Page 28 of Green Ravens

His senses were all fucked up from the thick humidity and constant stench of pungent fungi and pine.

He sat up slowly, trying not to cry out at the sharp pain in his lower back and his sensitive, burned face.

However, it didn’t take Sawyer long to forget his aches when he heard the raucous chatter over his head.

He jerked off his stone bed, his heart racing, to find a troupe of monkeys swinging from the branches, darting effortlessly from one vine to the next.

Some hung upside down, some were chattering and grooming each other, and others were just perched too close to him, their tiny hands gripping the limbs and eyeing him with curiosity and caution.

It looked to be several different species, some with patchworks of browns and creams, some solid mahogany, and others appeared almost jet-black. They were gathered around like they were having a goddamn family reunion.

“Oakley…Oakley,” he whispered harshly.

He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know if they’d all jump him if he tried to run, like those itty-bitty dinosaurs inJurassic Park.

Shit.

“Oakley,” he called a bit louder but still didn’t get a response.

Sawyer slid off the rock, and the moment his boots touched the ground, one particularly bold monkey with a tufted crown of fur leaped down and landed beside him. He tilted his head as if Sawyer was the strange creature, not him.

He guessed he was.

Another, emboldened by his friend’s bravado, leaped down and scurried close enough that Sawyer could smell his rank fur and see the light-brown pigment in his eyes.

“Ummm, Oakley.” Sawyer eased his hand inside his pocket and removed his switchblade.

He didn’t trust these things. Sure, they were cute…until they went allPlanet of the Apeson him.

The word“apeshit”had to come from somewhere.

No sooner had Sawyer pulled the knife from his pocket than the second monkey reached out, snatched it, and took off. Before Oakley could yell, both had bolted back into the tree and weaved through the forest with unbelievable speed.

The babbling got louder as the playful troop called out in a raucous mix of howls, shrieks, and playful squeals.

“Motherfucker.” Sawyer searched for the thief, but he knew that little piece of shit was long gone. “Dammit, that was one of a kind.”

“And you can forget about ever getting it back.”

Sawyer whirled around to see Oakley walking toward them with a handful of extra-long bananas, some more of those papayas, and four little guppies stuck on a sharpened piece of bamboo.

“While you were off hunting and gathering, I almost became another fuckin’ statistic of the Amazon,” he cursed.

“Youarea statistic, Chief. You’re another human to get duped by a monkey.” Oakley chuckled.

Sawyer went to the edge of the stream and drank some of the water, which tasted even more refreshing in the early morning. He also dabbed some over his burns that, thankfully, weren’t as tender as they’d been the day before.

“And you’re welcome for this continental breakfast,” Oakley said as he got the fire restarted.

Sawyerwasthankful for all Oakley was doing. He was just feeling stupid from that damn monkey.

“Thanks,” he murmured.

Oakley let out a loud yawn, then began cutting up the pieces of fruit.

“You were up all night, weren’t you?”

Oakley shrugged. “I got in a couple of bouts of shuteye. I’ll be fine.”

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