Start!
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"Uk, uk!" <The village is counting on me to get food.> "Ahk, ahk." <I'd better hurry.> The little monkey scrambles toward the edge of the branch.

A voice behind him calls, <GeeGee be careful and come back quick.>

Without turning around, he howls, "Eee! Eee ahk." <I know, Chief.>

<Don't make us send Sen like last time.>

"Ahk Uk." <I've got this.> Before the chief can hurl another jab, GeeGee leaps off the tree into the dangling vines. Some bananas will be good. I think I saw some nearly ripe yesterday. He swings that direction.

He arrives at the spot only to find plants squished down onto the ground and unfamiliar animal print in the mud. It is far more complex that the black cat or elephant. However, the bananas are gone. The whole bunch ripped clean from the tree. Oh no. Now I need to find more food.

Before he can leave, though, his eyes spot a bit of yellow under a fern branch. Bounding over, GeeGee lifts and sees a banana peel. No banana.

GeeGee stops to think of his options. I should look for more bananas or bugs. His eyes spot another spot of yellow. Or I could follow these animal tracks to see if I can get the bananas from them. Maybe they dropped some!

Spurred on by his mission, GeeGee chases the bits of yellow, each a peel. After those disappear, he heads after the strange animal prints since they seem to be going the same direction. The trail weaves and winds. Foliage is either flat on the ground or trampled under foot.

GeeGee almost doesn't notice it at first, but it grows louder. There are sounds in the jungle, unusual sounds. He is used to the creaking of branches and vines, the gentle woosh of breeze lifting and lowering and pushing plants around. Even, he shivers at the thought, the sounds of other animals, dangerous and not, he is used to. But these sounds are like nothing he's ever heard before.

And the sound is in the direction the animal prints are taking him. But the noise isn't the sound of a black cat or any other animal that could hurt him. Maybe I can still get the bananas for the village.

GeeGee takes to the trees. It's faster that way. Leaping from branch to branch and vine, he needs only to glance down from time to time to ensure as he heads toward the sound, he is also following the animal prints. As he gets closer more of the same print join making it easier to follow but harder to see each individual print.

He stops short on a branch. Down below him is a clearing. This isn't unusual. Trees end all the time near rivers and where fires have raged. Here there are no rivers or burnt trees. There is a small fire in a pile of rocks, but it doesn't seem to go beyond the ring of rocks. Giant rocks of red, blue, orange, and yellow surround the fire.

Then GeeGee sees it. His bunch of bananas is sitting on a slab of wood held up by other pieces of wood. Next to the bananas are hunks of meat and pieces of metal that look like each other. Also, there are four white, GeeGee tries to think what they look like, Elephant tracks, he decides.

GeeGee grabs the bananas and starts to pull. These look just right. He says looking at them. I should get one because I am bringing them back to the tribe. Grabbing one with his feet, he yanks it off and proceeds to peel it.

Two bites in, he hears a sound. It sounds like a bee, but instead of wavering in tone, this one is consistent. Not particularly fond of bees, GeeGee looks toward the sound to find one of the colorful rocks splitting open. A strange ape with not very much hair sticks its head out.

"Eey oo! it a a um ur ood," it yells at him. The bee that GeeGee can't see speed up and gets higher in pitch. More of the strange ape escapes the rock.

Startled, GeeGee grabs at the bunch and runs, but with hands holding the banana and his feet the bunch, he's not going far. Throw away the banana!

No, it's delicious.
Strange ape is coming!
Fine.

Decision made, GeeGee drops the half eaten banana, switches the bunch to his hands and takes off running. The ape escapes the rock. GeeGee tries to take to the trees, but with full hands, that is out. Diving through the underbrush, he tries to lose the one trailing behind.

The sound of bush crashing against bush seems to be getting louder the faster GeeGee bounds. Right, right, left, right, right. He passes through the clearing with the colorful rocks again. Left, right, left. The clearing again. Fine. Straight.

GeeGee goes straight as best as he is able but the sound is still behind him. Now it is louder and accompanied by breathing and other strange noises like when the ape screamed at him.

Another clearing appears, but this one is different. The ground falls away. GeeGee stops to try to figure this out and what to do. Nothing about this looks familiar. Where am I? There are no trees around. No brush to hide in for plenty of feet.

Something pricks GeeGee. He tries to run but his body is sluggish and doesn't respond like it should. Sleep fills his eyes as his feet stumble and he crashes into the ground. Everything fades to black.

A dull pain presses on the back of GeeGee's head. Tiredness isn't quite so heavy on him. Still he doesn't want to wake. Then he hears a buzzing, this one different from the rocks that open.

Something alights on his nose. It tickles. He swats at it to get it to go away. It lifts off and lands near the same spot. GeeGee tries a few more times with the same result. Irritated, he opens his groggy eyes.

There, on his muzzle, is a bug. Not just any bug, but a familiar one. Not him. GeeGee makes a new swipe at the insect, not to brush it away but to catch it. I can't let it get away. Sen can't know I'm here.

However, the light, from it's behind, as it rises up distracts GeeGee who misses the grab. It starts to fly away. He tries two snatches at the same time with both hands as he throws himself forward.

Both miss and his face crashes into metal. He pulls back to search for Sen's firefly, but it is out of reach and flying away. Looking again, GeeGee sees that he is surrounded by metal bars. He grabs two in his fists and calls out, <Let me free! Let me free!> "Eeeee! Eeeee! Eeek!"

Thump! Something heavy lands above GeeGee. "Hoo uh hoo hoo," <How are you doing, GeeGee?> asks the deep voice.

<Leave me alone, Sen,> "Hee eee ook," he calls back up, upset that Sen was sent after him.

<Okay.> "Ook." The cage creaks as the simian on top moves and turns. Crrreee

When GeeGee can't stand it any longer and he's sure Sen is about to leave, he calls back, "Eeeek." <Wait.>

<What?>

<Get me out of here.> GeeGee adds after a moment, <please.>

Sen grunts then, <BugPet, free GeeGee.> A streak of light darts to the lock on the cage. Since it is outside, GeeGee can't see anything, and the silence is not comforting. After a little while, the lightning bug flies back. <BugPet can't open cage. Hold on.>

GeeGee knows what's coming and lays on his back, grasping two bars with his feet, two with his hands, and for good measure one with his tail. Two massive paws grab the corners of the cage and then the outside blurs. SNAP! CLinkclink.

Trees whiz past the cage as it flips end over end past the tops. GeeGee tightens his hold bracing for what's next.

CRASH! The container holding GeeGee smashes against something hard, separating every piece from all the rest. He falls toward the ground below. He releases the bars and works his way down a tree.

Once he reaches the bottom, he looks around for orientation. Nothing looks familiar. I'm lost again. Now I have to find food and get home. He thinks about it some. How am I going to do that?

Jungle sounds fill the air. No help there. GeeGee picks a direction and heads that direction. Bounding up into the trees doesn't help either. Still, he clambers on. No food either. Unwilling to give up, he continues on.

With each step, a dread begins to build. What will I tell the tribe if I ever get back? What happens when I don't bring food back again. They had to send Sen to help me again. The elder has no faith in me. Why should I even go back?

Silence answers him. Well, relative silence. It is the jungle.

Then a new sound joins. A quiet buzz is nearby. Food! He heads towards the sound of the bug. A firefly darts around. He swings at it catch it for food. It dodges easily and heads out of reach.

GeeGee heads after it, still trying to catch it. With each swipe it gets further away. He has to give chase to keep it within range. Up ahead, vines span the gap to the next tree. The firefly zips in. Now's my chance! GeeGee nearly laughs as he dives after it. I'm faster when I swing.

Sure enough, his momentum is faster than leaping from branch to branch. But the firefly stops and GeeGee continues on past. I'll get it on my way back.

But back never comes, as he reaches the apex of his swing, he sees his village down below. That was Sen's pet. It lead me here. I guess I should head back ...

Upon arriving at his treetop village, the elder calls out to him, <GeeGee, come with me.> Oh no, Sen told them everything. I'll never be hunter again.

Head bowed, he follows past the others and Sen, too. Sen is the better hunter. I know he'll take my place. Especially after today.

<Sen told us what happened.> The elder leaves it hanging there for a moment before continuing, <Good job today.>

This is not what GeeGee was expecting. <What?>

<Sen said that he wouldn't have been able to get us all the food if you hadn't helped him with the strange apes.> The elder smiles at him, <You two will work together from now on.>

<Okay.> I guess Sen's not that bad. And he did help me today. And once GeeGee joins the rest, they eat until they are full.