Afternoon on the Amazon (2 page)

Annie picked up the tiny lump.

Squeak
.

A brown-and-white mouse peeked out of the sock. She looked from Annie to Jack with her big eyes.

Jack laughed. “Hi, Peanut,” he said.

“Will you help us again today?” asked Annie.

In old Japan, Peanut had helped them when they'd gotten lost.

“We have to find three more things for Morgan,” said Annie.

Jack pushed his glasses into place. “First we have to find a clue that tells us where to begin,” he said.

“Guess what,” said Annie.

“What?” said Jack.

“We don't have to look very far.” She pointed at a corner of the tree house.

In the shadows was an open book.

“Wow,” said Jack, picking up the book. “The ninja book was open yesterday. Now this one. Who opened them?”

Jack closed the book and looked at the cover.

It showed a picture of a green forest. The trees were very tall and close together.

On the cover were the words
The Rain Forest
.

“Oh, wow,” said Jack.

“Oh, no,” said Annie.

“What's wrong?” said Jack.

“I learned about the rain forest in school,” said Annie. “It's filled with big bugs and spiders.”

“I know,” said Jack. “Half of them have never even been named.”

“It's creepy,” said Annie.

“It's neat,” said Jack. He wanted to take lots of notes in the rain forest. Maybe he could even name some unknown bugs.

“Neat? Yuk,” said Annie. She shivered.

“I don't get it,” said Jack. “You weren't afraid of dinosaurs.”

“So?”

“You weren't afraid of the castle guards or the mummy's ghost.”

“So?”

“You weren't afraid of pirates or ninjas.”

“So?”

“You're not afraid of
really
scary things. But you're afraid of little bugs and spiders. That doesn't make sense.”

“So?”

Jack sighed. “Listen,” he said. “We have to go there. To help Morgan. That's why the book was left open.”

“I know that,” said Annie, frowning.

“Plus, the rain forests are being cut down,” said Jack. “Don't you want to see one before it's too late?”

Annie took a deep breath and slowly nodded.

“Okay, then, let's go,” said Jack.

He opened the book again. He pointed to a picture that showed blue sky, green leaves, and bright flowers.

“I wish we could go there,” he said.

The wind began to blow.

Squeak
.

“Stay here, Peanut,” said Annie as she put the mouse in her pocket.

The wind picked up. The tree house started to spin.

Jack squeezed his eyes shut.

The wind was whistling now. The tree house was spinning faster and faster.

Then everything was still.

Absolutely still.

Wild sounds broke the silence.

Screeeeeech!

Buzzzzzzz!

Chirp! Chirp!

Jack opened his eyes.

The air was hot and steamy.

“It looks like we landed in some bushes,” said Annie.

She was peeking out of the tree house window. Peanut was peeking out of Annie's pocket.

Jack peeked out of the tree house, too.

They had landed in a sea of shiny green leaves. Outside there were flowers, bright butterflies, and birds. Just as in the book.

“That's strange,” said Jack. “I wonder
why we didn't land in a tree. The way we always do.”

“I don't know,” said Annie. “But let's hurry and find the thing for Morgan. So we can get back home before we meet any big bugs.”

“Wait. This seems weird,” said Jack. “I don't understand why we landed in bushes. I'd better read about this.”

“Oh, come on,” said Annie. “We don't even need the ladder. We can just climb out the window.”

Annie put Peanut in her pocket. She stuck one leg out the window.

“Wait!” Jack grabbed Annie's other leg. He read:

“Get back in here!” cried Jack. “We're probably more than 150 feet above the ground! In the forest canopy!”

“Yikes!” said Annie. She slipped back into the tree house.

“We
have
to use the ladder,” said Jack. He got on his hands and knees. He moved leaves away from the hole in the floor. He looked down.

The ladder seemed to fall between the branches of a giant tree. But Jack couldn't see beyond that.

“I can't tell what's down there,” he said. “Be careful.”

Jack put the rain forest book in his backpack. Then he stepped onto the rope ladder.

He started down. Annie followed with Peanut in her pocket.

Jack pushed through the leaves.

He came to the understory below the canopy.

He looked down at the forest floor. It was very far away.

“Oh, man,” whispered Jack.

This world was completely different from the one above the treetops.

Now that they were out of the sun, it was cooler. It was also damp and very quiet.

Jack shivered. It was the spookiest place he had ever seen.

Jack didn't move. He kept staring down at the forest floor.

“What's wrong?” Annie called from above.

Jack didn't answer.

“You don't see any giant spiders, do you?” Annie said.

“Well … no.” Jack took a deep breath.

We have to keep going, he thought. We have to find the special thing for Morgan.

“No spiders. Nothing scary,” Jack called. And he started down the ladder again.

Jack and Annie climbed down through the
understory. Finally they stepped onto the forest floor.

Only a few rays of light slanted through the gloom.

The trees were very, very tall and very wide. Vines and moss were hanging everywhere. The ground was covered with dead leaves.

“Before we do anything, I'd better check the book,” said Jack.

He pulled out the rain forest book. He found a picture of the dark world under the treetops.

He read:

“Oh, man,” said Jack. He closed the book and looked around. “There're
tons
of creatures down here. We just can't see them.”

“Really?” whispered Annie.

She and Jack peered around at the quiet forest. Jack felt unseen eyes watching them.

“Let's hurry and find the special thing,” whispered Annie.

“How will we know when we find it?” Jack said.

“I think we'll just know,” said Annie. She headed off through the gloom.

Jack followed. They crept between the huge trees and past hanging vines.

Annie stopped. “Wait—what's that?”

“What's what?”

“Listen—that weird sound.”

Jack listened. He heard a crackling sound.
It sounded like a person walking over leaves.

Jack looked around. He didn't see anyone.

But the sound got louder.

Was it an animal? A giant bug? One that had never been named?

Just then the silent forest came alive.

Birds took off into the air. Frogs hopped over the leaves. Lizards ran up the tree trunks.

The weird noise grew louder and louder.

“Maybe the book explains it,” said Jack. He opened the book. He found a picture of different animals running together. He read: