he jungle was alive with sound—leaves rustling, branches snapping, birds calling in the distance. DeeDee and Daniela, two young monkeys, had been playfully chasing each other through the trees. They leapt and swung with youthful energy, darting between vines like streaks of brown lightning.
But play can turn dangerous in a heartbeat.
DeeDee, always the bolder of the two, dared Daniela to swing across a higher branch. Daniela hesitated. She wasn’t sure—it was slick from morning rain and far from safe. DeeDee, impatient, gave her a playful tug. “Come on!” she seemed to say with a sharp chirp.
In that moment of pressure and motion, Daniela lost her grip.
She tumbled.
The world spun—branches blurred, wind rushed—and then a sickening thud echoed through the forest. Daniela hit a hard rock below, her small body crumpling on impact.
Silence.
DeeDee froze, her heart pounding. What had started as innocent fun had turned to horror. She scrambled down the tree, frantic. Daniela lay still, eyes shut tight, breathing shallow. A small cut marked her forehead, and her limbs trembled.
