She lifted her machete and swung down hard chopping through the thick foliage in front of her. The oppressive heat and humidity of the jungle made it hard to breathe. She paused for a moment to take a breath and wipe the sweat from her face.

“Amanda, I believe we should take a brief respite at that stream we passed a few minutes ago,” Her companion said.

She turned to face him finding the man drenched in sweat and looking even more miserable than she felt.

“That would be spectacular old chap,” she replied.

He clapped her on the shoulder, and they started back down the trail they had cut through the thick jungle returning to a small brook of clear water. She took off her hat and fanned her face and then undid the top three buttons of her blouse. Her companion looked away quickly and she smirked at him.

“Oh, come now Charles I’m not some bushing maiden you don’t have to be so uptight,” she said.

“Be that as it may a gentleman would never gawk at a lady so,” he replied.

She laughed.

“You’re right of course,” she said.

She shook her head and went over to the stream crouching down next to it and splashing herself in the face with the water. It was tepid though still far cooler than the air itself seemed to be.

“I do believe I’m going to take a dip,” Charles said.

“Don’t go too far,” she said.

He shook his head and walked away heading down the bank and out of sight. She turned back to the stream and crouched down splashing herself with the tepid water a few times before standing back up and fanning herself with her hat. Suddenly she heard a man screaming.

“Charles!” She shouted.

She put her hat back on and ran towards the screaming, she rushed down the bank and hacked her way through some thick foliage before coming to a clearing. She froze in utter shock at the sight which she beheld. There hanging from a multitude of vines was Charles stripped bare and struggling against his bindings. She watched for a moment unsure of what to do. A thick stalk started to rise from the underbrush, a large bud on the top. It slowly rose up heading straight for his groin. The bud started to open blooming into a most unusual flower. It was bright pink and had a strange, segmented look to it, the flower moved closer to his manhood which was swinging back and forth as he struggled. Suddenly the flower’s segments spread apart revealing row after row of razor-sharp thorns. The flower shot up and latched onto his scrotum biting down hard. Charles screamed again, snapping her out of her stupor, she lifted her machete and ran at the plant monster hacking away at its vines as she went. The plant started to writhe and lash out. She dodged the vines and cut her way to her friend. The flower jerked hard tearing his scrotum clean off his body, blood spread out of the wound and he passed out.

“No!” She shouted.

She went into a frenzy hacking the vines with all her might until she managed to cut him free. She threw his limp body over her shoulder and rushed out of the clearing running all the way back to the stream where she placed him on the ground then yanked off her kerchief and immediately shoved it between his legs putting pressure on his wound.

“Stay with me dammit!” She shouted.

He groaned and his eyes fluttered open.

“Oh god it hurts!” he said.

“I know just stay strong!” she replied.

She pressed harder holding the cloth there while she dug around her pocket until she found a small first aid kit that she kept there. With one hand she opened the small kit and then pulled her kerchief and started to sew up the wound. He grabbed her shoulder and squeezed tight as she worked.

“Just a little more,” she said.

He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut as she finished stitching him up.

“We’re going to have to get you back to base camp so Dr. Louis can do this right,” she said.

He nodded and she helped him to his feet putting his arm over her shoulder and supporting him as they made their way back to their base camp.