04 Nightmare

4 Nightmare Jack knelt beside Annie. She was gasping for breath. The gorilla bounded down the tree and over to Annie. She bit her lower lip as if she were worried. “ Are you okay?" Jack asked Annie. “ Yes-” Annie panted, “ just-got the breath-knocked out of me ” “ Wiggle your arms and your legs, " said Jack.

Annie wiggled her arms and her legs. “ Good, nothing's broken, " said Jack. Just then, he felt a drop of water hit his arm. The mist had turned to rain. “ Uh-oh, " said Jack. He threw his notebook into his pack. “ I better get our umbrella and flashlight, ” he said. “ I left them near that tree that looked like a chair. ” “ I’ll come, too, " said Annie. She started to sit up. “ No, no, catch your breath, " said Jack. “ It's not far. I'll be right back. ” He took off his jacket and draped it over her, “ This'll help you stay dry, " he said. He pulled on his pack and stood up. The gorilla screeched. “ Stay with Annie! " said Jack.

Then he dashed back through the cloud forest. He looked for the fat tree with the wide limbs padded with moss. As he peered through the growing darkness, Jack saw many fat trees. He saw many limbs padded with moss. Soon he could hardly see trees at all. He realized that both a storm and night had come to the forest. Forget the umbrella and flashlight, he thought. It was more important to get back to Annie before it was too dark. They could wait together for daylight. As Jack started back to Annie, he could hardly see. He didn't know which way to go. “ Annie! Bu-bu! ’ he shouted. He felt silly shouting, “ Bu-bu. ” But he didn't know what else to call the small gorilla.

Jack put out his hands. He moved slowly through the dark, rainy forest. He kept calling for Annie and Bu-bu. He listened for them. But he couldn't hear anything above the loud patter of the rain. “ Ahh! " he shouted. He had run into some-thing that felt like a ball of spiderwebs! As he jumped back, he slipped and fell in the mud. He crawled over to a tree and huddled between two of its giant roots. I'll just wait here until morning, he thought. Then I'll find Annie. Or she'll find me. As rain dripped all around him, Jack wondered if leopards came out at night. He quickly pushed the thought away. He tried to think about morning and finding Annie and going home.

He was really ready to go home. Why did Morgan even send us to the cloud forest? he wondered. He tried to remember the secret rhyme. “ To find a special magic . . . , ” he whispered. He couldn't remember the rest. He felt tired and miserable. He took his backpack off and rested his head on it. He closed his eyes. “ 7o find a special magic . ” he mumbled. But he couldn't find the magic. He couldn't even find the words that finished the rhyme. Worst of all, he couldn't find Annie. Their fun adventure in the cloud forest had turned into a nightmare.