They had walked for several hours and were getting hungry. It was time to rest and eat. They turned a corner, and on the left-hand side was a small patch of forest with low-growing plants, full of bright yellow fruits.
“Hey, look at those fruits! They’re beautiful. Do you think they’re ripe? They look just like the pictures of the caimito but see how bright yellow they are.” Jonathan had taken his backpack off and was comparing the plants to the pictures in the booklet. He had started to walk towards the bushes and their delicious looking fruits, taking photographs of the magnificent display.
“Stop, stop, stop!” Shouted Molly. “Look at it! It too clean and tidy. It’s perfect, not even a leaf on the ground. We have to get out of here quick.”
Jonathan was getting the hang of this. He remembered the advice from the previous night and looked down at Molly’s feet, and then he even looked down at his own feet. They looked normal. He retraced his steps quickly and picked up his backpack.
“Something to do with Chullachaquis, yes? They are ...”
But Molly interrupted. “It’s a Chullachaqui garden. Just think good things about them. They are wonderful spirits. They take care of the jungle and protect it. All we need to do is respect them and get out of here quick. Think good thoughts about them. We love them. They are wonderful. Keep walking. Fast.”
They walked quickly for five minutes or so and reached a stream. There was a small bridge made by a couple of fallen trees and they crossed over. Molly stopped to catch her breath after the sprint. She pulled out a mapacho and puffed smoke around them.
“So what was that garden?” Jonathan asked.
“Amazing,” she said as she regained her breath. “I’ve heard about these gardens but never seen one. It was perfect, wasn’t it? They say that if you eat the fruit, it makes you really sick. And the Chullachaqui don’t like it if you say anything bad about them. I’ve heard so many stories. I don’t know if it’s just a legend, but I choose to believe it. That garden was just too clean and tidy. In the middle of the jungle? So beautifully looked after, and so far from anyone? It’s the only explanation.”
Jonathan looked through the images in his camera. He had taken about 20 photographs, from a distance and zooming in on the fruits. Every single image was just a foggy grey color.
“Yes, the only explanation,” he said and shrugged.