June cracked her left eye open about half a millimeter before it froze. Her right eye was glued shut. She swiped a hand over her face and touched something warm and sticky. The dampness trailed down her chest, making her shirt tacky.
Drums thundered in her ears, until she realized it was her heartbeat. She forced her eyes open with a moan. Two shadows of Peter wavered in front of her eyes. “Wha.” She coughed, sucked in a breath, then choked as she breathed in the scent of burnt metal. She smacked her hand against her sternum. “Wha’ hap’n?”
“Stay still,” came the blurred Irish lilt, stronger than usual. “The plane went down.”
She cleared her throat, and his outline became clearer. “Pilot?”
He shook his head and placed his hand on the window near her head. “He dinna make it.”
The window popped out onto the ground. June twitched and looked up. “Triple canopy. Bushes, vines, trees. Holy crap, that’s a giant snake.”
She squirmed back against him. “I can barely see the sky.”
“Not the archeological expedition I promised, love.”
“It is an adventure, though.” She bit her lip and shoved herself upright. “Get to where we’re supposed to be on our own.”
“Without a map or other supplies,” Peter added.
She blew out a breath. “While the jungle’s trying to kill us.”
“And knows we’re walking wounded.” He brushed a strand of her hair back. “Which means we’re prey.”
***
This week, Padre prompted me with drums in the jungle. My prompt went to AC Young, to catch prompt bunnies with a butterfly net.
