Alistair sliced through the thick vine with a machete. But instead of falling, it lashed back and wound itself around the explorer’s waist.

“Why do you cut us?” hissed an ancient, buzzing voice. The vine hoisted Alistair upwards until he was several feet off the ground.

“I heard the life-giving gold of Eldorado was buried here,” he gasped, struggling.

The vine tightened its grasp. “It was,” it hissed and raised Alistair up another foot. “How do you think we became so strong?”

It hurled the explorer to the ground where another, more slender vine then seized him by the throat.