Ninjabi: The Beginning | #AdventureInAction 2024 [COMPLETED✅]

Prompt #1: Chased in the rainforest (Action)

"In a hidden rainforest, you and your team must use your skills to survive. Will you overcome the dangers, or fall victim to the lurking predators?"

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Who would've thought a short trip through the seemingly peaceful rainforest would be so dangerous?

This thought flashed in my mind as I ran for my dear life, meandering like a maniac between the thick trees, my abaya (cloak) trailing over the murky forest floor, and my niqab (veil) crusading to stay on my face. My heavy backpack, on the other hand, juggled around, throwing me slightly off balance as its bulk swung from side to side.

Honestly, why did I care so much whether my face was being exposed or not? I was going to die!

"God, please help me get out of this," I muttered as I grabbed the hem of my abaya with one hand and held onto my scarf with the other. I nearly tripped over a tree's exposed roots, but my great reflexes helped me to hold myself from falling over. Thank God.

As I leapt over the exposed roots and fallen branches, I wondered: why the heck did I decide to wear an abaya to a rainforest? Did the world run out of attire appropriate for a hike through the rainforest? I should've trusted my womanly instincts, but nooooo! I wanted to look as good as possible. In retrospect, the idea was as dumb as ever. Who was I dressing up for? The gorillas inhabiting these parts? Please.

Luckily, I was sensible enough to wear proper hiking boots. I was even luckier when I found myself running towards a slope. Smiling to myself, I quickly slowed down and swiftly slipped down the elevation until I reached the bottom, where there was a small hole I hid myself inside. I could hear the blood rush through my body as my heart hit rapidly. I breathed several times to steady the airflow to my lungs and brain so that I could think about my next move. 

It all began when my tourism class and I came to this rainforest for a relaxing hike. Things were perfect: the heat was bearable, the wind was gentle, and most importantly, there was no humidity. The forest was a well-known hiking destination, where people usually visited for hikes and camping trips. We had planned to take the most popular hiking trail and walk for two kilometres until we reached Emerald Lake. However, things turned dark as we were stalked and eventually chased by a large animal we couldn't recognise amid our panic.

I gritted my teeth as I realised my massive mistake: I left the girls alone.

I hit my forehead as regret fell on me with the realisation that I had endangered my friends' lives. I turned around only to figure that these parts of the rainforest felt unfamiliar to me.

I was lost.

A loud crunch caused me to jump as small rocks rolled down the slope, where I was accompanied by dust. Fortunately, my niqab served as a mask, protecting me from inhaling the harmful particles. A growl followed, causing my heart to nearly stop. I didn't need to look to know that the giant beast was above my head. Its saliva dripped on my head, further dirtying my already tainted scarf. 

I didn't want to die, and I definitely didn't want my friends to die, either. Therefore, I ran my fingers behind my back, feeling for the pockets in my backpack. My hand shook as I heard the beast shuffle above my head, ready to leap over me. 

"Come on," I pleaded in my mother tongue of Arabic. After wrestling with the zip, I finally managed to open the pocket and pull out my trusty slingshot, a contraption I made in my early days of ninja training when I was ten. I then slowly plucked a rock from the slope behind me and aimed towards a tree several metres on the opposite side. 

Breathe, I thought to myself, and closed an eye to focus better on my target and moved forward to give room for my arm, which I pulled. After a few breaths, I released the rubber strap, sending the rock flying to the other side.

My plan worked. The earth fell above me as the giant creature leapt over the slope and went after the rock that fell into the forest's dark shadows. 

Silence fell upon the forest as the beast vanished into the shadows, leaving me wide-eyed with fear. I breathed a sigh of relief as I urged my legs to move so that I could find my friends. I sneaked across the ditch, and from a small space, I managed to climb up the slope. After looking around the space, I adjusted my scarf and niqab as I tried to retrace my steps. I then ran back to where I left the girls last and looked for my friends.

"Sarah!" came a call from behind the bushes.

I whirled around to two of my friends, who emerged from within the shrubbery. 

"Sheena, Maariyah!" I called as I rushed to embrace them. "You're okay!"

The girls nodded. 

"Yes, thank God," Sheena replied.

"We've managed to hide from that wild animal," Maariyah continued. "What was that creature?"

I shrugged my shoulders and adjusted my niqab. 

"I have no idea," I replied. "But that doesn't matter now. We need to find the others!"

My friends nodded, and we walked through the forest, looking for the other girls. I fanned my niqab. The weather was getting warmer as the afternoon came in. Sheena and Maariyah tried to call our two other friends, Priya and Salma, but without success. So, we kept walking with Sheena and Maariyah close to me. I gripped my slingshot tightly, and my two friends were very helpful in collecting rocks for me to use as ammunition and storing them in their bags. Such good friends.

I stopped and held up my hand. "Wait."

My two friends obeyed and gasped as they beheld the scene before us.

"Oh, my God," I muttered.