Chapter 3
Javin awoke, eyes flickering. He tried to move. Something was pinning him down and no amount of straining would allow him to move so much as a finger. He lay in stillness. The area was dark, misty, damp. Then a faint light began to grow off to his right, illuminating to a blue-green. The mist began to strain down as the light grew brighter, gradually rising higher. The temperature rose too, though not overly hot. Air thickened and Javin labored to breath. He still couldn’t move, as though held by an oppressive weight.
His surroundings grew lighter, the mist continuing to strain lower, distilling into the ground leaving Javin covered in a damp sheen. He squinted against the light.
High above, dense clouds obscured the light source, though amplified by water molecules in a prism effect it cast brilliant light all around, eliminating shadows.
SNAP!
Javin felt the binding give way from inside. He lurched to his feet, staggering in a chest-high growth of thick blue-green grass. It now was as light as a bright summer day high on a mountain. He stopped. How did he know this? There was a picture in his mind. There was understanding, a frame of reference. He looked around, saw dense jungle, incredibly tall trees, clouds swirling through their tops.
He was naked.
This is wrong!
What’s normal? He concentrated. Nothing surfaced. Blank. Wait!
He’d just come from . . . white. It faded from his memory. No amount of coaxing brought it back.
Javin started walking. Javin? It was his name. Javin Cox. No memories surfaced with it. Again, it was only a frame of reference.
He stumbled from the grass to a vague path. It led into a clearing ringed by thick trees. Bushes grew between the trees, pushing up against and filling in. The clear ground was a mulchy grass and fallen leaves. Even under the trees the light was bright. “Water crystals in the air are refracting the light,” he said aloud. How do I know this?
Javin looked around then sat against a mossy tree trunk, fear growing to panic. He realized he was far from home.
Home? The concept registered but no place came to memory.
My memories! They’re gone. How did he know he had memories? He just knew.
The tree trunk was cool. Tilting his head back and closing his eyes, he tried to relax, letting his senses drift, thinking of nothing, only letting brief snatches of thought, impressions, tiny pieces of memory flow, trying to put them into some semblance of understanding.
Flashes of memory came and went.
Trouble! Lots of it. He’d made a decision. Blinding light. Voices. They were talking about him. He was supposed to do something. They’d never said what. Movement . . .
And waking up here!
It was all a jumble no matter how hard he focused.
Javin Cox! That’s my name. But there’s nothing to go with it. I’m somebody! I’ve got a life! Still no memories would come.
They’re blocked.
Javin knew this. It didn’t help. Anger flashed.
Wait! I’ve got to stay calm.
He pushed down anger, apprehension, breathed deep, closing his eyes to find his center. How did he know to do that? Don’t question. Just do.
He opened his eyes, scanning the surroundings with full awareness. Stop!
Eyes! Staring straight back from the far side of the clearing. Brilliant blue orbs were attached to a stocky four-legged reptile about the same height as Javin. It was muscular with a splotchy green and brown hide and a curved, sinuous neck ending in a diamond-shaped head. A tail curled back into the bush, and stout legs ended in . . . claws!
The glistening blue eyes entranced. A tongue darted out revealing pointed teeth.
That’s no herbivore! Disgust colored fear as he knew the terminology but not the memory references.
Javin tried a slow movement -- and couldn’t!
Not again! What’s happening with my body?
He tried to tense muscles. They didn’t respond. He sat, staring back into the deepening blue eyes. His body remained limp, relaxed, not hearing the messages his brain was sending.
It's the eyes! I can’t break contact. Javin realized he couldn’t even blink.
The beast crept forward slow and steady, head level, eyes fixed. A low guttural sound was forced through its long neck.
Sweat trickled down Javin’s face. He concentrated, focusing every faculty. His body remained slack, eyes starting to hurt.
This isn’t going to be pretty.
There might be a chance. When the beast went to take a bite it’d have to break eye contact. Maybe he could get away with whatever parts of his body he had left over. Then Javin remembered the claws and realized it wasn’t likely he’d get the chance.
The beast moved closer, step by step. I’ll only get one shot at this..
A sound came from above, a heavy rustling of leaves, then a snap!
What was that?
It physically hurt that he couldn’t look. Javin’s nerves were strained to the limit. The beast was almost in reach.
What would it grab first? A leg? An arm? Maybe the neck. If so . . .
Steady . . . Javin tried to focus on the right muscles so when, or if, released, he’d be ready for the slashing movement.
Suddenly a branch landed square across the beast’s snout. It snorted in surprise, shook its head and reared back with a deep-throated bellow.
Javin blinked. He could move! He turned from under the tree and jumped for the nearest branch, swinging up just as he heard the beast howl again from behind. A tremor shook the tree as its claws raked the bole where Javin had just been.
He pulled himself up with panicked agility, moving farther into the tree and praying the beast couldn’t climb. The reptile continued to pound its forelegs against the tree, scraping gashes in the trunk as it bugled.
It was mad! But at least it was still hungry.
Javin climbed to a wide limb and stood bending over, sucking in deep breaths, resting his hand against the thick trunk for balance.
That was close!
He rubbed his eyes and peered down. The beast was ambling back into the jungle. Its mottled green hide blended quickly with the dense cover. It’s good that thing doesn’t have more patience. Probably doesn’t need any. Not much would ever get away. Then he remembered how he got away. The branch had come from this tree!
Javin straightened, eyes darting. They settled on another pair of eyes.
Not again!
These eyes were red with black pupils staring back from a few steps away. They were attached to a humanoid form with sleek green-brown scaly skin without any hair. It wore a loin cloth and a small scrip made of green mottled leather draped over one shoulder. Its head was smooth and human-like with a ridged bone crest front to back over the crown. Taller than Javin by a bit, it had sinewy muscles, slender fingers, and its head canted to one side. The eyes reflected intelligence, studying him in what he hoped was a non-threatening way.
Javin slowly raised a hand. “Look, friend, I think I owe you thanks. You threw that branch?”
The being continued staring, head moving in small jerks as if trying to decide what manner of creature Javin was.
Then its body moved slightly . . . and Javin gaped. The being seemed to disappear from view, leaving a faint outline with only its loin cloth and scrip visible.
“Hold on. I didn’t mean to make you nervous. I was hoping you could help. After all, you saved me from being dinner.” Javin spread his hands out low hoping to show he meant no harm.
The being crouched at Javin’s movement. It was barely discernable. Then it sprang, booming out a throaty "Whoooot!"
Javin nearly fell, going to a defensive stance as it bounded past, barely touching him and moving through the canopy like it was flat ground. It blended into the foliage so fast he lost sight of it only a few paces away. He
could hear it moving further out into the jungle.
He waited. It didn’t return, though it could easily come up again if quiet enough.
Chameleon! The word and its meaning sprung into his mind.
“Ahhrr!” He clenched his fist, tempted to pound it against the trunk.
Instead he sat. “Now what?” He took a few deep cleansing breaths, this time keeping his eyes open.
He needed a plan. He needed food and water. There was no telling how long he was going to be here. Wherever here was.