Up In Flames

Chapter 2

"Dead?" I barely spit out the word. "But... how? What's going on?" I began to cry.

"I am so sorry, Frumble," says Bombo. "Kembi died because there was a forest fire. Some humans were messing around on a tropical camping trip, and they decided it would be fun to light a fire and leave it for the animals to deal with. Kembi was gathering food when the fire began to get bad. It started to spread very quickly. She tried to run away, but she didn't make it. That's why we have to get out of the rainforest now. We could be next."

I don't think my life has ever been in danger before, but a memory tugs at the corner of my brain. I see a large snake, but then the image quickly disappears. I wonder what that meant.

Bombo interrupts my thoughts. "Turn around and see if the fire is following us."

Pookie and I both turn and and flames in the distance. A loud wailing siren begins to sound. Even though we are flying away, I see humans in weird yellow uniforms drop out of helicopters. Big red vehicles arrive shortly after. They begin to squirt water at the flames, causing them to slowly die away. I keep staring at the humans until I can't see them any more.

"Are those humans trying to help?" Pookie asks.

"Yes they are," Bombo replies. "The men in uniforms are good people. They are using water to put out the fire."

Pookie still looks skeptical, but she needs to trust Bombo. Bombo is the only one I trust, although I am seriously considering trusting Pookie. She is so beautiful...

I guess I am staring again, because Pookie gives me a strange look.

"Okay, I think we are safe. We are in another part of our rainforest that the fire hopefully won't get to," Bombo pipes.

I almost forgot that we were riding on his back. Pretty tree kangaroos can take a toll on your brain, even in the worst situations.

"Wait," I say. "Wouldn't the rain put out the fire?"

"The rain couldn't have, the fire was too big." Bombo replies.

Bombo swoops down onto a tree, and we get off of him.

"I think we're safe," Pookie says, still shocked from the fire.

She spoke too soon. The three of us jump as we hear a low hiss. Suddenly, I feel woozy.

A hiss was heard. I whined for my mom, but she was right behind. me. Suddenly, I was being carried, and I thought I saw my mom, dying...

"Frumble? Frumble, can you hear me?" I hear Uncle Bombo ask.

I rub my head. What was that? "Yeah, I'm okay." I don't want to tell Bombo about that vision. It was probably a nightmare, anyway. Uncle Bombo distracts me from my thoughts.

"We have to go," Uncle Bombo says, sounding more worried than usual. "A python is following us."