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It's been a long time since I've written on this platform, maybe I'll start writing on it again. Enjoy.
Lazily the small wooden boat sailed the currents of the Amazon River. From time to time, Calypso would creak at the whimsical outbursts of the torrents, but not dangerous enough to alarm the captain who dozed off in his hammock.
The stifling heat of midday made the sailors' clothes sticky, and they preferred to strip off and burn their leathery, naked backs in the harsh sun. But that didn't discourage the crew; they sang a familiar song, passed down from generation to generation of sailors, to make routine work more bearable. The crew was in good spirits.
Soon the reason came to his ears. The familiar heel of the boat was breaking up their comfortable stay. Why had he agreed to take that pair of passengers? Possibly she was returning with her insistent need to hurry the trip. Diana dodged the compliments and lustful looks of the sailors mopping up the deck. The captain knew it was bad luck to take a woman aboard, let alone two; he knew how lewd his crew could be, but none would dare touch them until he was the first.
She frantically waved her fan not only to ward off the hot flush but also to scare off the annoying mosquitoes that would not miss the chance to suck a little foreign blood.
"I need us to get to La Curiara as soon as possible"
With her arms crossed, furious and obstinate, she unconsciously continued to heel the floor.
"We can't always have what we want. Better a step that lasts than a run that tires, Miss Ardelean"
The captain got up from his hammock and scratched his beard.
"If we hurry, we could damage the engine of the boat, and then we would have to wait a couple of weeks for another boat to come by and help us with the parts".
The drops of sweat ran down Diana's white, delicate cheeks. The captain again did not understand what need a girl of her kind had to visit the most remote and darkest places of the Amazon.
A sudden slap surprised the captain.
"Damn insects"
"Mosquitoes are the least of our worries," answered the captain.
"In the Amazon, there are spiders, ants, worms, and all kinds of creatures that are not only thirsty for your blood. I've seen the delusions that can be caused by cholera and dengue fever"
"That's the least of my worries," Diana said.
But their conversations were interrupted by the arrival of the cook.
"The food is ready. If you wish, the lady can come with her sister and have lunch outdoors," he added with a smile of a few yellow teeth.
Without taking her eyes off the captain, she replied: "It will not be necessary, I will eat with my sister in our cabin"
The smile disappeared from the cook's face. A look from the captain was all it took for the cook to leave the room immediately.
Diana turned around and retraced her steps, but before leaving the captain's room, he surprised her
"Come by night, the plague will be gone and we can discuss with more tranquility another alternative for your urgency. You can invite your sister, if you wish, she will be welcome"
Diana left without saying anything.
The night was undoubtedly cooler. The captain had set up a table in his room, on which was a map of the area fully displayed.
Diana was wearing a white dress that reached to her feet and covered her arms as well. Fortunately, it showed a cleavage that tightened her chest, highlighting her bust. This was a show that he enjoyed without shame.
After paying his respects, the captain described the new plan.
"As you can see, we can arrive in the morning at the Cuyuní pier and there you could hire some caravans to take you and your sister through the Tigre cut," the captain pointed out on the map.
"You could reach your destination in two days"
"But it wouldn't be a trip like this one," he warned.
"You would be at the mercy of the beasts and other dangers of the jungle"
"That doesn't worry me," she replied thoughtfully.
While Diana's eyes analyzed the map, the captain tried to decipher what was hidden in a creature as delicate as the one in front of him.
It would be a pitiful tragedy if such smooth and soft skin became stained with insect bites and stings. Her crimson lips contrasted with the whiteness of her complexion. Her blue eyes kept moving back and forth.
A lock of rebellious hair escaped from her hairstyle and came to fall in front of her eyes. The captain wanted to take the lock of hair away, but the skin on her chest shook, bristling. This excited the captain.
Suddenly, Diana's eyes opened more than usual, for a moment the captain thought he had gone too far, but that was not the reason for her distress.
A terrifying cry from one of the sailors broke the silence of the night, alerting the captain. He grabbed the rifle hanging on the wall and came out immediately with a flashlight in his hand.
"Stay here," he ordered.
One of the sailors was running towards him in a panic.
"The devil," he cried out in fear.
"Calm down Ramirez, what's going on?"
"Captain, it killed Rodriguez! Possibly the cook too"
"Find a weapon and follow me," he ordered
The captain continued on his way to where the grunts were coming from. His hands were shaking, but it wasn't out of fear, he was sorry he stopped drinking his liquor that afternoon, so as not to disturb the meeting with Miss Diana with his stench. The sounds of bones being crushed and guts being flayed were getting closer and closer.
Hammer the rifle firing pin, ready to blow the head off any monster that had come up to his beloved boat.
Large, round eyes reflected the light from his flashlight as did a row of reddened, sharp teeth.
The sound of the detonation was heard in the distance, and the shot had been fired far from the intended location. Diana had set the rifle aside just in time and ran between the beast and the captain.
"Don't shoot! She's my sister! She's cursed by the moon! I told you I was in a hurry, now do you understand?"
The beast had stopped showing its teeth, however, it was still gnawing at the bones of some poor devil, perhaps Rodriguez. The captain noticed the shackles on its limbs and the broken chains.
Possibly, his crew had caused the problem.
"I guess you'll have to take the overland route," replied the captain.
Thank you for coming all the way out here with me.
Have a nice day or night... _