We drove for about half an hour sitting in an awkward silence when he started to speak to me. He asked me where I was from, if it was my first time here and the reason for me to come. About 15 minutes later we arrived at my hotel. It was set out in little villas, set in groups of five in a circle, it looked very nice. Each villa had its own hot tub and there was a swimming pool for every 5 villas in the middle of them. He showed me to my room and said he had to go now, and he would pick me up the next morning at 9:30. I went into my room and just collapsed on the bed and fell asleep. I woke up at about 5:00. I felt refreshed. I put on my shorts and went outside and got in the pool. I swam a couple of lengths and then got out and went back to my room. I put my clothes back on and then went back outside. I didn’t know what there was to do. I thought I would just explore the area. I eventually came to the jungle. I thought I better not go to far in, I might get lost. I must have been walking for half an hour when I stopped to look around. I heard a twig crack, I swung around and saw three masked men. Then I was hit from behind and I passed out. When I woke up I was on a truck with two men guarding me. They both had machine guns. They had tied my wrists and ankles together.
As we were driving I was thinking what was going to happen to me. Where were they taking me? Would I be a hostage? Would I survive?
I thought that staying on this truck would almost certainly mean I was going to die, so I thought I would take my chances.
I waited until the guards weren’t looking, and then I threw myself off the back of the truck. I hit the ground with a terrible thump on my left arm. I rolled down the bank next to the road and eventually stopped when it hit a tree stump. I heard the truck drive off and didn’t seem to even slow down. Maybe they couldn’t be bothered coming down to get me.
Know I had to worry about getting the ropes off me. I went to a tree stump and rubbed the ropes on my wrist up and down until they were weak enough to snap them with my hands. I then untied the ropes on my ankles. Every move I made, made my arm hurt. I must have broken it.
I used the rope as a sling for my arm, but I then noticed the cuts down my left side, there was nothing I could do about them. I then set off in the direction I had come from and walked back up to the road. I didn’t know how long I had been unconscious for so I didn’t know how far I had travelled with the men. As I reached the road I realised, that if they were going to come back for me, they would come back on the road. So I had to stay off the roads, but follow them and direct myself from a distance.
It was getting dark quickly, and I must have only been walking for a short while and I decided it is better I stop and sleep in a tree. My arm was really hurting by now and I was feeling short sharp stabbing pains as I moved.
I eventually found a tree that was suitable for me to sleep in and that I was able to climb up. It was a tall fat tree with long thin hanging branches, covered in moss. I climbed about half way up it and found a strong branch to hold me and I closed my eyes. The good thing was I didn’t have to worry about getting cold as it was very warm and humid, but I did have to worry about mosquitoes, so I covered myself with my jacket and fell asleep.
I was awoken in the morning by the hum and drone of the sound of the birds and insects. I had forgotten where I was and got a surprise when I remembered where I was. I then started to worry about my fate. What was going to happen to me? Would I die of hunger and thirst? Would I die by being bitten by mosquitoes? Or would I make it back or be found?
I climbed down to the bottom of the tree and as my foot touched the ground I felt a sharp pain shoot from my foot up my spine. I dropped to the ground. I could hardly see. I was disorientated. I looked around, I saw movement. It must have been a snake or a spider. I got hot and started to sweat.
What was I going to do? I was really in trouble now. I thought I better get moving and try to get back home. I started to run. I just ran and ran and didn’t stop. I could hardly see, everything was blurred, but I just kept running. After about half an hour I hear footsteps behind me and I swung around and heard a roar. I could make out a large orange and black figure. It must have been a tiger. I didn’t look for long before I started running back into the jungle. I found a tree; similar to the one I slept in and leaped up it to the top. Things weren’t going well at all. So much for my luxury holiday. I wonder if anyone knows I’m missing? Possibly Peter, but he wont have a clue where I am. I started to pray for anyone to find me and help me. And know I have this hungry tiger waiting for me at the bottom of the tree. I could make him out at the bottom pacing backwards and forwards.
I was starving, I desperately needed a drink of water, and not to mention the excruciating pain I was in. I sat in the tree for hours just watching the tiger. What did he want from me? He could easily catch an animal in the jungle; did he pity me and my situation? Why couldn’t he just leave me alone?
As night fell the tiger didn’t look as if he was going to budge. So I tried to go to sleep, but I had a terrible feeling in my gut from not eating, things looked hopeless. After hours of just lying there watching the tiger I eventually fell asleep.
I woke to the sounds of nature again. I glanced down to the bottom of the tree, I noticed the tiger was gone. Maybe he felt sorry for me and let me go or maybe he just got bored waiting for me and concentrated on catching something else.
I climbed down the tree I set off back on the road. I decided I would travel on the road and risk being caught. By now my vision was slightly better and I could make things out much easier. As I was walking I heard the noise of an engine. It was the masked men back to get me. I started to run, and then I tripped. I started to scream, this was it for me. They were going to shoot me. I turned round and it wasn’t the men but it was Peter. I started to cry. I was finally going home.
He ran up to me and picked me up. I hugged him and continued to cry. As we walked back to his Mercedes, which was now covered in dust, I asked him how he found me? He said that some locals saw me go into the jungle and he knew that it was most likely I had been kidnapped by the men and he was just coming along the road to see if he could find me. He then asked me what happened? “Not much”
By Matthew Malkin
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