Writers Journal #9

The assignment:

A character wakes up to discover they are in the body of something or someone else.

THIS IS A FIRST DRAFT

“It’s coming down Gem. There is nothing you can do to stop it. There are way too many people and way too much money involved for this to end any other way” I say to my daughter on the other end of the line.

We were going to be breaking ground on leveling a rainforest the next week and my hippie daughter didn’t like that. she didn’t understand. We’d been going back and forth since she spied my documents and figured it out.

“Then as my father, do me this one favor if you care about me. If you really care about me then come here. If you are going to level it, at least come see what it looks like before you sell your soul to the devil.”

I snicker a laugh “A bit dramatic don’t you think?”

“I'm serious” she says sounding very stern. Gem has been a great daughter. Even though she didn’t go into law school like we’d planned. I’ve been meaning to take a few days off, I can talk her out of this foolishness I’m sure.

“Book me a stay at the closest resort, make sure tshey have a helipad. Use the company card I gave you for emergencies.”

She spouts her thank you’s and we say goodbye.

The next day I hop on my private jet. We land outside of town and I am then I am helicoptered in the rest of the way. Gemma is there waiting at the front doors to a hotel. Looks fancy enough thankfully. They better have full plumbing.

Gemma sees me and comes over half smiling. I can tell she’s going to give me the whole shpeal again. “Father, thank you for coming” she gives me one of his signature big hugs and then leads me to my room. The bed is large but almost everything is made of wood or bamboo. I feel the blanket on the bed, soft, good, There are two other doors within the room. One leads to my closet where the valet has just placed my bag and The other, once I open it, is thankfully a full bathroom, just like a real hotel.

“You seem like I wouldn’t follow through on the bathroom” Gem says to me.

I was just skeptical because of all the bamboo in this room.” I look over at sher and she is looking out the giant wall of what should be paned glass windows but is just open air. I notice hatches made of palm leaves that will drop down when needed. The view, of course, is of the rainforest in tshe distance. she stands beside me as I look at the amazing view.

“See, I knew you could appreciate a view like this. It’s good you get to see what view the guests will loose next week. This hotel will probably go out of business without a view and the thousands of animals that will be distressed and hungry lurking around every corner.”

“Did you rehearse that?” I ask .

“Just saying” she says “I am staying with a friend outside of town so I’m going to get back before dark” she walks away from the view. “We can start our adventure tomorrow. The hotel will bring you food shortly here. It is locally sourced, which gives people jobs.”

I can feel my eyes roll at this, although a piece of me does feel bad about it. As long as I don’t say anything out-loud, right?

“Get a lot of rest and strap on your hiking boots in the morning.” And with that, she is gone.

I do indeed get a good nights rest, better than I’d had in a long time. Did they put something in that unusual but delicious food last night? Or was it just the sounds, or lack there of in the vast forest before me. Breakfast comes as soon as I am dressed. More unusual fruits and flatbread. I attempt to log into my work email to make sure I haven’t missed anything important and realize that there is no signal of any kind. And So, I am forced to enjoy the view. It will be sad that it goes away, but go away it must, for the next phase to begin, things must die.

Gemma arrives an hour later. Her friend, who’s name is Hipoi, Introduces himself with a thick accent of this area. We greet, shaking hands before we jump in his jeep. He drives us out of town and into the dense forrest along a very narrow dirt road. Hipoi is about the same age as my daughter. I watch them in the front seat conversing and wonder at their relationship. A bump in the road snaps me out though. The jeep we are driving in is loud and bouncy. And Hipoi is driving fast. I hang onto the bar above my head.

Finally the jostling ride comes to an abrupt stop. Looking around I see people, dressed in tribal clothing. Or lack there of. The women are topless and I try and avert my eyes. Hipoi walks over and talks to a man with long grey hair wearing a loincloth. He bows and then walks back to Gem and I.

“He says we have permission to pass but must sit and have tea with him first”

We are then guided by another man to a hut that seems more ornate than the others. There are feathers and beads hanging at the doorway. We enter and are told to sit on the floor. Promptly a woman enters carrying a big handmade kettle. She sets it on a low platform in front of the the man with the long grey hair. He bows to her and she takes a seat beside him. He begins to speak, but in a language I do not understand.

“What is he saying?” I whisper to Gem.

Without looking at me she grabs my hand and I see her mouth “shhhh”

The tea is poured a few moment later and a cup is passed to each of us in the room. I follow what Gem and Hipoi are doing at this point and hold the cup with both hands. As soon as they sip, I follow suit. The flavor is earthy and actually tastes pretty good, I drink the whole cup. The old man speaks again. Hipoi responds in the same language, bows and then begins to get up off the floor. I follow Gem and bow to the old man before getting up and exiting the tent. We head back to the truck.

“What was that all about?” I ask

“We ask for the blessing of the clan as well as letting them know we are entering so that if we don’t return, they send a search party” Gem answers as she hefts her pack out of the back of the jeep. She hands a smaller pack to me.

“Here, I brought you a camel pack. You just drink from this hose. There are some snacks in the pack along with some other supplies.”

“Are we walking from here?”

“Yes, father, there are no vehicles allowed past this point. In respect for the living creatures within.”

She sees me roll my eyes. And gives me that look of disappointment that I can’t handle.

“Fine, lets go.” I strap the bag to my back and step in line.

Gem informs me of facts about this rainforest as we walk along. I can tell this is the beginning of a long presentation. It is very beautiful under the rainforest canopy. I see monkeys, birds, a few giant spiders I’m not to excited about and one sloth hanging high in the trees.

About a half hour into our trek Hipoi stops abruptly, raising his arm to us to be silent and still.

“Wait here,” he says “I’ll check ahead”

“Good time for a snack and a break” says Gemma

We sit and she begins her fun facts again in between bites.

I finally get irritated “Gem, stop, just stop” she looks up as if Id insulted her. “Don’t give me that look. Listen. This is a beautiful place, really, but I can’t cancel what is coming. There are too many people invested in this. We’d lose billions of dollars.”

“Money means nothing if there is no planet to live on!” Her voice is up an octave.

“Its going to be hundreds of years before anything even remotely begins to go to shit. We will figure out a way to make up for this.”

“How can you be so incompetent!? You know that “They” don’t give a shit. Money is all they care about. If it won’t make them money they will not do anything to help the planet!”

“I’m sorry honey but that’s just the way this is going to be and you’re just going to live with it, it is happening whether you like it or not, there is nothing I can do”

“LIVE?! You’re joking right?

“This is pointless, I never should have let you talk me into this! I’m leaving!” I turn around fast and suddenly my head feels fuzzy, maybe I just turned around to quickly. I turn again to look for Gem. She is just standing there, looking unconcerned. Confusion piles on top of the dizziness.

“Tell me its pointless when I see you again father” she turns and walks in the direction that Hipoi walked in.

The dizziness turns to full body aches. I cry out in pain as it peaks, then all goes black as I fall to the ground.

I feel myself gain consciousness again. Did my daughter just leave me for dead in a rainforest? I am trying to make sense of what just happened. Coming to a bit more, I finally feel okay enough to sit up. I bring my hands to my eyes to rub them. What is on my hands? I pull them away from my eyes and see little fur paws.

I launch onto my feet so fast and look at the rest of myself. I have a tail!!!! I am a fricken monkey! I am freaking out now. I try to shout for Gem but it only comes out as a cry. I back up into a tree panting. A thousand thoughts running through my mind. Was this the tea? Did she just leave me here? Is this permanent? What am I supposed to do? The last of which is, I am thirsty and suddenly hungry. I look around and find that the pack is still there. I drink from the hose coming out of the pack. Then opening it, remembering she said there were snacks. I reach in and pull out a banana with a paper secured around it. Taking it off of the banana I see that it is a note.

“I’m not sorry I had to do this to you. You need to understand. Love Gem”

She did do this, but how? I eat the banana and before I can finish I hear a loud roar nearby. Instinct sets in as I launch myself up into the closest tree. Amazed at my agility I set myself on a branch and look below. A bengal tiger comes out of the bushes. Followed by three young cubs playing with each other. The adult growls at them again as if to tell them to knock it off. They pass without any notice of my new monkey body. I look up and can see the tops of the trees around me. A few scarlet macaw parrots fly by and I hear other animals in the distance. I forget for a moment, my predicament, as I look at the beauty before me.

Snapping back I realize I need to find Gem and make her turn me back. I launch over to the next tree in her direction. As I am flying through the trees I as stopped dead in my tracks when I see a sloth and her baby. She is slow and gentle with it. Mesmerized I stop for a moment admiring this gentle creature.

Thirst snaps me out of it this time. I need water. I instinctively sniff the air and set off in the direction of my nose. Coming down out of the trees I am careful to look around for any predators. I make my way to a waterfall below me, the stream flowing a healthy flow into the hole. Nearby ferns, moss and vines trickle with water from the edges of the waterfall. I dip my head to the water and trick my fill. Looking up again, quenched for now I look closer at the wall of moss and notice red amongst the green, Its a red eyed tree frog! It seems to notice me but shows no fear.

“Gem!” Why do I keep forgetting! I launch myself on my hunt again flying though the trees.

I don’t get far before I almost land on a branch occupied by an emerald tree boa. I would have been lunch had I not stoped myself in time. Its vibrant green mesmerizes me as I slowly, at a wide berth, make my way around it before hefting myself around again. I feel a smile come to my lips as I fly though the air. I can feel my heart laughing with joy. So much joy. Then hunger. I am very hungry, must eat. Sniffing the air again I find food in the distance. Closer to the ground though. I see the yellow ahead. Dipping down I reach the big shrub of yellow flowers, hibiscus. I pull one off the shrub and eat, then another, then another. A see a wiggle, bright green, caterpillar! I grab it an put it in my mouth. I look around in all directions. Then smell it! Fruit! Mangos! I launch over a few trees away and find the mango tree. A mango falls just then and hits the ground with a thump. My eyes grow wide and a smile makes its way across my face. I dig in. The juice dribbles as I dig in and eat.

It is dimming, time to sleep. Up into the trees. I find a branch woven with some vines. Moon big and bright in the darkness. Cozy. Sleep encompasses.

Loud noises, not rainforest noises. Man! Man is making sounds. Birds crying and flying, sloth tries to run but cannot, Tigers run with their cubs. The trees are falling, a cub is trapped my a tree. Mother does not see. The boa falls with the trees, it cannot get away. The big machine is coming fast and loud, I must leave, I must run! I see a man, he looks like…… me!”

I screech myself awake, crying with fear. I am startled by a mirror image. Another spider monkey is in front of me and takes me into its arms. It is comforting me. I cry. I remember now, how did I forget, I have to find Gem! But I stay and cry for a little while longer. I can’t take this home down. I can’t let these animals die.

It starts eating bugs out of my fur, that’s when I can feel myself laughing. I have to go. I sit up and look into my companions eyes. It senses that I must go and lets me.

I fly through the air in the morning light. My focus strong now. I have to get to Gem, I have to stop the demolition of this forest.

I get as high as I can to look over the canopy and see smoke rising from one spot above the trees. I pause for a moment and notice the green tops of the trees and the wide calm river below. Absolutely stunning. I dip down and launch through the branches and vines until I spot the fire. It is within a ring of rocks. Three bodies lie around it. I recognize Gem and Hipoi, they appear to be making food for breakfast. But who is the third body on the ground. I get to the ground to get a closer look. It me! My heart pounds for a beat and calms. I have to rejoin my body. I am about to step out of the bushes but I stop for a moment. I love this place. I love the animals, the food, the waters, the plants. I laugh with joy remembering the monkey eating bugs out of my fur this morning. My heart swells with the love. I don’t want to leave.

But I have to save it. And I can’t do that as a monkey. I take a deep breath and walk towards my body, lying there on the ground. I stand on top of myself. Gem is talking with Hipoi and laughing, he said something that made her laugh. They do not see me. I lay down on myself and close my eyes.

The next time I open them. I see the fabric of the shirt that is rolled up under my face. I smell the fire and something sweet in the air. Pushing myself up I first look at my hands. I am back in my body. Somehow, I look around and don’t see the body of a monkey lying there.

“He’s rejoined us” say Hipoi and I look up just as Gem looks my way. My beautiful loving ambassador for the planet. I smile.

“I need to get back to work by Monday” I say

“Yeah?” Says Gem, hopeful.

“Im going to save this forest.” She launches at me and gives me a hug better than my monkey friend in the trees.

“I just have one question” I ask her as I grab her arms and look at her in the eyes “What did you do to me?”

“I didn’t do anything, it was all you....with the help of some really good tea” she says with a big smile.