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Manitou
Manitou
Manitou
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Manitou

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Johnny Moran’s life is transformed from rags-to-Rambo during his honeymoon in Valparaiso, Chile.
Johnny’s accident in Chile mutates his cell structure, making him practically invincible. Johnny’s newfound abilities transcend his occupation as a lorry driver, where he finds himself working for the government on issues of national security, when the country is facing a very real threat; a military coup led by the most decorated General in history, McAllister, a megalomaniac plagued with delusions of grandeur.
Charged with arresting the advance of General McAllister on the country’s institutions of power, Johnny Moran must master his newfound abilities and take control of his own fate.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateOct 10, 2017
ISBN9781786299598
Manitou

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    Manitou - Johnny Van Neerven

    Prologue

    Chile, 1821, they were all running back to their village with their hunting prey, tied up with its paws on two large wooden sticks. While they entered the village, he looked around and saw all women doing the laundry, sitting on their knees near the river. They were working intensively, but she looked at him, smiling. The other women were looking at her with disapproving looks on their faces, but she ignored them. Also the other men looked at him, but he kept looking at her and he smiled to her as well. He wasn’t scared, but he knew very well it was forbidden, so did she. But they both also knew temptation would rise up too high as time went by. At night, he woke up and he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He saw her face, her sweet smile imaginary in front of him. He couldn’t stand it anymore, he had to see her. He stood up, opened his tent and sneaked out. It was dark and practically quiet outside. Only an owl was hooting. The moon was full and it was a bit rainy as well. The leaves of the trees were wet, raindrops were dripping down slowly.

    He crawled silently towards another tent, opened it and saw her lying down, sleeping. He looked at her for a moment, he enjoyed watching her. She had black, shiny long hair and her face looked like a sweet piece of fruit. He tapped her feet, he tried to wake her. She opened her eyes slowly, he smiled at her again. She whispered (In Mapudungun language) to him, Misquamacus, what are you doing? My father will kill you for this if he finds you here.

    I know, but I couldn’t resist, I had to see you. And this is the only way.

    You fool! But I am glad you did.

    Misquamacus lay down beside her, wrapped his arms around her and they started kissing. She whispered, It cannot be like this, Misquamacus, you are risking our lives.

    I know your father is the Chief and he commands you to marry that bastard. But I have powers, Mayo. He knows that.

    Sure he knows, you are the medicine man. You are also the only one who can contact the spirits. But still, he compels me to marry Wassati, and he will not change his mind, not ever.

    We can go, together. We can go right now.

    I really would like to go with you, Misquamacus, I don’t want to marry that fat man. But there is no place we can hide. His guards are like bloodhounds, they will find us anywhere. Suddenly, they heard footsteps approaching the tent. They held their breath and watched the opening of the tent; it opened. Two men were looking inside, one of them said, Misquamacus, you again, huh? Come on out, we will take you to the Chief now.

    The two guards were holding spears in their hands and pointed them at Misquamacus. Mayo looked at Misquamacus, he stood up and walked out. The two men walked backwards from the tent, but kept pointing their spears at Misquamacus. One of the men said with a snarling voice, Now keep walking, Misquamacus, you know the way.

    Misquamacus looked back at the tent, he saw Mayo looking at him from the opening of the tent. She had a desperate look on her face. Suddenly, Misquamacus turned around and ran towards the tent, grabbed Mayo by her hands and they ran off together, into the forest. The guards were surprised by Misquamacus’ sudden movement. They started shouting and saw other guards coming out of their tents.

    One of the men said to the approaching guards, Misquamacus and Mayo just ran off into the forest. We will follow them. One of you must call Chief Harutta.

    One of the guards ran to the biggest tent in the front of the village, the others followed Misquamacus and Mayo into the deep forest. Still holding each other’s hand, Misquamacus and Mayo ran through the thick forest. They heard many footsteps behind them, running with full speed, they would never give up. Mayo started panting heavily and Misquamacus knew she couldn’t keep up with him very long. They tried to mislead their pursuers by running on other paths, left and right. Misquamacus knew they wouldn’t be able to see them because of the trees, tightly together. But no matter what Misquamacus tried, the guards kept following them like predators. They were even gaining in on them. Mayo couldn’t keep up anymore, she was out of breath. She said, panting heavily, You go without me, Misquamacus. Don’t let them take you.

    Mayo dropped down on the ground. Misquamacus nodded his head at her and said, I will be back for you. I love you, Mayo.

    He saw the guards coming, about fifty yards away. He started running again and didn’t look back. The only thing he heard was Mayo behind him, yelling. He ran off with full speed and made the same dynamic movements, left and right. He heard them following him again, but they were further away. Mayo had won some time for him. Because of his unpredictable directions, he couldn’t even realise where he was going. Suddenly, the forest ended and he saw the coastline, he saw the ocean. There was a cliff in front of him, he looked down and it was too high and too dangerous to climb down. The surface was too slippery and too steep, there weren’t any foot holds. He looked left, right, there were only two choices, jump down or go back into the forest. He doubted and looked at the edge of the forest and saw the guards gathering around him, he waited too long. The guards looked angrily at him while they surrounded him and pointed their spears again at him. Misquamacus panted heavily and looked down from the cliff again, it was a sharp drop. The water of the ocean was hitting the cliff and moved up with several enormous waves. Misquamacus saw the guards closing in on him and he had to make a decision. He walked backwards, slowly… He looked down again and he panicked. He saw the guards, making some space and there he was, Chief Harutta. He looked angry at Misquamacus and said, Your time is up, Misquamacus. You cannot escape.

    Misquamacus looked at the Chief, he knew if he would give up they would hurt him, badly. Suddenly, he tripped over some rocks and the slippery grass made him fall backwards, over the cliff. The guards and the Chief walked to the edge and saw Misquamacus fall on a rocky platform, about fifty feet down. He was still alive, he was moving. The guards and the Chief watched him, breathlessly. Misquamacus opened his eyes and stood up, slowly. His back hurt and his left leg seemed to be broken, he was limping. Misquamacus didn’t say anything when he looked up.

    The Chief called out to him, This is your punishment, Misquamacus. The great spirit has judged you and you are condemned for eternity.

    Misquamacus tried to climb up, but he couldn’t do it, no matter how he tried. He looked up at the Chief and said, You cannot leave me here, you need me. I have great powers, you know that.

    Don’t think you are indispensable, Misquamacus. Your powers won’t do you any good down there.

    Don’t underestimate my powers, Harutta. I will get out of here soon and then I will come back to haunt you all!

    Nobody will come for you down there. Not ever, Misquamacus, sneered Chief Harutta. While Chief Harutta and his guards walked back towards the village, they heard Misquamacus yelling. They couldn’t understand what he was saying, but when they saw dark clouds appear above them and even lightning began to strike, they knew Misquamacus was using his powers. They walked back to the edge and looked down, curiously, Misquamacus was still standing, but he was looking up in the sky and he had his arms raised. He kept on yelling while the thunder and the lightning increased. Then Misquamacus laughed and looked at the edge, he saw Chief Harutta and his guards look at him. He laughed louder while he put an evil grin on his face and said to Chief Harutta, You will be sorry for this, Harutta. I will make sure you all will end up in Hell!

    Chapter 1

    The church bells rang, it was very busy inside, but also outside many people were watching patiently for the bride and the groom to leave the church. Some people already came out, like the photographer, holding a camera in his hands. They were elegantly dressed and there were spontaneous looks on their faces. Two young girls were standing on both sides of the double doors, both of them had a container in their hands, filled with dry rice. The doors opened, the bride and the groom were walking up front. The girls started throwing the rice over the happy looking couple, dressed in traditional black tuxedo and a white wedding gown. The photographer kept taking pictures of the happy smiling couple, practically running towards a black Jaguar, parked in front of the church. They didn’t look back anymore and stepped as quickly as possible inside the luxurious car. The hood of the car was covered with flowers and there were many cheerful looking ribbons attached to the car, from front to back. They sat down in the leather seats, in the back of the car. They looked through the windows and saw many people gathering around the car. They waved at them when the driver drove off slowly. When back on the road, they looked at each other’s fingers, two beautiful, brand new golden rings and they felt proud. Many other cars followed them to a tavern to attend the wedding reception. There was a big hall at the back where a band was playing soft music. The bride and the groom were welcoming their distinguished guests, one by one. After the guests had congratulated the bride and the groom, they all sat down at the tables. The bride and the groom sat down at the front, next to each other. People were chatting a lot and ordered drinks from the waiters, walking around in white suits. The man, sitting next the groom asked him, Where are you off to, Johnny?

    As soon as this reception is finished, we will go to a hotel in the centre of Birmingham. Then, tomorrow morning we are going to the airport and fly to Santiago, Chile.

    Really? I have never been there. But I heard the locals there have some kind of reputation to be a bit creepy.

    I heard that too, but don’t bother about it. We saw some photos on the net and did some research, it’s beautiful there. The whole country is bedecked in the Andes Mountains. They even have football pitches on high levels.

    Well, whatever… You have earned it, Johnny. You are one of my best drivers. I just hope your wife can cope with you being away from home a lot.

    No problem, she can do. Why do you think she wanted to marry me?

    There was another man sitting next to Johnny’s employer, he was drinking a pint. He put his glass on the table and said enthusiastically, Don’t patronise that silly old bastard, Johnny. He cheated on his wife several times. That’s why he’s been divorced three times.

    Johnny’s employer said, laughing, And you spend more time in the pub than you do at home, don’t you, Terry? Terry waved at the waiter, he wanted another pint, but he answered, Yes, the happiest place in town, ha-ha.

    Johnny asked Terry, If you spend so much time in the pub, how can you drive a truck properly, Terry?

    Pure instincts, answered Terry.

    And a bit of experience, said Johnny’s employer, laughing also.

    Terry asked, How long are you going to Chile, Johnny?

    Four weeks. That’s nice, huh?

    It sure is. And when you get back, are you going to move into that house you recently bought? Johnny answered, That’s the whole idea, yes. They should be ready with the renovation by then, like we agreed with the building contractor.

    Johnny’s employer said, Then the life really begins. It will be only you and your wife, for now. Later on there will be a few youngsters as well. There will be no return for you, ha-ha.

    Johnny’s bride heard what he said and answered, Don’t worry, Brian, I will take good care of him. I will keep his mind clear, so he can concentrate optimally, driving your truck.

    And we all know how you are going to do that, Fanny, said Terry.

    The band started playing louder and people started dancing. Johnny and Fanny didn’t drink as much as their guests did, but they didn’t bother about it. There were some power drinkers, especially some colleagues of Johnny. But in return, they had an exciting wedding party. Johnny saw Terry, dancing on the dance floor. He was a bit drunk already, but he was cheerful in a positive manner. Johnny laughed about it and walked towards the toilet, still looking at Terry. He bumped against a waiter with a tray filled with glasses. Some of the glasses fell off, on the floor.

    Johnny said, I am sorry, I didn’t see you.

    Johnny picked up some shards from the floor, but the friendly waiter said, I will do it, no problem, Mr Moran.

    Johnny said, OK, thank you. I am really sorry.

    That’s quite all right, Mr Moran, said the waiter.

    Johnny saw Fanny, walking towards them, she said, What happened?

    I bumped into the waiter. The glasses fell down.

    Johnny, you have cut your finger, it’s bleeding.

    Johnny looked at his finger, there was blood coming out of a small cut. He put his finger in his mouth and said, It’s OK. It’s just a small cut.

    At two AM, everybody went back home, Johnny and Fanny were driven to their hotel in Birmingham. Johnny lifted Fanny, just before they entered the room and carried her in. He put her on the king-sized bed and sat down next to her. They started kissing and there was a happy look on both faces.

    Fanny said, Finally, after three years we are married. I hope you will never get tired of me. Johnny removed the decorations out of Fanny’s hair and said, No way, honey. And when we are back from Chile, we will do our best effort starting a family. And from the day you will be pregnant, I will no longer be the whole week from home. I will take day shifts.

    Don’t go ahead in time just too much. I want to enjoy our honeymoon for the fullest.

    You are absolutely right about that. But now, let’s do another tradition…

    Johnny opened the zipper of Fanny’s stiff wedding gown. Fanny removed Johnny’s tuxedo jacket and opened his shirt. They started kissing again lay down on the bed. It was silent inside the room, they could hear themselves moaning. Afterwards, they didn’t have any problems sleeping and went down cheerfully in the morning for breakfast. They both knew a long journey was ahead of them, but they considered it as great pleasure. From the entrance of the hotel, they went by taxi to the international airport. They didn’t have to transfer, it was a direct flight of thirteen hours to Santiago. Both Johnny and Fanny were frequently looking through the small windows and saw at times a fully bedecked clouded surface. Sometimes, the sun appeared through it and they could see some signs of the Atlantic Ocean.

    Some stewardesses were walking around with trolleys through the aisles. They were offering coffee, tea and some biscuits. They all wore the same uniform and even had the same make-up on their faces. Johnny looked at the shiny ring on Fanny’s finger and looked at his own. Even though he normally didn’t like to wear any jewellery at all, that ring made him feel proud making his commitment to Fanny. He didn’t say it to her on that moment, neither did Fanny because they were about to arrive in a mysterious country, on the other side of the world. When they felt the plane was losing height and was preparing for landing, they already felt some adrenaline coming up. They saw the Chilean landscape through the small windows, it looked beautiful.

    They saw a bright, blue sky above them and some big buildings on the ground surface. They saw the airport in front of them where many planes were standing in the open. The wheels touched the ground and the plane started breaking and drove slowly towards the terminal. Two moveable staircases were attached to the plane exits, one in the front and one at the back. Everybody in the plane stood up and grabbed their luggage from the compartments. Everybody walked out of the plane and felt the fresh outside air, blowing in their faces. It was about twenty five degrees outside, it was sunny. Johnny and Fanny walked inside, through some long hallways. They couldn’t understand the Spanish signboards, but followed the other passengers. After a few minutes, they saw the custom’s control posts. There were many policemen standing around, looking attentively at the passengers. Fanny said to Johnny, Look at the suspicious looking faces of those policemen. They seem kind a creepy, don’t they?

    They sure do. I don’t think it’s a good idea to mess around with these guys. But there is nothing to be afraid of. Just act normal, it’s OK.

    There was a big queue in front of the posts, Fanny said, They are really suspicious, they don’t care how long it takes. I think they are going to ask us all kind of annoying questions. The closer Johnny and Fanny came to the posts, the more nervous they were getting because of the creepy policemen. They did ask Johnny all kind of questions and gave them the suspicious looks, but eventually they were past the posts.

    They don’t have any sense of humour at all, do they? asked Fanny.

    No, not at all. Hopefully, not all people here are like that, answered Johnny.

    Johnny and Fanny walked to the baggage claim section and waited for the luggage. It was very busy, Johnny had to push himself through the people to have a good sight. But eventually they walked out of the terminal, out in the street. In front of the entrance of the airport were many taxis parked. The drivers were standing on the pavement, offering out coming people a ride to their hotels. But they didn’t need a taxi, because transport had been arranged by the travel agency. There were also several vans parked with signs in front of the windshields. A young woman was standing in front of one of the vans, holding a clipboard in her hand. Are you Mr and Mrs Moran from the UK? she asked.

    Yes, we are, said Fanny. Are you going to take us to our hotel?

    Yes, put your bags in the back of the van, please. We are waiting for two more people to come. Johnny put the bags in the back and they sat down on the back seat. There were two more couples sitting inside the van. One of them was an older couple, just over sixty years old. They both had grey hair and had a kind smile on their faces. The other couple looked South European, probably Spanish. A few minutes later, another couple stepped in the van. They looked like locals, South American looking. All people were chatting when the young woman stepped in the van, on the passenger seat. The woman turned her face towards the people and said, Good morning ladies and gentlemen. My name is Susie Davidson and we are going to drive you to your hotel. As you can guess, this is an outstretched country if you are staying outside Santiago. Therefore, people who will be going to the hotels at the coast will be travelling the longest. But that is quite obvious to you, I presume.

    The woman of the Spanish couple asked her, Our hotel is in Valparaiso. How long will it take to drive there?

    That’s our last stop, in two hours. Are there any more of you staying in Valparaiso?

    Yes, we do as well, said Johnny.

    Then I would suggest you all enjoy the ride because Chile is a very beautiful country. You will see it by yourself. The driver started driving and everybody was looking through the windows. They saw many people with some kind of trolleys, filled with all kinds of fruit and vegetables. The airport was just outside of Santiago. Therefore, nobody would see the centre of the city. When they were out of city limits, they saw a beautiful green, mountainous landscape. Fanny asked the young woman, Do you live here?

    Yes, in a small town, just a bit north of Santiago. My father owns a plantation there. I was born in Detroit, America. Maybe you can recognise my accent. I am trying to hide it in the ten years we are living here, but it’s not easy, I guess.

    How many people live in Chile? How many people live in Santiago? asked the old man.

    There are seventeen million people living in Chile, five million of them live in Santiago. As you might as well know, Chile is a very narrow, but an outstretched country. It is four thousand and three hundred kilometres from north to south and an average width of one hundred and eighty kilometres. The widest part of Chile is no more than three hundred and fifty kilometres.

    The people here, do they speak only Spanish? asked the old woman.

    Most of them, yes. But in the central and south are still some Indians with their own native language, Mapudungun or Rapa Nui.

    Those people must be living here already for quite some time, right? asked the old man.

    Yes, they are descendants of the ancient Mapuche tribe. They are a bit timid and implacable. I guess they don’t really like too many tourists on their land.

    They don’t speak Spanish at all?

    Spain conquered and colonised Chile in the mid-16th century, replacing Inca-rule in northern and central Chile, but failed to conquer the independent Mapuche that inhabited south-central Chile. They have their own traditions, their own way of life and as you can imagine, their own language. But most of them do speak Spanish.

    How is it about the rest of Chile? asked Fanny. I mean, if this country is more than four thousand kilometres long, there must be different climates here.

    Yes, that’s true. In the north of Chile it is hot and dry because of the Atacama Desert. It is the driest desert in the world. There is fertile ground in the central and south, together with forests and grazing land. There are also volcanoes and beautiful lakes. The mid-south coast is a labyrinth of fjords, inlets, canals, twisting peninsulas and islands. In conclusion, Chile is a very beautiful country to see.

    Chapter 2

    Susie didn’t over react, they saw a very beautiful mountainous landscape. They drove through deep, green forests and saw much farm and grazing land. They saw some local farmers, working on their land. In the villages they drove through they saw many vendors, selling all kinds of fruit and vegetables. The houses and the farms they saw didn’t look very strong, some of them could even collapse any moment. The local people were looking at the van with much attention when they drove by. There were some Indians among them, driving old pick-up trucks. They could recognise them by the colour of their skin and the fact they didn’t like to cut their hair either. There were many shops in the streets and many people were selling their goods on the pavement. The van stopped about ten miles south-east of Valparaiso, about two miles from the coast. The hotel was at the end of the slip road, uphill. Only Johnny and Fanny and the old couple were still in the van, they were the last ones to step out. They took the suitcases from the back of the van and walked towards the entrance.

    Susy stepped back in the van after she wished everybody a nice stay at their hotel. It was a tropical surrounding, there were many rare trees and bushes with big green leaves, in all kinds and shapes. There was a healthy looking lawn in front of the hotel with a pond in the middle of it. There was a fountain in the middle of the water, in the shape of a horse. There were two pavements, all around the lawn. Both of them led to the main entrance. The hotel looked a bit ordinary, but Johnny knew they would be staying in one of many cottages, on the hotel’s yard. They went inside and saw a reception hall, with a desk at the back. There were three women standing behind it, smiling friendly. There was also a man standing behind them, dressed in a black suit. Johnny and Fanny went to the reception desk and said to one of the women, Good morning, we have a reservation, Mr and Mrs Moran.

    She started typing, looked at the screen and said, Yes, I can see it. If you would like to fill in these forms, then I will make a copy of your passports in the mean while. Johnny started writing while Fanny gave her the passports. A few minutes later, she returned to the desk and gave back the passports. She took the keys from the cupboard behind her and said, Here are your keys, Mr Moran. I can also see you have rented a car. It will be here within the hour, if that’s OK with you. While Johnny took the keys and put his pen back, he answered,

    No problem. Thank you.

    You have cottage number sixteen. When you go out here through this door, keep right and you will see it in front of you. Have a nice stay together.

    Johnny and Fanny walked out, into the hotel’s yard, and saw many cottages, spread all over the yard. They went inside number sixteen and unpacked their suitcases. After an hour, they went back to the reception desk, their rented car was there. Johnny signed the paperwork, got the keys and they couldn’t wait any longer to discover the Chilean landscape from up close. They gathered some stuff and took it with them in the car and drove off. There was a narrow road that led straight to the coast. The moment they saw the fjords and the immense ocean, Fanny said, Wow, it is beautiful here! Let’s keep on driving this road, it seems to go on for many miles.

    It sure is beautiful, said Johnny. I think that cliff must be very high, don’t you think?

    I wouldn’t like to fall down from it.

    Johnny kept on driving and when they saw some parking spaces, they parked the car and stepped out. They walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down at the ocean. The waves were rising up spontaneously against the steep cliff. Johnny said, Keep standing there, I will take some pictures of you. Fanny laughed and posed like a model while Johnny took some pictures. A couple walked by from a side road. They were walking hand in hand and looked curiously at Johnny and Fanny, taking pictures. There wasn’t much emotion to be seen on their faces. Johnny walked up to them and asked while he actually already knew they wouldn’t understand English, Good afternoon, can you please take a picture of me and my wife? But Johnny made some signs, pointing the camera at them, they understood. The man took the camera as Johnny explained which button he needed to push. He pointed the camera at them while Johnny and Fanny were standing next to each other and laughed. About a half hour later, they drove further again, along the same road, near the coast line. After an hour they drove into a forest. The trees were fully packed with big green leaves, they couldn’t even see the clear blue sky. The forest looked like a jungle, like an endless maze. Johnny and Fanny looked around curiously and saw a lay by up ahead.

    Shall we park there? Fanny asked.

    OK. No problem, answered Johnny.

    Johnny parked the car and they stepped out. There was a sandy path, leading straight into the forest. They took their bags, a bottle of water and started walking on the path. A few hundred yards up ahead, the path split, Fanny asked, Better go straight, Johnny, otherwise we might get lost. Johnny answered, That was exactly what I was thinking about.

    They walked further down and saw there were more paths, all through the forest. Only these paths were very narrow compared to the main ones and were blocked by fully leaved branches. There were several wooden chalets up ahead, close to each other. Fanny said, Look, Johnny, that looks like an Indian village.

    Do you think we should go there? That woman said the Indians are not really happy with too many tourists.

    They won’t scare us away, will they? We are just passing through, that’s all.

    When they entered the village, they could see some Indians, walking around or standing on the porch of their homes. They had an indignant look on their faces when they saw them waking by, but kept silent. There were two Indians, with long black hair, standing on the back of their pick-up truck, expressing their dislike of Johnny’s and Fanny’s presence. They had a scary look in their eyes and one of them was even holding a shotgun. Fanny looked at them and said, Maybe we just turn back and walk another way, Johnny. I don’t like the way they look at us.

    Maybe it’s just the way they are, but you could be right, let’s turn back.

    They turned around and walked back towards their car, but just outside the village, Fanny said, Shall we go on this path? It’s easy to find the way back.

    They started walking on a path at the left and didn’t bother anymore about the scary Indians behind them. The path was rather winding and they felt many soggy leaves hitting them when they walked through the narrowing path. A few hundred yards further, they saw another chalet. There was an old Indian sitting on the porch, in a wooden chair. He had grey, long hair and the skin in his face was badly wrinkled. He had dark eyes, but he didn’t have that same indignant look on his face like the other Indians had. In fact, he looked kind a friendly. He looked attentively at Johnny and Fanny when they walked by, he even stood up from his chair. Johnny and Fanny looked also at him, but kept on walking. They felt and heard their shoes sagging into the swampy ground and their clothes were getting wet because of the soggy leaves. After a half an hour walk, they saw the forest was ending and another cliff was in front of them. They saw the sun in a clear sky, shining in full over the endless blue ocean, all the way up to the horizon. They stood still and watched it carefully. Fanny said, Wow, Johnny, this is so beautiful, truly magnificent!

    Yes, it is. We don’t see this much in the UK, for sure.

    Go stand over there, before the edge, Johnny. Then I will make some pictures of you. Then you can take some of me, too. Johnny walked to the edge, Fanny walked a bit behind him. Johnny put his bag down and said when he looked down from the cliff, Wow, this is very high. And look, there is a platform down there as well.

    Just stand still, Johnny. Smile, show everybody we are having a good time. Johnny looked in front of him again and said to Fanny, Look, that old man is standing there, it looks like he followed us.

    Just ignore him, said Fanny. There is nothing wrong for us taking some pictures here, or am I wrong? Sit down on one knee, Johnny… The angle is much nicer. Johnny bent down and sat down on his right knee. He moved his left leg a bit sideward and said, He is shouting, like he is trying to warn us for something. Fanny turned around and saw the old man, yelling and waving his arms. He was coming towards them with a worried look upon his face. Johnny said, I think something is really wrong with him. Johnny stood up, but got stuck with his left foot in the shoulder belt of his bag. He tripped and fell on the ground, with the shoulder belt wrapped around his left foot. Because of the weight of the bag and the slippery ground, Johnny slid backwards and tried to find any handhold, preventing him from sliding down. But the plants, the grass and everything was too soggy and Johnny slipped down the cliff. Fanny screamed and ran to the edge of the cliff and heard Johnny’s body thudding on the rocky platform. She panicked when she saw him lying on the platform and yelled, Johnny, are you all right? Johnny lay on his belly, but he was moving. Fanny sighed relieved, he was still alive. She yelled again, Johnny, are you all right?

    Johnny tried to stand up and noticed an enormous pain in his right leg. He looked at it and saw the fracture. He lay down again on his back and yelled,

    I can’t get up, my leg is broken, there are even bones sticking out of my leg. When Johnny looked up, he saw the old man was standing next to Fanny, also looking down on him. He was saying something to Fanny, but both Johnny and Fanny couldn’t understand one word he was saying. He made a gesture with his hand, Fanny understood he wanted her to wait there. He ran back into the forest, Fanny said to Johnny, He is going to get help. You hang in there, Johnny.

    Fanny kept watching Johnny and she got scared when Johnny suddenly screamed and put his hands in front of his face. Fanny yelled, What’s wrong, Johnny? Johnny didn’t answer, he just kept lying on his back. But after a short while he shook his head, opened his eyes and said while he looked up to Fanny, Fanny, are you there?

    Yes, I am here. What happened?

    I don’t know. I saw something, but it’s gone now. My leg hurts like hell. Jesus Christ, it’s bleeding, bad.

    That man is getting help, he will be back soon. Don’t pass out, Johnny. You need to stay focussed, OK?

    Yes, I know. My leg hurts bad, Fanny. I hope they can take us to our car, or even better, bring us to the hospital.

    I am sure they will, Johnny.

    After ten minutes, Fanny saw a pick-up truck driving towards her. She said,

    Here they come, Johnny. They will help you now.

    The pick-up truck stopped, there were three men inside, including the old man. They stepped out and walked to the edge of the cliff. They looked at Johnny, lying down on his back. One of the Indians said to Johnny, We pull you up.

    His English wasn’t very impressive, but Johnny and Fanny didn’t care at that moment.

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