Freaky Friday (but on a Tuesday)

Chapter 9 - Welcome to the Jungle

Later on that very day, Mavis and Ericka were able to catch a local bus and had made their way to the Amazonian jungle. They were now at the edge of the grand rainforest, on their way to find the exact location of the crystal.

But, only after about ten minutes of walking, Mavis found herself exhausted and drenched in sweat under the blaring heat of the sun. Ericka peered over to her companion, taking note of her condition.

"Uh, Mavis? I think it might be better to switch you out of those clothes and into something more comfortable."

Mavis, gasping out for breath, tried to make herself sound a little more alert and enthusiastic as she responded. "Oh, that's okay, Ericka. I think I'm fine."

"You sure? I think I have something that may work better."

Mavis nodded. She took a few more steps but, unable to bear it anymore, heaved herself down on a nearby stone. She wiped the sweat off her brow and looked up at Ericka.

"Okay. I think I've changed my mind."

Ericka smiled kindly at her, sifted into her backpack, and brought out a small pile of clothes that she handed to Mavis.

"Here. Try this. It helped me when I was trekking."

Mavis went behind a tree and slowly changed out of her classic black attire. The outfit she came out with was beige and leathered with straps and gear. None of it was heavy on her, however, and despite it being slightly bigger on her body - Ericka's human frame being a little taller - she had to admit it was fairly snug. A pair of thick black boots on her feet also made for a faster walk since she would not have to stop every once in a while to adjust them like she had to with her favorite red sneakers.

"Not bad," Mavis admitted. "Not bad at all."

"Great!" Ericka replied. "Let's go!"

***

Mavis didn't know how her husband did it.

He had been all over the world - Paris, New York, Moscow, Barcelona, Beijing, Tokyo - and yet he was never exhausted of his travels. She in the meantime could only manage so much. Her stamina seemed to drop with every step she took among the expanse of foliage, mountains, and valleys that stretched for miles and miles. She narrowly avoided falling through the gap of a rickety bridge, barely managed to prevent tripping over a fallen tree branch, and almost stumbled clean off of a cliffside on a more slippery trail.

As the day continued to wear on, she just couldn't seem to make it anymore - the combination of the hot sun and the strenuous walk was finally starting to take a toll, and she was very thirsty.

"How are you able to tolerate all of this?" she finally blurted out to Ericka, who had been managing to always keep a few paces ahead of Mavis, not looking the least bit exhausted whatsoever.

"Well, it might be because of the power drink I had on the bus ride over here," Ericka replied nonchalantly. "One can of that, and it will keep you energized for hours." She stopped in her tracks, and reached to pull out another can from Mavis's backpack. "I have another, if you want it."

"Yes, please!" Mavis replied, instantly popping the lid open and chugging the whole drink down in one great big gulp. She didn't feel anything at first, and was about to voice this to Ericka, when the effects kicked in almost immediately. Her limbs tingled and her heart began thumping wildly inside her chest.

The next moment Mavis was on a full explosion of coffee-buzzed energy. Her pace picked up considerably, almost to a run, as she began to notice every little thing around her.

"Woah! Wow! This jungle is so amazing! Are you seeing all of this, Ericka? It's wonderful! Look at all these trees!" She ran up to one and promptly hugged it. Then, she ran over to another section. "And all these flowers!" She ran her fingers through a small patch on the ground. "And all these birds, and ants, and insects and... and... I'M ALIVE!!" She whooped with glee, and sprang about like a hyperactive puppy who was just given free reign of the yard.

The high didn't last very long though. A little while later, Mavis was back to being exhausted. And, a whole new problem had arisen. Curiously attracted by the two foreigners hiking through the jungle, a small swarm of mosquitos had begun to flit over to her and Ericka, buzzing around their ears incessantly like the pests they were.

One landed on Mavis, and bit her. She yelped, and slapped at it. "Ugh, mosquitos! Even as a vampire, I never really liked them."

"And I can't say I blame you," Ericka agreed. "Of course, they can't bite into me now, since I've got thick monster hide..."

As if the mosquitoes understood, they immediately converged on Mavis. The girl yelped and swatted fiercely at them until she couldn't keep up. They were everywhere! Her legs, her arms, her face. Ericka jumped in to help, pulling out a can of bug spray from the backpack. She shook as fast as she could, watching Mavis get pelted by the many proboscises of the pesky little insects. Then, she took the can, faced it in the direction of the bugs and sprayed.

The mosquitoes retreated quickly as the insecticide burned through them, and they flew off, buzzing angrily in their wake. Mavis coughed and looked gratefully up at Ericka. "Thank you, so much! They were all over the place! What did you use, anyway?"

Ericka gladly showed her the can. "Mosquito repellent. Always great to have around when you're going to be out and about in the great outdoors for a good while."

Mavis nodded. "Good to know." She got up to continue on their path, but suddenly felt a little dizzy, like the jungle around her was spinning before her eyes. Ericka had sprayed a lot of fumes, and it seemed like its potency was affecting her delicate human senses. She tried to call out for Ericka and let her know of her impending fall, but it was too late. With a flash she collapsed into unconsciousness.