Secret Sister Signs

1955: Force of Nature

Lucy sighed and removed her helmet. They were all resting their horses and the guides were rambling about the vast wildlife that lived in the jungle. She just wanted the sun to set. It had been so hot all day but, in the jungle, it was intensified with humidity. All sorts of annoying bugs crawled and buzzed around them, creating a constant hum that made her feel particularly sleepy. Suddenly she felt something on her shoulder. She turned her head wearily, expecting someone wanting her attention, but then she shrieked at the sight of spiked little yellow lizard with huge eyes staring at her. Still screaming, she raised her hand to smack it away.

"No, wait!" A guide quickly told her. "It's just a little gecko, Miss Lucy," hwe assured her. "They're considered to be good luck charms here around here, don't let it alarm you. Look! It even seems to like you," he smiled as if this was some sort of great accomplishment.

"Wha...?" Then she screamed again when she looked at it and frantically jump to her feet. "Somebody get it off me right now!" She shuddered with disgust as the gecko flicked out its round pink tongue.

"Of course, ma'am, no trouble," the guide hurried came over, but Mr. Gemlings got to her first.

"Wait, wait, I got it," Gemlings smiled. "Well, well, well, look who got lucky on this trip after all," he laughed when she glared at him. "What? The man just said they were good luck charms."

"Gemlings," Lucy snarled. "Remove this little monster at once."

"Aww, don't talk like that," he held out his finger to the yellow reptile, it flicked out its tongue a couple of times to taste him but didn't move from Lucy's shoulder. "A gecko is just a funny looking lizard. The South is crawling with lizards, right? I'm sure you've seen a million of them! They're just darling looking little things, I've always thought."

"Adorable," she growled. "Now remove it," she ordered.

"Don't get so cranked, in a minute," he grinned again. "Y'know, I always wanted a pet one of these things as a kid, but my mother always said -"

"Are you insane?!" She exclaimed. "Remove the beast at once! It's getting closer to my hair!" He was still laughing as he grabbed the little lizard gently.

"That's what my mother used to say." It began crawling up Gemlings' arm.

Lucy shuddered and quickly jumped away, brushing her shoulder off madly. "It's creepy. How can you let it crawl all over you?"

"Seriously?" He gave her a look. "You almost get eaten by hyenas and lions and leopards you're complaining about this little good luck charm? Please," he smirked. "He eats worms, the only one that should worry about getting eaten by a gecko should be Dave."

"Dave?"

"Dillard? Your house? Border? The con-artist?"

"Oh...him. And he is not a con artist," she remembered to add with exasperation.

"Agree to disagree," he rolled his eyes.

"Well, thanks for the help, Gemlings," she shakily nodded and then took a deep breath and turned to the guide. "My dear, when can we leave?" She attempted to sound calm and tried to smile angelically.

"Just a few minutes more, Miss Swift, then we'll get back on the trail."

"Wonderful," she gave a curt nod, then shot Gemlings another look before she briskly marched off.

***

The safari was suddenly stopped.

It was stopped by two guides from the exposition ahead of them, Lily's guides. "We're afraid we can't let you go any farther," they called. Lucy was too far away to hear anymore as they quickly swapped information with her guides. But eventually they turned away.

"Sorry, folks, we'll have to turn around," they begin leading the horses down an adjacent path.

This is ridiculous! She thought as she followed the others. "What's going on? What happened?" She called. "I mean, why won't they let us through?" This was the closest she had been to her sister in over a month! She kept looking over her shoulder at the path they had turned away from.

"Unfortunately, there's been an outbreak of some sort in the village we were supposed to be staying at."

"What about the other sarfariers?" Lily was with them! "Where are they at?"

"They are still there, under quarantine, I'm afraid." The guide sadly shook his head.

"But my sister is with them! I must get to her. At leastwise let me go!"

"They won't let you in. They're not letting anyone near the village. They say it's too dangerous."

"But...but I..." The guide shook his head again and gestured for her to keep up. She stoically did so but her mind was whirling. There was no way she was going to travel farther away from Lily when she had come so close. No, she would find a way to get to her Lily even if that meant escaping in the middle of the night to do so. They have another coming if they think I'll let a little disease stand between me and my sister. She had grappled with worse things to get to her sister. There was nothing that could stop her from getting to Lily's side.

She needs me, she felt so certain of it.