He finally came to a stop and slumped exhausted onto an overgrown log. It only now struck him where he was, and he looked around in confusion at his surroundings. He didn't know how long he'd been running or in which direction he had come. Pakal's warning rang loud in his ears:

*The jungle can be very dangerous to those who wander in unprepared.....you must never attempt to do this on your own.*

"Oh great, now I'm lost! This sucks!" he thought aloud.

He looked around, unsure of what he should do next. He decided that sitting here wouldn't help, so he stood up and started to walk.

"Okay, you idiot, one foot in front of the other......just keep walking," he said aloud, as if to reassure himself that he was doing the right thing.

He walked in what he thought was a northerly direction but because the canopy was so thick, he could not see the sun and therefore had no way of knowing if he was headed in the right direction. He trudged on for about twenty minutes and then stopped to lean against a tree. It didn't seem like he'd been running for that long.

As he rested to catch his breath, he felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder, and as he turned around, he caught the tail end of a snake slithering back up the tree. He recognized it immediately by Ahmok's description.

"Nawiaka!" he thought in desperation, as his body slid down the tree.

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Meanwhile, his friends had left the company of Balam and had returned to the quad. Liz was feeling uncomfortable about leaving Max on his own. She persuaded them to start searching for him and they split up to start combing the compound area. After about twenty minutes, they met up again, and had confirmed that they had had no luck in locating him.

"Isabel, I'm really worried. Max has been under a lot of pressure lately. I don't like the idea of him racing around here by himself. We have to find him Isabel!" she pleaded with her.

Isabel hugged her close to calm her down.

"It's okay, Liz. "We'll keep looking......he's bound to turn up soon!"

Just as she said this, Liz fell to the ground, writhing in pain as she clutched her left shoulder.

Isabel fell to the ground to see what had happened to her friend.

Liz, what's wrong?" she cried desperately.

"It's my shoulder," Liz grimaced.

Isabel pushed her shirt off her shoulder to reveal two deep gashes oozing blood.

"My God, Liz, what happened to you?"

Tess knelt down next to her.

"It looks like she was bitten by something!" she said, shocked.

Just then, Ahmok ran up to them, having observed the incident. He pushed the girls aside gently and knelt down next to Liz. He checked her shoulder and confirmed their worst fears.

"This girl has been bitten by a snake! Did you see what kind it was?"

No!" Isabel cried out. "I was standing next to her all the time. There was no snake!" she cried desperately.

Ahmok picked her up in his arms and ran with her to the staff quarters. Her friends followed close behind. He ran to get his snake bite kit and while he was gone, Liz called to Isabel.

"I think this is some kind of warning that Max is hurt, Isabel. Obviously, I wasn't bitten, but maybe Max was! You have to find him, before........." she couldn't finish what she was saying as she began to sob.

"Alright Liz, hold on. I'll try to dreamwalk him, okay?"

Isabel took a photo of Max from her wallet and ran into the women's bathroom. She was so scared, she was shaking, but she tried hard to concentrate on her brother' whereabouts, and soon found herself in the jungle weaviing about in pain as she felt the effects of the poison from Max's system.

She saw him lying still against the tree trunk and moved towards him with difficulty.

"Max, Max. It's me, Isabel. Max, look at me!" she called to him desperately.

Max looked up, barely able to focus on her face.

"Iz, what are you doing here?" he mumbled. "Is Liz alright?"

"Max, we think you've been bitten by a snake." She shook him to maintain his focus. "Max, I need you to concentrate, please! Did you see the snake that bit you?"

He nodded his head. "Nawiaka," he mumbled.

"Omigod!" Isabel whispered. "Okay, Max, I'm going to leave you, but I'll be right back, okay?" He nodded as she kissed him on his fevered brow and she found herself back in the bathroom. She came out into the outer room and saw all her friends standing around a more coherent Liz. Ahmok was shaking his head in disbelief at her swift recovery. Her shoulder still bore the fang marks but she was suffering no ill side effects.

Isabel pulled Alex aside and explained what she needed him to do. He nodded in understanding and he made his way to the table and grabbed the snake bite kit while Ahmok had his back turned. He handed it to Isabel, and she thanked him as she escaped back into the bathroom. She returned to the jungle in her dreamwalk and immediately began to prepare Max's arm for the injection.

She swabbed his bicep with alcohol and then checked the different vials that were nestled inside the bag. She found one with the label Naw-21 written on the side.

"Oh please God, let this be the right one!" she prayed, as she attached the vial to the syringe and plunged the needle into his arm. She then sat down next to her brother, cradling him in her arms, while she waited for the serum to take effect. After about twenty minutes, he began to stir beside her.

"Hey, Iz!" he called to her weakly.

"Oh, Max, Max," she shouted with relief. "You're alright!" she said as she kissed his face, tears streaming down her cheeks. She hugged him tightly as she cried with relief.

"How did you know what happened to me?" he asked perplexed.

Isabel explained what had happened to Liz.

"Is she alright?! Max asked in a panic.

"Yes, she's fine," Isabel reassured him."She has the marks and she felt the pain, but she didn't actually get bitten, so she didn't suffer from the venom. "Look, we've got to get you out of here, okay? I'll lead you out. I'll transfer my body up above now, so I can tell you which direction to go in, okay?"

"You can do that?" he asked uncertainly.

"Brother, you'd be amazed at what I can do!" she replied with bravado.

He smiled at her and took her at her word. Soon he could hear her sweet voice giving him directions and within fifteen minutes he was out in the clearing again. Liz was waiting for him and he swung her around in her arms, as he laughed for joy.

"I thought I'd never see you again," he breathed into her neck.

"Me, too," she sobbed, as she kissed him fervently.

"I guess we'd better go find the others.....I have some apologizing to do," he admitted.

-------------------------------------------

They found their friends still waiting by the staff quarters and they all whooped for joy when they saw Max, the girls hugging him and the guys slapping him on the back. He apologized for his abrupt behaviour but they just shrugged it off, saying they had all blown their stacks at one time or another. They were just glad that he was alright. Isabel stood off to the side while this was going on. He winked at her and she laughed, giving him the thumbs up.

He and Liz and Tess went inside while they did the necessary healing. They still had the problem with Ahmok and discussed their best course of action.

"Nasedo taught me how to block memory," Tess confessed. "I think it's probably are only option at this point."

They agreed with her and she sidled up to the unsuspecting man, asking him where the bathroom was. He graciously led her inside and then she placed her finger to his forehead and erased his memory for the past 45 minutes. She then called the guys in, who now carried the sleeping Ahmok out the back entrance. They deposited him at the base of a tree, near his family, where he would sleep for a while longer and would wake hopefully with no memory of the incident.

They then joined the Chiams' and Brody and Carmen, as they sat watching the various villagers performing dances and skits to celebrate the day of feasting. Soon, Ahmok awoke and re-joined them, seemingly well rested and unsuspecting. They breathed a sigh of relief and settled back down to enjoy the remainder of the day.

They ate their evening meal and then waited for nightfall for the burning of the kites. When Liz had explained this to her friends earlier, they were as shocked as she was.

"You mean, allt that work, to have it burnt?" Kyle asked perplexed. "Heck, if I'd known that, I wouldn't have used so much glue," he sighed.

The wood had been stacked earlier and just waited for the ceremonial torches to be lit. Each village was given its own stacked bundle for their own use. One person from each village was chosen to light their own wood pile. Then each family from each village walked together to drop their kite into the flames, bowing for a moment in reverence as they chanted their last prayers to their ancestors.The families marched in a steady rhythm, one behind the other, until all the kites were burned. Then the flames were doused and soon after that, the people departed, saying their good byes to family and friends before they left.

Brody's group waited until the last tourist bus left before they took their leave. They thanked the Chiams' profusely for their kind invitation, and waved goodbye as they left for the dock where Pakal waited to carry them home. They climbed into the boat, tired but happy at the days turn of events. Max lay against Liz as she supported his weight. He had been through so much today, and she worried about the strain on him. He kissed her hand as if to reassure her that he was alright, and she bent down to kiss him lovingly on the head.

They had never travelled on the river at night before, and its different aspect proved endlessly interesting to them. The jungle sounds seemed more mysterious and malevolent, now that they couldn't see the shore. Occasionally, flickers of light could be seen flashing on the shore as their boat passed along.

"Pakal, are those fireflies?" Maria asked innocently.

"No my little one," he grinned cadaverously. "They are the eyes of the hungry caiman. They have listened to the sounds of the people all day, filling their bellies with food. Now, they are watching and waiting for an unsuspecting turistica to fall into the water so that they may also feast on their now plumper bodies!"

Oh, Pakal," she said , slapping his arm. "That's gross! Now I'm gonna have nightmares!"

Pakal laughed as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Thanks Pakal," Michael scowled. "Now, it looks like I won't be getting much sleep tonight, either!"

"Well, what would you have me do, Michael? You would not have me lie to the young lady now, would you?" he girinned.

"You could've just a little, man!"

They all burst out laughing at Michael's predicament, as they headed home. Soon, the dock pulled into sight, and they groaned as they crept out of the comfort of their seats. They told Pakal that they wouldn't be leaving so early the next morning since today's schedule had been so full. He smiled and said he would see them around mid-morning and waved goodnight as he tied up his boat.

They trudged wearily up the hill to the hotel. When they reached the lobby, Brody and Carmen said goodnight as he showed her to her room.

"You know," Alex spoke up, "I think I'll make me one of those kites when I get back home. I have an old Aunt Minnie who died last year and we think she had some money stashed away somewhere. She had a fondness for kites. I bet I could find out where she hid that money!"

"Isabel, if you don't muzzle that guy I will," Kyle threatened.

"Settle down you, or you'll be the one being muzzled," Tess purred.

"Is that a promise?" he growled.

"Okay, this conversation is getting a little too racy for my tastes. Good night everybody! Come on, Michael, I need you to check under the bed for caiman!" Maria joked.

Michael grumbled something about guides and their big mouths and trudged down the hall behind Maria.