ground,” she complained. She began lowering the vine. It looked like a long snake twining down the side of the pit.
It stopped a few feet above my head. “I’m going to jump up and grab it,” I told Kareen. “Then I’ll try to climb while you pull. Wrap the other end around your waist, okay? Just don’t let go of it!”
“Just don’t pull me down with you!” she called back.
I waited for her to tie the vine around herself. Then I bent my knees and jumped. I missed the end of the vine by a few inches.
This was one of those times I wished I were tall and thin instead of short and chubby.
But I grabbed the vine on my third try. I wrapped both hands around it.
Then I pressed the soles of my sneakers against the dirt wall. And started to pull myself up, like a mountain climber.
The dirt kept crumbling out from under me. And the vine grew more and more slippery as my hands started to sweat. But with Kareen cheering me on, I scrambled to the top.
I lay in the tall grass for a moment, breathing in the sweet fragrance. It felt so wonderful to be out of that deep hole.
“How did you fall down there anyway?” Kareen asked, tossing her end of the vine to the ground.
“It was easy,” I replied. I climbed to my feet and tried to brush the dirt off my clothes.
“But didn’t you see that big pit there?” she demanded.
“Not exactly,” I told her. I wanted to change the subject. “How did you find me? What are you doing here, Kareen?”
Her blue eyes locked on mine. “I told you: I was worried about you. I — I didn’t think you shouldbe all alone in the jungle. So I sneaked away. Daddy was working in his lab. I crept away from the headquarters, and I followed you.”
I brushed clumps of dirt from my hair. “Well, I’m glad,” I confessed. “But aren’t you going to be in major trouble with your dad and Carolyn?”
She bit her lower lip. “Probably. But it will be worth the risk — if we find your aunt.” Aunt Benna!
Trying to survive the quicksand and the tiger, I had nearly forgotten about her.
A shadow rolled over us. The air suddenly grew cooler. I glanced up at the sky. The sun was lowering itself behind the trees.
“It’s almost night,” I said quietly. “I — I hope we can find Aunt Benna before it gets really dark.”
I had already spent one night out in the jungle. I didn’t want to spend another.
“Do you know which way to go?” Kareen asked. “Are you just wandering around, hoping to get lucky?”
I pulled the head from my shirt pocket. “This little guy is showing me the way.”
“Excuse me?” Kareen’s face filled with surprise.
“The eyes light up when I go the right direction,” I explained. “At least, I
think
that’s why they light up.”
Kareen gasped. “You mean, you really
do
have Jungle Magic?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I have it. It’s so weird. There’s a word I’ve always said.
‘Kah-lee-ah.’
Just a crazy word. I thought I made it up when I was a little kid. But it’s the word that makes the Jungle Magic work.”
“Wow!” Kareen exclaimed. A grin spread across her face. “That’s
awesome,
Mark! That means we really will find Benna. That’s so great!”
The shadows over the ground grew longer as the sun dipped lower. I shivered as a cold gust of wind blew over us.
My stomach growled. I couldn’t remember when my last meal was. I tried not to think about food. I had to keep moving.
“Let’s get going,” I said softly. I raised the head in front of me. Then I turned slowly — one direction, then the next — until the eyes began to glow. “This way!” I cried, pointing across the clearing to the trees.
We started walking side by side. The tall grass swished, brushing our legs as we stepped through it. Insects chittered in the trees.
Kareen stared in amazement at the glowing eyes on the leathery head. “Do you really think it’s guiding us to Benna?”
“We’ll soon find out,” I said solemnly.
We stepped into the shifting
It stopped a few feet above my head. “I’m going to jump up and grab it,” I told Kareen. “Then I’ll try to climb while you pull. Wrap the other end around your waist, okay? Just don’t let go of it!”
“Just don’t pull me down with you!” she called back.
I waited for her to tie the vine around herself. Then I bent my knees and jumped. I missed the end of the vine by a few inches.
This was one of those times I wished I were tall and thin instead of short and chubby.
But I grabbed the vine on my third try. I wrapped both hands around it.
Then I pressed the soles of my sneakers against the dirt wall. And started to pull myself up, like a mountain climber.
The dirt kept crumbling out from under me. And the vine grew more and more slippery as my hands started to sweat. But with Kareen cheering me on, I scrambled to the top.
I lay in the tall grass for a moment, breathing in the sweet fragrance. It felt so wonderful to be out of that deep hole.
“How did you fall down there anyway?” Kareen asked, tossing her end of the vine to the ground.
“It was easy,” I replied. I climbed to my feet and tried to brush the dirt off my clothes.
“But didn’t you see that big pit there?” she demanded.
“Not exactly,” I told her. I wanted to change the subject. “How did you find me? What are you doing here, Kareen?”
Her blue eyes locked on mine. “I told you: I was worried about you. I — I didn’t think you shouldbe all alone in the jungle. So I sneaked away. Daddy was working in his lab. I crept away from the headquarters, and I followed you.”
I brushed clumps of dirt from my hair. “Well, I’m glad,” I confessed. “But aren’t you going to be in major trouble with your dad and Carolyn?”
She bit her lower lip. “Probably. But it will be worth the risk — if we find your aunt.” Aunt Benna!
Trying to survive the quicksand and the tiger, I had nearly forgotten about her.
A shadow rolled over us. The air suddenly grew cooler. I glanced up at the sky. The sun was lowering itself behind the trees.
“It’s almost night,” I said quietly. “I — I hope we can find Aunt Benna before it gets really dark.”
I had already spent one night out in the jungle. I didn’t want to spend another.
“Do you know which way to go?” Kareen asked. “Are you just wandering around, hoping to get lucky?”
I pulled the head from my shirt pocket. “This little guy is showing me the way.”
“Excuse me?” Kareen’s face filled with surprise.
“The eyes light up when I go the right direction,” I explained. “At least, I
think
that’s why they light up.”
Kareen gasped. “You mean, you really
do
have Jungle Magic?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I have it. It’s so weird. There’s a word I’ve always said.
‘Kah-lee-ah.’
Just a crazy word. I thought I made it up when I was a little kid. But it’s the word that makes the Jungle Magic work.”
“Wow!” Kareen exclaimed. A grin spread across her face. “That’s
awesome,
Mark! That means we really will find Benna. That’s so great!”
The shadows over the ground grew longer as the sun dipped lower. I shivered as a cold gust of wind blew over us.
My stomach growled. I couldn’t remember when my last meal was. I tried not to think about food. I had to keep moving.
“Let’s get going,” I said softly. I raised the head in front of me. Then I turned slowly — one direction, then the next — until the eyes began to glow. “This way!” I cried, pointing across the clearing to the trees.
We started walking side by side. The tall grass swished, brushing our legs as we stepped through it. Insects chittered in the trees.
Kareen stared in amazement at the glowing eyes on the leathery head. “Do you really think it’s guiding us to Benna?”
“We’ll soon find out,” I said solemnly.
We stepped into the shifting
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