CHAPTER TWO

Maggie rolled out of bed and hit the floor. She let out a scream, for two different reasons. First, she hit the floor hard. Second, when she look off to the side of her, there stood a large colorful bird. She struggled to get back on the bed. Her head was pounding from the fall, and from a night of over drinking. She also struggled to clear her vision. When she did, she realized she was not in her apartment, or in any other place that she had ever been. In this tropical dwelling was everything you would imagine if you were stranded on a tropical island, She also noticed she was in shorts and a light top, that she had never seen before.

She put her head in her hands and shut her eyes tight. Like many other time when she had drank too much, she had little memory of how she got home, and otherwise disoriented. After a minute or two she opened her eyes again. The scene had not changed.

“What is going on?” She mumbled as she walked across the floor to an open doorway that lead to a small porch.

When she stepped on to the porch, her once barely open eyes, flung open widely, and her mouth dropped. She now realized her dwelling was in the tops of the trees. What she saw was a beautiful, lush rain forest. Maggie’s poor brain was not used to having to process so much confusing information at one time. On one hand she was simply in awe of what she saw, on the other hand tons of questions were flooding her mind. As far as she could see, there was no other dwellings, and no sign of human life. With her head swirling, she walked back into what could best be described as a combination living/dining/ bedroom set up. There was one open closet, and one opening that was a “bathroom” this bathroom consisted of a water basin and pitcher, along with a pail for waste. The closet contained two long sleeved shirts, two short sleeved shirts, two pairs of shorts, and a pair of boots.

Still at a loss, Maggie walked over and sat in the only chair in the room. Her head was slowly starting to clear. She started to replay in her mind the events of the night before. She remembered leaving the bar with Karen, Thomas, and Saul.

“The cab driver was different…so was the cab for that matter,” she mumbled.

She vaguely remembered someone telling the driver he was going the wrong way. She grabbed her head, for it was beginning to hurt again.

“Where am I?” she said in a sad tone, and then began to cry.

“Such sad tears, for such a happy girl.”

Maggie let out a scream and looked around the room in a panic. Not seeing anyone, she ran onto the porch.

“Hello?” she called out.

Hello, echoed out across the forest, but there was no reply. Bewildered, she walked back in and sat back down.

“I have only been here a short time and I am already hearing voices. At least I think it has been a short time, I am not sure about anything anymore.” She said sadly.

“Oh good, you can hear me, I wasn’t sure if I was speaking loud enough.”

Maggie again wildly looked around the room and saw no one. She stood up and grabbed her chair and picked it up.

“Show yourself!” Maggie demanded.

“Or what? You will club me with a chair?”

“If necessary.” Maggie shouted.

“Ouch! Turn down the volume, will you? I am right here at the window.”

Maggie looked around at all the windows.

“Quit playing games with me! The only thing I see at a window is a monkey.”

“MONKEY? How dare you. I am a Lemur.”

Maggie slowly put down the chair and sat in it as she swore, she saw the Lemur smile at her.

“I must be dreaming or going nuts. Maybe I am dreaming that I am going nuts.”

“Maggie, you must calm yourself,” the Lemur told her.

“Oh sure! I wake up in a tree house in who knows where. I have no clue how I got here, wearing someone else’s clothes, and talking with a Lemur. Actually, under those circumstances, I think I am quite calm!”

“Well suit yourself, if you wish to starve, be eaten by a wild beast, or both, I will just be on my way.” The Lemur stated.

“Whoa! Wild beast? I thought you said you enjoyed the peace and quiet here.”

“What would I know? You believe you are nuts, because you are talking to a Lemur, maybe I am nuts also?” The Lemur said and did that weird smile again.

“Okay, for now since you are my only clue as to what is going on here, I will assume neither one of us are nuts.” Maggie said slowly.

“Oh, how human of you.” The lemur said as he flipped his tail back and forth.

“So, tell me where I am and why am I here?” Maggie demanded.

“You are hardly in a position to make demands. Besides, I am not allowed to do anything but to help you have the basics.”

The Lemur jumped on to the table where Maggie had buried her head in her hands again,

“Come on Maggie, we need to get you food and water, before it gets dark.”

“Look Mr. Lemur, I am a city girl, not the outdoors type.” Maggie said without lifting her head.

“Adaptation, isn’t that one thing that is supposed to make you humans superior to animals?” The Lemur asked.

“I don’t guess I have much choice. Okay Mr. Lemur, jump up here on my shoulder and point the way.” Maggie told him.

“Um, Maggie, you need something to bring the water back in.”

“Oh, I guess this bucket will do.” Maggie stated and grabbed the bucket out of the sink.

“And the food?” the Lemur asked.

“I do not know what kind of food you have in mind.” Maggie stated a bit frustrated.

“You really are not the out-door type,” the Lemur said, shaking his head.

“You are going to be a tougher assignment than I thought, grab that basket over there, I will give you some hints along the way.” The lemur said still shaking his head.

On the way down the long winding stairs that led down from the porch, the lemur briefed Maggie on what were some of the fruits that grew wild in the forest. Before they reached the bottom of the stairs the Lemur gave Maggie a stiff warning.

“You need to remember that the animals that live here have never set eyes on a human before. There is no natural instinct to cause them to fear you. So, I will teach you what to look for and listen out for as to avoid contact with the more dangerous ones. Remember, the animals are after the same things as you, food, and water.”

“If it is so dangerous, maybe I should bring a weapon.” Maggie said in a nervous tone.

“Oh yes, I am sure any tiger would shake in fear at the sight of your chair, the lemur said and rolled his eyes.

“Very funny. You knew what I meant,” Maggie replied.

“Look Maggie, the best way not to wind up on someone’s menu, is not to be seen, or smelt. I can teach you how to accomplish this, but you are going to have to stay alert, and trust me.”

When they reached the forest floor, the Lemur asked.

“Okay Maggie, what do you see?”

“Trees.”

“Maggie, it is a rain forest, it is full of trees! You go looking for food and or water, and you need to find your way back, just seeing trees is not going to help you. Now look again!”

Maggie had a million smart answers, she could have fired out at the lemur, but she was getting hungry, so she closed her eyes, and opened them again.

“I see a brown stump with red flowers growing out of it, a set of rocks that remind me of a pigs head, and a…a snake.” Maggie screamed, as she backed her way several of the steps.

“Don’t worry about that type of snake. It is harmless, and one of the few creatures in this forest that is just as afraid of you as you are of it. This is another reason you have to learn to trust me.”

“I hate snakes!” Maggie said as she waited for the snake to slither away.

“Right, I got that from your scream,” the Lemur said, then added,

“Let me remind you that there are many animals that live hear that can sense fear. You scream like that when you are away from the safety of your tree house, and you will be sounding the dinner bell.”

“I don’t understand any of this. I wish it will all go away,” Maggie said as she sat on a step and began to cry.”

“No, don’t cry. It is not good, you are already in need of water.”

The Lemur paused and lifted Maggie’s head.

“I told you that I am here to help you. We can start our survey of the land tour tomorrow. I am not supposed to do this, but come with me, I will show you a short cut to a fresh water stream where you also can find some bananas.” The Lemur said cheerfully and brushed his tail across Maggie’s face.

Maggie took a deep breath and composed herself.

“This has to be the weirdest dream I have ever had. Okay Mr. lemur, show me the way.”

The Lemur reminded her to get the pail out of the tree house, then climbed back on her shoulders and pointed the way, In no time they were at the stream, and Maggie drank from the steam before filling her pail and grabbing a hand of nice ripe bananas.

After getting back to the tree house, she sponged of and sat to relax and eat a few bananas. About an hour later it began to rain, so Maggie grabbed all the containers she could find to catch the rain water.

“Very smart! I did not even have to teach you that trick,” the Lemur remarked.

“Very funny, I may be from the city, but I did pay attention in school.”

“Oh really? What was your favorite subject?” The Lemur inquired?

“Actually, in was science in general, but animal behavior in particular.”

“Oh really?” The Lemur asked as he went over a curled up in Maggie’s lap.

“Tell me Maggie, what did you find so interesting about the way we animals behave?”

Maggie talked for hours about a subject that she deeply loved but was never able to pursue. Her soft voice and her gentle strokes caused the Lemur to drift off to sleep. As night fell, she placed the lemur on her chair, and climbed into bed. It had indeed been a very strange day. As worried as she was about her safety, she was oddly calmed by the fact that the Lemur was nearby. Weather she was dreaming or not, Maggie knew there was nothing she could do to change her situation and would just have to let things play out on their own.