As soon as we cross the border of the Undead Zone--the UZ--my scythe starts to wail. I shut off the warning signal and keep walking.
But my senses are ratcheted up to full alert. My heart pounds, pushing adrenaline through me like rocket fuel. Because the truth is, we've just set foot outside the Kingdom.
On the surface, it seems no different from the rest of the rain forest, at least not yet. Dense green foliage crawls and hangs and twists and sprawls over every square foot. The air is thick with humidity and a steaming, sweet stew of mingled floral perfumes. Monkeys and tropical birds shriek and leap in the canopy. Insects whine in my ears and flicker over my bare skin, tiny wings and legs skittering through the hairs on my wrists and neck.
It seems no different, but it is very
