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When I take my first steps past the trees it’s almost nostalgic. If I close my eyes I can bring back the naive Jersey who trekked the forest and stalked dumb prehistoric chickens. She thought this game was in the bag. She thought she could do this alone.
But this isn’t a forest, it’s a jungle. With the second sun in the sky, I’m grateful to get some shade. The tradeoff is humidity that has me drenched and feeling like I might stick to anything I touch. There’s a multitude of smells that overwhelm my olfactory receptors. Rotting leaves on the jungle floor, I’m pretty sure I can smell urine, too. This territory belongs to something but there’s nothing in sight.
There’s no path, it’s all thickets and heavy-set trees. I use my sword to clear the way but my arms are still numb from all th
