If only his irritating sense of being watched could disappear as easily as this leech he now tossed into the campfire. Rolling back on his heels, he sat back down roughly, restricted by his armor and layers of coats. So, the place wasn’t dying as quickly as they thought. Maybe then all this was for nothing. Maybe.

He watched as the thing wiggled closer to the coals. He watched it stop. He watched it die. He shivered. From dark layers of leafy trees above, icy water dripped in hate. These fraying coats were not enough. Maybe he’d talk tell the captain in the morning. For a second, he took interest as the carcass atop the coals sizzled and then popped. After a minute, though, it shriveled away into slimy dust.

“That was a good one.” From somewhere in the darkness on the opposite side of the fire.

“I could hear it from here.”

“As disgusting as all the others. The bed is probably all guts now. You’re all disgusting little people. Might as well inhale vaporized blood now with all the smoke in my face. Disgusting all of you. I can’t believe… I’m here with all you. Sorry. I….” This from one whose white face reflected the fire like a bumpy mirror. Whose eyes now fell to stare at the chilled earth.

“The jungle.”

All eyes beside his turned toward tbe voice.

It came from somewhere behind and above. The game ceased.

“And you say rather here than there?”

The next words were breakfast. On the first attempt his eyes didn’t open. On the second they did, but then they almost closed again. He wished he was home. Then he screamed in blind agony as his leg tore open. Eyes agape, fell into frozen shock at the sight of a snake as thick as a tree trunk. As long as … from the brambles a minute walk away! He lurched into the air and ran but then immediately fell. Ah his whole body seared! Still the snake held! A scent he’d only confronted once before assaulted him now relentlessly. Just as the first axe and sword strokes fell he passed into oblivion.

The next words were dinner. He gazed into the stars. They floated and warped before him, beautiful as an artist’s dream. White flashed in his vision. Before him were troubled faces, faces he’d never seen before.
“He’s alive” was the general murmur as his vision slowly cleared. The captain. And… others, all astounded. A few suddenly turned and left. Some glanced at him as they passed, hurrying with dishes or weapons. All those who stood had red slapped on pale faces.
“Are you awake?”
“Does it hurt?”
“Are you alive?”
“I can’t hear him, what’d he say?
Most simply gaped, standing still and silent.

The man shifted his gaze downward toward himself. His mind stopped. His eyes began to flutter uncontrollably. A ringing in his ear, heat in his forehead. Empty eye sockets stared back at him, two fangs disappearing into dirty, red-soaked sheets.

For a time his mind remained blank. Then he peered past the head. Before he could fully form the thought that he wished he hadn’t, blackness filled his brain.

A second later he awoke to pricks in his leg. The head. He snapped his gaze up. The head. Empty sockets. Fangs. Dried blood. Dried poison. Forked tongue draping lifelessly over its teeth and into the water. Water. Lifeless water. Still water. Moving water. Blood water. Leech water.

He died.

The snake watched as he did.

He awoke.                           .                       Golden-red shimmers completely filled his vision. Voices cried out close and far away, in agony or joy. Creatures moved from behind blurriness around him. His leg was on fire but his body felt cool. The next words made him still.