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Chapter 2

 

SWOOSH!

Through the leaves, faster than he can comprehend, something powerful is upon them.

In a blur of movement Dego sees massive, grey wings…a flash of giant, powerful talons…

It’s a harpy eagle.

They’ve made a terrible mistake choosing this tree. 

The eagle’s talons make a grab for Dego. Mum slashes out at the giant bird and then…suddenly…

They’re falling.

CRASH!

They rip through leaves and branches in a blur of green and brown.

WHACK!

Dego is separated from mum.

CRACK!

He smashes through the lower branches.

Until, finally…

OOMPH!

He hits the floor.

He looks around the maze of spidery, red roots. Where’s Mum?

He cries out into the forest, but it’s silent. 

He squeaks and squeaks but Mum doesn’t come. He’s all alone on the forest floor. 

Gingerly he stretches out an arm, it’s time for him to try to crawl. His three sharp claws scrabble on the strange terrain as he tries to pull himself across it. In the fading light he looks around one last time for any sign of Mum, but she’s gone. 

One slow, scary step at a time he drags himself over the roots. Birds break into an evening chorus and the bats begin to zoom above. He heaves himself away from the eagle tree and towards the island edge. Crawling is tricky and uncomfortable but he keeps going. It feels like it takes ages, he’s so slow and awkward, but eventually he reaches the shoreline. Crawling from the sand he grabs onto a mangrove tree and hauls himself up, up and up to safety. Nestling in to a leafy branch, finally he sleeps.  

When Dego wakes it’s bright and sunny. Sheltered under the mangrove leaves he can see out across a glistening green lagoon sprinkled with little islands. Slooooowly he climbs from branch to branch, tree to tree, napping in-between, until he hangs from a mangrove growing up out of the wa-ter. Beneath him a giant turtle munches on sea grass. 

Across the lake something bobs on the water. 
He drifts into a glorious snooze.

‘!Perezoso!’

Lazily he opens one eye.

‘!Perezoso!’ 

He turns his head almost all the way round. 

Below him, strange animals, standing on their hind legs on some sort of floating platform are staring up and pointing at something…him! 

They jump up and down, pointing before bobbing away again, chattering in their strange language.

Dego yawns. The sun shines. The sea sparkles. Below colourful fish whizz and dart. Maybe it’s time …for another…

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Watch out for chapter three coming soon!