The Sound of Them: Book One

Lianne

I finally find service at one point of the night and send in quick pictures of the jungle to my parents before the service leaves again. I smile at their sweet messages and put my phone away as we eat the dessert. It's the last night here in the jungle. I have bittersweet feelings about it as the nurse lady and her husband thank us for our service. We go around to say our favorite part of the jungle and share laughs.

Then they gave us more dessert as the hostel thanked us for everything. This one is especially the best despite its acidity. Guava is not usually my favorite fruit, but their puree is the best yet. After eating mine and a half of Cristina's dessert, we all go for one last night in the jungle. I smile even if there is a hole in the roof where a monkey could see me naked or if I have to check twice the walls and ground for any cockroaches. As if the insects knew this was our last night, there were no yelps of fear at all during the night.

Cristina and I watched an episode of The OC until we started to grow tired. I watch her get on the top bunk and I do a small laugh. "Are you scared of the big bed now?"

"Look who's talking?"

"I never said I wasn't scared. I am. But I'm surprised to see the girl that invited a spider into her bed when I found it on my side of the room is now hiding away on the top bunk."

Cristina laughs. "That spider you found in our summer apartment is a baby next to the one that's here."

I gasp and I pull the covers up closer to my chin. "Do you think it's still here?"

"No...I hope..."

"Hey!" I hit the roof above me and she giggles.

"I'm kidding. I'm sure it left when they were cleaning out these past few days."

"I hope so..."

We're silent for a moment as we hear the laughter and conversations around start to die down when the guides yell that we will be leaving at 8 AM. Cristina suddenly says, "We need to turn off the light, or else insects will come to our room."

I stay quiet and she peeks over to look at me. I give her an innocent smile and shyly say, "Can you turn it off? I don't want to get out of bed anymore."

Cristina laughs. "Seriously, girl?! You're closer!"

"Please?!"

"Fine."

I do a cheeky smile as I watch her get down from the top bunk and turn off the light. I blow her a kiss before the room turns dark and whisper, "Thank you, love."

"Make sure to sleep, okay? You've survived this far. No animal will come into your bed."

"Don't jinx it!"

She laughs and says, "Okay okay. I'll invite it to my bed this time, too. Don't you worry. Sleep well, Lianne."

I look up at the wooden roof of her bed and my eyes grow heavy at the sound of her words. "Goodnight, Cristina." Truly, I could sleep the best that night.

We wake up one last time and get our things packed. I wear the burning bug spray of deet on my skin one last time. This time, I wear comfortable clothes for the long four hours of going back to the city and push back the small pain I feel in my stomach the moment I wake up.

We eat one last delicious breakfast in the jungle and happily wave goodbye at our hosts from the windows of the bus. I sit towards the front row by the entrance of the bus and let out a relieved sigh. I loved the scenery of the jungle and I watched it fly past from the window. I warmly smile at the beautiful rivers and waterfalls. I even admire the poor towns we pass by and the small houses as memories of each person I encountered here pour in.