Welcome to the Jungle

Dedicated to AlyssaLynnWalkley for coming up with the title and being the best friend ever!

Where in the world was I? All I remembered was waking up in some sort of loud helicopter or airplane. Then the old rickety looking floor dropped out from underneath me and I was falling. I was free falling down for what seemed like a lifetime. I saw the trees getting closer and closer, and all I could think was, “I am going to die!” I then realized that something bulky was strapped to my back. I reached back to find a string, so I pulled it. As soon as I pulled it I shot up into the air! What in the world was happening? I was falling and now it seems as if I was floating. I soon figured out that I was strapped to a parachute.

                I landed safely on the ground besides a few bumps, bruises, and scratches. I looked around and I saw trees. Trees were everywhere! Thick underbrush and tall weeds were all over covering the ground. I heard loud birds talking up in the tree tops. It almost seemed as if something big was staring at me, daring me to move forward. I saw what appeared to be a heavily used animal trail. So I rolled the now ripped parachute together, and I followed the trail.

                After walking for what seemed like half a day, I felt hungriness settle in. I stopped for a short break and took in my surroundings. It was damp, dark and small animals kept coming out to look at me before they scampered away, looking as if they had big news in finding me. My stomach growled, reminding me what I should be looking for. I saw something yellow 10 feet up in the tree tops. When I looked closer I found out that it was bananas! Finally I wouldn’t be hungry anymore!

                I needed to make a plan to get the bananas down. They were twice my height up in the air. I looked around. The tree the bananas were on looked like I would be able to climb it to grab them. It had low branches that were evenly spaced all the way up to the bananas. I grabbed on to the lowest branch which was around my shoulder height and started climbing. Eventually, I got myself standing on that same branch. It was easy going until I got within reaching height of the bananas. Then the branches got thinner and slippery from the slight drizzle of rain that was falling. I reached one last time to grab the bananas and I got them! The way back down went quicker than the way up.

                Once I got back down, I was so excited in finally being able to eat, that I didn’t even notice my surroundings. I ripped one of the bananas off of the bunch and started tearing it apart. I was bringing the banana to my mouth---

                “Eh hemm,” I heard. What was that? I looked up and right in front of me was a giant black and orange tiger!

                “Umm, hi?” I said but it sounded like a question. Did that tiger just talk to me?

                “We are so glad you arrived here safely, Prince Jack, but if you could please not eat our yellow fruited neighbors that would be greatly appreciated.”

                “Did you just say Prince Jack?” I said after I recovered from the shock of a talking tiger. I definitely did not remember being a prince before… Maybe this all was a big mistake. I’m not a prince.

                “Yes. You are Prince Jack, the only human to ever set foot here. And that means that you are the one prophesied about to help us defeat our rivals, the humans.”