— ¿Qué paso? —pregunto juan exaltado, acto seguido enciende una linterna en dirección de Emiliano.
— Nada.
— Acabas de gritar —agrega juan en búsqueda de una explicación.

Emiliano escucha unos pasos acercándose, el césped cruje con el peso de los visitantes, las sombras en la oscuridad aumentan su tamaño, una mano abrió rápidamente el cierre de la carpa.

— ¿Qué paso? —pregunto el guía de la expedición.
— Lo mismo pregunté —dijo juan.
— Nada, una pesadilla —contesto un Emiliano conmocionado.
— Que susto nos diste —señalo Adrián.

Todos los ojos se posaron en Emiliano y este se sintio incomodo.

— Si necesitas algo dilo.
— Disculpen haberlos despertado.
— No hay problema, también me ha pasado —señalo el guía.
— A Ricardo, no lo levanta un terremoto —Adrián miraba en dirección del joven que dormía placidamente en una bolsa de dormir roja.
— Nos vemos mañana —al decir esto, el líder de expedición cierra la carpa y se dirige a su cama.
— Hasta mañana.

Emiliano dirige su vista en dirección a Juan, pero este ya se encuentra dormido, se quita la franela empapada de sudor, trata de regular su pulso cardiaco, respira con pausa, toma la linterna, la apaga y se acuesta con la esperanza de poder dormir.

Sus parpados se volvieron a abrir luego de un momento de sueño, esta vez no fue por una pesadilla, esta vez fue producto de la necesidad, Emiliano necesitaba evacuar.

Palpa en búsqueda de la linterna, la encuentra, la enciende, busca un suéter y el papel higiénico. Juan se mueve y se pone de costado, mientras que Ricardo ni se inmuta por la luminosidad.

Una vez puesto su suéter se reincorporó, abrió con cuidado el cierre de la carpa. Tomo los zapatos deportivos que se encontraban en la entrada de la misma, se los puso y salió.

Afuera un viento helado le recibió, Emiliano no enfoco la luz de la linterna en las demás carpas, pero si miro hacia estas, al parecer todos estaban descansando.

Emiliano observa una zona boscosa a menos de 100 metros y se dirige hacia esta, el joven ve en todas las direcciones y se queda a contemplar por un breve instante el panorama. La sabana se mostraba enorme, los árboles alrededor de esta adornaban el entorno, además la noche lucia con todas las estrellas posibles.

— Debí haber traído un suéter más grueso —esto lo dice luego de recibir una gélida brisa.

Grandes árboles lucían en el espesor verde, Emiliano decidió no internarse más allá de lo usual, estaba a punto de hacer del dos cuando un búho retumbo muy cerca de él, esto le incomodo y fue causa suficiente para buscar otro lugar.

Emiliano iluminó con su linterna y encontró una zona "ideal" paso al lado de un par de árboles con raíces enormes y siguió caminando hasta encontrar una zona nivelada y despejada, inspecciono el sitio donde iba a hacer la gracia, como dos metros atrás había un canal lleno de ramas y hojas, del otro lado había una pequeña ladera llena de arbustos y vegetación espesa.

Con la ayuda de una rama limpio el area, y cuando verifico que no había algún animal que le podría hacer daño, se dispuso a bajarse el short y el interior, entonces se agachó para la evacuación.

Emiliano miró hacia el árbol más cercano, un árbol enorme que estaba a metro y medio de él, algo en la corteza le llamo la atención, de repente unos ojos gigantes despiertan, Emiliano se asusta y da tres pequeños pasos atrás, entonces el búho emite su sonido natural y abre las alas. Emiliano pega un brinco hacia atrás, tropieza con la rama próxima y da de bruces con la canal. Las hojas y las ramas eran una fachada de la naturaleza, el joven empezó a caer por la ladera, su cuerpo golpeaba ramas, piedras y raíces.

Uno de los golpes le hizo desmayar.

Una herida punzante le hizo despertar, poco a poco abrió los ojos, de repente otra herida igual a la anterior se replicó, esta vez fue en la pierna, Emiliano pensó que tenía una gran herida en su brazo y en su pierna, el joven quiso entender su situación, pero la oscuridad se lo impedía; de repente todos los sonidos de la jungla se intensificaron. Emiliano quiso reincorporarse y levanto su torso, de repente sintió una picadura en su espalda, paso rápidamente su mano por la zona, pero no conecto con nada más que su suéter. De inmediato, la nube que cubría la luna desaparece, entonces esta última resplandece iluminando todo el lugar.

El pánico domina a Emiliano quien observa que había caído sobre una gran rama y que se encontraba en un nido de serpientes, cientos de serpientes le rodeaban, un temblor indescriptible le recorre desde los pies hasta la cabeza, no es miedo, es la muerte quien esta invadiendo su cuerpo.

Una serpiente lo pico en el hombro, de inmediato Emiliano lanzó un grito desgarrador que retumbo en la sabana.

Emiliano estaba sudando a cántaros, su pulso cardiaco estaba por las nubes sus sentidos estaban en alerta, aquella pesadilla era la peor que había tenido en su vida.

Emiliano was sweating profusely, his heart rate was sky high, his senses were on alert, that nightmare was the worst he had ever had in his life.

— What happened? —asked Juan, exalted, then he turned a flashlight in Emiliano's direction.
— Nothing.
— You just screamed," added Juan in search of an explanation.

Emiliano hears footsteps approaching, the grass creaks with the weight of the visitors, the shadows in the darkness increase in size, a hand quickly opens the tent's zipper.

What happened? —asked the expedition guide.
— I asked the same thing," said Juan.
— Nothing, just a nightmare," answered a shocked Emiliano.
— You scared us to death" said Adrian.

All their eyes were on him, and Emiliano felt very uncomfortable.

— If you need something, just say so.
— Sorry for waking you up.
— No problem, it's happened to me too," said the guide.
— Ricardo can't be woken up by an earthquake," Adrian looked in the direction of the young man who was sleeping peacefully in a red sleeping bag.
— See you tomorrow," said the expedition leader, closing the tent and heading for his bed.
— See you tomorrow.

Emiliano looks in Juan's direction, but he is already asleep, he takes off his sweat soaked flannel, tries to regulate his heart rate, breathes slowly, takes the flashlight, turns it off and lies down in the hope of being able to sleep.

His eyelids opened again after a moment of sleep, this time it was not because of a nightmare, this time it was a product of necessity, Emiliano needed to evacuate.

He feels for the flashlight, finds it, turns it on, looks for a sweater and toilet paper. Juan moves and stands on his side, while Ricardo doesn't even flinch from the brightness.

Once he had put on his sweater, he got back into the tent and carefully opened the tent's zipper. He took the sport shoes that were at the entrance of the tent, he put them on and went out.

Outside an icy wind greeted him, Emiliano did not focus the light of the flashlight on the other tents, but he did look towards them, it seemed that everyone was resting.

Emiliano observed a wooded area less than 100 meters away and headed towards it, the young man looked in all directions and stayed to contemplate the panorama for a brief moment. The savannah was huge, the trees around it adorned the environment, and the night was shining with all the possible stars.

— I should have brought a thicker sweater," he said after receiving a cold breeze.

Emiliano decided not to go deeper than usual, he was about to do number two when an owl hooted very close to him, this made him uncomfortable and was cause enough to look for another place.

Emiliano illuminated with his flashlight and found an "ideal" area, he passed by a couple of trees with huge roots and continued walking until he found a level and clear area, he inspected the place where he was going to do the trick, about two meters back there was a channel full of branches and leaves, on the other side there was a small hillside full of bushes and thick vegetation.

With the help of a branch he cleaned the area, and when he verified that there was no animal that could harm him, he got ready to pull down his shorts and underwear, then he crouched down for the evacuation.

Emiliano looked towards the nearest tree, a huge tree that was a meter and a half away from him, something on the bark caught his attention, suddenly some giant eyes awake, Emiliano scared and takes three small steps back, then the owl emits its natural sound and opens its wings. Emiliano jumps backwards, stumbles against the next branch and falls face first into the canal. The leaves and branches were a facade of nature, the young man began to fall down the slope, his body hit branches, stones and roots.

One of the blows made him faint.

A stinging wound made him wake up, little by little he opened his eyes, suddenly another wound equal to the previous one was replicated, this time it was in his leg, Emiliano thought he had a big wound in his arm and in his leg, the young man wanted to understand his situation, but the darkness prevented him from doing it; suddenly all the sounds of the jungle intensified. Emiliano wanted to get back on his feet and lifted his torso, suddenly he felt a sting on his back, he quickly ran his hand over the area, but it did not connect with anything but his sweater. Immediately, the cloud that covered the moon disappears, then the latter shines illuminating the whole place.

Panic dominates Emiliano who observes that he had fallen on a large branch and that he was in a nest of snakes, hundreds of snakes surrounded him, an indescribable tremor runs from his feet to his head, but is not fear, is the death that invades his body.

A snake bit him on the shoulder, immediately Emiliano released a heartrending cry that echoed through the savannah.

Emiliano was sweating profusely, his heart rate was sky high, his senses were on alert, that nightmare was the worst he had ever had in his life.