Jungle Escape by Nancy McKeand

photo by LollyKnit

Jess and Tom were watching TV. They couldn’t find the remote, so they were watching an entertainment show.

The announcer said, “Join us after the break for a conversation with Luke Holder, director of the new movie ‘Jungle Escape’.” And they went to commercial.

“I worked on that movie,” Jess said.

“Really?” replied Tom hesitantly. Jess had a reputation for exaggeration, at least.

“Yeah. I was a Camera Production Assistant.”

“ What kind of job is that? Tom asked.

“Well, it was really more of an internship than a paying job. But I got to go to Brazil, and I learned to handle a camera out in the field. It’s a lot different from doing it in a studio,” Jess replied.

“I bet it is,” was all Tom could say before Jess launched into his story.

“So I was a camera guy. I was really happy. I was learning stuff I’d never even heard of before. Like I said, shooting in a jungle is a lot different from shooting in a TV studio.”

“I bet it is,” Tom started before he was cut off again.

“So we had been there for a few weeks. They didn’t shoot the whole movie there – just the parts that couldn’t be faked closer to home for less money. Everything was going really well, I thought, and then they fired me.”

“Why? What did you do, Jess?”

“Nothing. I never really understood why they fired me. All I did was tell them about the conch shell.”

“What about it?”

“Well, there we were in the jungle. We were way in the heck in, not even really by a river, much less the ocean. And they had the hero finding a conch shell. I told them it was impossible. I told them all they had to do was look around. Did they see any conch shells? Did it look like a place where anyone could find a conch shell?”

“What did they say?” Tom asked – knowing what he would have told Jess.

“They didn’t say anything, really. They just looked at me like I was crazy. So I told them how the snails that lived in conch shells were salt water creatures. On they coast they might have found one but there it didn’t make sense.”

“But Jess,” Tom started.

“I told them how the Moche people of Peru had used conch shells between 100 and 800AD and how they depicted them on their pottery. But the Moche never got as far inland as we were.”

“But Jess…” Tom tried again.

“But no matter what I said, how I explained it, they just kept looking at me. Finally, they told me to get back to work, so I did. Then that evening, the head of the camera crew told me they didn’t need my help anymore. They put me on the supply truck back to Manaus the next morning, then on a plane. I was back home less than 48 hours later. I never really figured out what happened.”

“But Jess,” Tom said.

“Ssh. They’re back. Let’s see what this joker has to say.”

“So here we are with Luke Holder, director of the new movie ‘Jungle Escape’,” the host began. “Let me ask you, Luke, how does one escape from the jungle?”

“Well, Sara, I don’t want to give the plot away. Let’s just say they couldn’t have done it without a conch shell.”