"Everybody needs to stop right now!"

Cade winced as somebody broke the silence.

A moment later, all eyes were on him, and he realized that he had been the one to yell out. Seeing that he had everybody's attention, he seized his chance, and continued.

"I know that none of us want to be here. Not on this mission into the jungle, not on this messed up island, maybe not even at school. But everybody is counting on us. Without finding another source of water, we'll use up all of the bottles we found. And all of us will die."

He saw Duane gulp at this.

"Back at the beach, things aren't good. Jezzebelle and Mason are threatening our chance at survival and safety, that we're working so hard to build. We've got enough on our hands dealing with those two idiots and their followers. We can't be fighting among ourselves. We have responsibilities."

"You're right," Duane said, "we can't be so immature. We've got to be like adults. We've got responsibilities, obligations - obligations to the other kids."

"No," Valeria said.

"Think about the adults now, in our day and age. Look at our world leaders. Look at the war, the violence, the greed that drives people to be corrupt and put themselves before their own citizens," she spoke slowly, her eyes were focused on a dead space in the jungle, "our world isn't like it should be. Life isn't good for everybody. Being like the adults won't be good enough. We have to be better than them."

The impact of her words brought a deep, thick silence.

After that, they continued in relative quiet. At one point, Andre brought their attention to a towering tree-fern, pointing out a creature that sat in one of its upper branches.

It was a bird. A macaw, to be more specific. But it was unlike any macaw he had ever seen in one of the library's avian encyclopedias, or any online birding databases.

The bird was deep purple and emerald green and sapphire blue, and its feathers were stunningly iridescent, glittering and sparkling in a breathtakingly resplendent way.

In stark contrast, its beak and claws were as intensely red as glimmering rubies. Its beak was long and hooked, and it proceeded to open so wide that Cade though its jaw would snap.

The bird let out a call. Cade figured it must have had multiple voice boxes, because its singing sounded like a hundred different songs in one. Sharp ki-ki-kis, low guttural groans, angelic hums, harsh metallic caws, watery whistles - all mixed together to create an incredibly varied but strangely harmonious chorus of sound.

But all thoughts of the bird's unique singing were ripped into shreds as Cade took in the view of the macaw's open maw.

Because there was something different about it. Different in a strange and terrifying way.

The bird had something that no bird should righteously have.

Next to him, Cade heard Duane gasp.

The macaw had teeth.

***

How many years has it been since this was last updated? Sorry about the gigantic delay, it's been ages. But I finally got around to writing a new chapter, and I hope you guys enjoy it!