--and they hadn't even reached Zenzou's Isle yet!

WILL THE ADVENTURORS GET THROUGH THE SWAMP ALIVE?
To be continued…