The next morning, Macey awoke with the memory of the previous night on her mind. It had been fantastic. She turned to Lisa, who was also awake, looking at her. They stared at each other for a few moments, wondering how to broach the subject of the previous night's activities.
"Thank you for last night," she whispered.
"Yeah, I don't know how I would have gotten to sleep otherwise."
"Crazy, yeah?"
"I've never done anything like that."
"Me either."
At breakfast, Macey immediately noticed something. Sarah also seemed well rested and cheerful. She couldn't help but wonder if Adam had visited Sarah last night in the same way Dylan had. Sarah seemed a surprising choice, as she had seemed really quiet and reserved in Macey's previous interactions with her. Cementing her suspicions, both the men seemed cheerful and well rested.
The other five girls looked drained, as if they hadn't slept at all. They also followed the men around like puppy dogs, practically begging for attention. It seemed like spandex shorts and sports bras had become the outfit of the day, and the guys were appreciative.
The girls flipped their hair, giggled at anything the guys said, and were constantly touching them. When getting their breakfast, they would lean over and stick out their butts to almost absurd degrees. They vied for position to be next to Dylan and Adam whenever they had the chance.
Macey felt a bit embarrassed as she watched them preen for attention like that, but couldn't help feeling a little jealous. They were stealing attention from her! She wished she could be so bold, but simply didn't have it in her. Trying to shrug off her feelings, she grabbed her breakfast and tried to engage her mind and body as much as possible, but it was difficult.
The other girls were beginning to make Macey uncomfortable. She was not used to fighting for attention, and she felt uneasy about the whole situation. Eventually, she began to feel like the odd one out. Old memories surfaced in her mind of failed romances, of disappointment at not being the girl pursued.
Meanwhile, Sarah seemed more than happy with her new role as Adam's new found object of affection. A bubbly personality had suddenly emerged, and she seemed almost oblivious to the competition around her. Macey found herself envious of Sarah's new found confidence, but soon realized it was not worth it; if she wanted things to work out between her and Dylan, she would have to find a way to stand out from the crowd.
Dr. Catton seemed oblivious to the whole thing. Perhaps she was just so involved in getting things organized that she literally hadn't noticed the way the girls were acting, or perhaps she wasn't concerned as long as things remained mostly professional. Or maybe she just had no idea how to change the dynamic, and was trying to pretend it wasn't happening.
Either way, the order of the day was to break into three teams and scout the boundaries of the Maddidi. Two teams were a guy with two women, and one consisted of four women. Macey was disappointed to find that she was on the team with four women, Samantha, Anis, and Heather.
Macey watched longingly as Dylan led Sarah and Ashley into the forest, then turned to follow her team on their designated bearing.
Arriving at the edge of the uncharted forest, she could barely contain her excitement as her longing for him gave way to her fascination with the wilderness around them. Stepping past the tree line felt like crossing the threshold into a living laboratory. The team slowly made their way under the dense canopy, marveling at the diverse flora and fauna around them.
The air was thick with the earthy smells of decaying vegetation, moss, and rich soil. She inhaled deeply, knowing this was an environment untouched by pollution, barely touched by human hands at all. That scent told her this place was primal, ancient.
Brushing past massive ferns and dense undergrowth, Macey kept a keen eye out for any small movements in the foliage, hoping to spot elusive forest creatures. Strange calls echoed all around, signatures of an active ecosystem.
As they walked past a fallen, moss-covered trunk, they came upon a small clearing. Sunlight filtering down through the branches cast a prehistoric feel, and vivid butterflies fluttered among exotic looking flowers. It was a pocket of Eden in the virgin forest, and they paused to take it all in.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to explore an unspoiled land. As a human, never mind as a biologist, it was hugely fulfilling to bear witness to this forests' biodiversity. Macey couldn't wait to learn its secrets and share them with the world. But for now, she let the primeval sounds wash over her, feeling a profound connection to nature.
The trees were unlike any she'd seen before, with enormous leaves in a stunning array of shapes and vivid greens. Brightly colored mosses and lichens covered the bark, evidence of the rich biodiversity. Strange calls echoed through the forest, signaling unknown birds, insects, and who knows what other exotic species.
She tried to mark in her mind the locations of as many plants as she could. The forest floor was teeming with unfamiliar mushrooms. It was clear that this ecosystem had been evolving undisturbed for a very long time.
Occasionally they spotted small mammals scurrying about that they couldn't identify. She hoped she could observe them more closely on future visits. For now, they kept their distance, rightfully wary of this giant newcomer. Macey could only imagine what amphibians, reptiles, and other creatures she might find lurking beneath logs or in the trees.
Their initial foray was only scratching the surface of what biological discoveries laid in wait within the ancient forest. Their goal was to place out markers for the outer boundary, then in the coming days, build a grid pattern across Maddidi. In the following weeks, they would to fully document the biodiversity and learn more about this rarest of ecological finds -- a forest all but untouched by modern human activity. This environment was an ecological marvel waiting to be studied.
After walking for most of the morning, they approached the edge of the Maddidi. As they walked, they came upon a huge fallen tree, its decomposing bulk blocking the path. Peering inside its rotting crevices, they gasped at colonies of bioluminescent fungi and mushrooms, lighting up the hollow tree with a ghostly blue glow. What unknown chemical reactions caused this phenomenon? Macey couldn't wait to find out.
Yet, even surrounded by this wonderland, soon the discussion amongst the girls turned from nature to the guys.
"Have you seen Dylan's muscles?" Heather said, her eyes wide. "His shirt was so tight, I could see every inch of his chest."
"And Adam is so hot," Anis added, fanning herself with her hand. "I mean look at those legs! He's like a walking dream."
As they continued talking, it became clear they were all feeling similarly attracted to the two men. They discussed what it would be like to have them as boyfriends, and fantasized about kissing their lips and running their hands through their hair.
"I still can't believe I put up with Josh's jealousy and controlling behavior for two whole years," Macey vented as she navigated over a fallen log. "I'm lucky I finally got the courage to end it, and then got accepted into my PhD program several hours away. It was like a new start! But I've been single for over a year."
"Tell me about it, my ex Chris was the absolute worst," Samantha replied, swatting away a bug. "He was so critical of everything I did. Breaking up was the best decision I could've made, and it was because he didn't want me to go on this expedition."
Anis chimed in, "That's me too! I just broke up with my boyfriend, we weren't really going anywhere, and to be gone for three months was just too much. Ending things with Steve was really hard, but it was the right decision. I'm finally free of his manipulations and mind games. Never again!"
