"Writing Prompts (Week 1) - Amazonios (characters) By G. J. Villegas"

Crouching in the brush, they could feel the beat of their own heart. A strong and constant rhythm, accompanied by an intense breathing that they tried to control. They had to stay very still, because the jaguar could fall on them from either side. They only thought about having enough time to stick their knife into the cat before it bit their necks.

The jungle seemed to remain silent at that moment. The macaques in the treetops decided to stay to see and not follow their instinct to scream. At last they could contemplate the man, who so often hunted one of them fiercely, panting in fear because of the biggest predator in the place. It was as if they enjoyed revenge at that moment.

-Jas calimaorao woroba? (Can you see it, where is it?) said one of the amazonians in a low voice.

-Paremae tumiriwi! (Shut up, you'll make him kill us!) - his partner replied shaking with fear.

Without realizing it, they stepped into a cave of red ants. The soldiers immediately left to take care of the intruders. The men had to move from there, slowly, wielding their knives and supporting the bites of the ants. One of them stepped on a dry branch and from the shadows of giant ferns was heard the grave roar of the jaguar.

They could not see from where he was stalking, so they decided to run towards the river. The thorny brambles dug deep into his arms as they went. The macaques began to scream excitedly as if they were pointing to the big cat where the prey was.

The Wuaruya tradition demanded that they get the mottled skin of the feline and bring it to the head of the clan, if they wanted to take a virgin as a wife. Excited with the idea, they left early that morning, a pair of brave warriors, skillful boar hunters and macaques, experts with the blowpipe. That now they ran for their lives on a dense path of weeds, waiting to get to the riverbank where their companions had a camp.

-Mahowa oromae! (This is not the way!) cried one of them in despair.

- Chachaliki! (Do not stop!) -the other replied, waving his arms bloodied by the thorns.

Fear is a murderer. An enemy may persecute you and may never reach you; but fear is born within you, and if it dominates you, it can make you lose any battle.

The Amazonians ran in the wrong direction, a decision they made without thinking, a choice that favored the jaguar, which took them away from the dream of marrying a virgin Wuaruya.

The one who ran faster turned to look at his partner, and at that moment hit his head against a low troop, falling unconscious in the leaf litter of the jungle.

His friend did not even notice what happened. He continued his escape, and some distance later he realized that he was running alone.

-Mayuni? He called aloud to the fallen man, without getting an answer.

At that time, the emotional tension about him was enormous. He stopped for a moment, thinking of going back for his companion, but the fear of the jaguar, of losing his life under its jaws, overcame his faint compassion and went on his way. That night, neither of them returned to the village ...