The Amazon

Chapter-1

As my vision cleared, I could make out a fire burning brightly in front of me. My back was resting against a cool, hard and uneven surface which was jabbing me. Once I gathered enough strength, I helped myself up to my feet and looked around.

I was in what appeared to be a cave. The fire in front of me illuminated only the immediate surroundings, making the pathways on either side look as though they were disappearing into oblivion. The only sounds were those of the branches crackling in the fire and the occasional drip of water which seemed to resonate in the whole cave.

I tried to remember how I had ended up in the cave but I couldn't remember it. To my horror, I couldn't remember anything about myself. I tried to recollect where I was living, the people I knew, my job, my age but by mind was blank. I somehow seemed to know about the world- smartphones, computers, cars, the countries, the world wars but I couldn't figure out how I knew them. My memories were totally erased. Well, except one. One word seemed to be ingrained into my mind. Joshua.

I decided it to be my name. On failing miserably to remember who I was, I half-heartedly gave up on it and shifted my attention to myself. I was wearing a torn, dirty and faded-blue colour shirt along with a pair of cream coloured and dirt smeared three-fourths. I was barefoot. Judging by my height, which I estimated it to be between 5'8 and 6'2, I decided I was around 20 years old. I fidgeted in my pockets to see if there was anything I could find which would give me a hint about my situation but unfortunately, they were empty.

How the hell did I get in here? I kept asking myself but mind wasn't very cooperative. I sat down near the fire and decided what to do. I figured that advancing in the cave is the only option left. The fire was also dying out quickly and soon I'd be left in the dark with nothing but the cool rock walls to accompany me. The thought sent a shudder down my spine.

I picked up a random stick from a bunch of them which were lying around and inspected it. It seemed dry enough. I poked it into the fire and got myself a torch. Then I picked a diection to advance in and prayed that I wouldn't encounter anything which would make me regret my decision.

With my right hand on the rock wall and my left hand tightly wrapped around the torch, I slowly inched forward into the darkness. Soon, I approached a turn and I could no longer see the illuminated camp. It somehow intensified the eeriness. I kept walking forward, hesitating with every step as I kept doubting the endeavour. I expected something to leap out from the dark and pounce upon me but there was no sign of movement, at least not in the five metre radius which my torch covered.

The air seemed to get cooler and fresher with every step. I took it as a good sign as the exit should be quite near. Suddenly, a loud squeal pierced the air. "Jesus Christ!" I swore and dropped my torch while falling to the ground, only to find a rat scurry forward and nibble on the torch. I gave a sigh a relief and picked my torch back up which thankfully, hadn't gone out. The adrenaline hit my system quite hard and I found myself shaking. I started dreading whether the cave had an exit or whether I took the right direction. I shook my head. I had to go on.

I got myself together and continued along the mysterious tunnel thinking about what awaited me at the end of it. After nearly fifteen minutes of walking, I found light. At the end of tunnel, sunlight aligned itself on the walls of the rock through a huge hole.

I dropped my torch which extinguished this time. I approached the hole and took a deep breath, bracing for whatever I would find if I took a couple of steps forward. Then without a second thought, I walked out of the confinement of the cave. Everything went white for a moment as my eyes adjusted to the brightness. When they did, they dilated in shock. Beyond me, a breathtakingly huge forest covered the landscape.