Part 2
The Great Canopy Escape
The heavy nylon net expanded in the air like the web of a monstrous, invisible spider. It caught the damp jungle breeze, casting a shadow that seemed to swallow the light. I could smell the sharp, chemical tang of the synthetic fibers, a scent so utterly alien to our world of moss, damp earth, and sweet wild jasmine.
My heart did a frantic somersault in my chest. Upwards was impossible; the net was dropping too fast. Downwards meant falling straight into the path of the metal-bearing strangers who crept through our home like ghosts.
“Mango, dive!”
The silverback’s roar cut through the paralysis gripping my limbs. I didn’t think. I simply let go of the bark, tucked my chin into my chest, and allowed gravity to claim me.
The rush of air whistled past my ears as I plummeted through the green emptiness. For a terrifying, weightless second, I was completely airborne, suspended between the canopy and the forest floor. My long arms flailed instinctively, searching for anything solid to halt my descent.
A Leap of Faith
My fingers brushed against a thick, moss-covered vine. I grabbed it with both hands, the friction burning my palms as I slid downward before my grip finally locked. The vine groaned under my sudden weight, swinging me in a wild, chaotic arc across the clearing.
Below me, the scene was pure chaos. Three figures dressed in heavy, mud-splattered green clothing stood near the edge of the clearing. They held long, hollow tubes that gleamed in the dim light.
“We missed the little one!” one of them shouted, his voice muffled by a strange mask covering his mouth and nose. “Target the big one instead! Quick, reload!”
The silverback, whom we called Goma, was already moving. Despite his immense size, he moved with a terrifying, fluid speed when provoked. He thrashed through the undergrowth, his knuckles slamming into the earth with rhythmic, thunderous thuds that shook the forest floor. He wasn’t running away; he was drawing their attention.
“Hey! Over here, you giant metal-makers!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, swinging backward on the vine to gain momentum. 🦍
I needed to distract them. If Goma got hit by one of those sleeping darts, he would fall, and there would be no saving him.
I launched myself off the vine at the apex of its swing. My arms reached high above my head, my mouth open in a wide, dramatic roar of defiance. I looked like a tiny, furry orange lightning bolt descending from the heavens.
“What is that thing doing?!” one of the humans yelled, pointing up at me in shock as I sailed directly over their heads.
I landed with a soft, rolling thud in a thick patch of wild ferns. Without stopping to check for injuries, I scrambled to my feet, threw my arms straight up into the air, and let out the loudest, most ridiculous screech I could muster.
“Aaaaaah! I am the king of the canopy!” I wailed, hopping from foot to foot in a bizarre, frantic dance. 🦧
It worked. All three humans turned their metal tubes away from Goma and pointed them directly at me.
