Disclaimer : I don't own anything from Jumanji.
Happy new year everybody! For all the bad things that happened last year, I needed some good laughs, and Jumanji provided it, in quantity. That was not the best movie ever, but that was the movie I needed the most at that time, and that's why I loved it :-).
Strangely enough, I ship so much Alex and Bethany, embodied by Nick Jonas and Jack Black :-). So here we go, I added a bit of drama to the ending. But don't worry, I didn't really change the happy ending ;-). This is the new year, and it has to be joyful.
NB : That's my first try in english.
Bethany screamed when she saw Alex flying across the field. Then she saw Spencer and Martha run away. The stronger members of the team were on their way to bring back the jewel.
- "Go Martha!" she yelled, while getting on her feet.
Van Pelt almost instantaneously turned away to chase them. Bethany wanted to do something to help. Maybe she could buy them more time. She looked around her to find something she could use to hold the attention of Bravestone's nemesis.
She found a kind of roundish piece of tree peel. She grabbed it, then aimed and threw it at the Van Pelt who was going away. The projectile hit the man right in the head. He stumbled et turned round quickly. Bethany took the pose.
- "Yeah yeah, I know. I'm the best at Ultimate Frisbee!" she perorated with a large smile that vanished almost instantly when she saw the look on the face of their enemy . "Well, maybe that wasn't a very smart move." she told, now grinning.
Van Pelt pointed at her. She suddenly felt something by her feet, moving fast around her left leg. She looked down. A large python was trying to climb her calf. In fear, she jumped back trying to escape, but the snake stayed clipped to her leg.
- "Bethany, don't wriggle that much. Don't upset it. Try to move away slowly." advised Fridge who was still near the unconscious form of Alex.
- "She cannot escape, you fool. I'm in control of the jungle life." said Van Pelt with a dark tone.
Trying to stay chill, Bethany tried to do as her friend told, but the large snake was already almost at her hips. Nervously, she moved back 'till she reached a pillar behind her. She blenched at the unexpected contact, and then she screamed when something heavy felt on her shoulders. Before she could even see the snake, she felt the cold scaled skin repting around her neck. She tried to drive it away, but it constricted her faster than she could react.
- "Fridge! What do I do?" she squeaked terrified.
- "I don't know. He is controlling them." replied Fridge, watching the two pythons taking rapidly the advantage over Bethany.
He looked at Van Pelt.
- "Stop this. You don't need to kill her. Please. Stop it."
The dark guy gave him a sinister smirk, before stepping back. Without a word he disappeared in the shadows, by the same path Matha took a moment ago. Next to him, Alex regained consciousness.
- "Fridge?" he asked.
- "We gotta help Bethany." the other replied, helping him to get on his feet.
The pilot looked with horror the pythons getting over his friend. The snakes were around her neck and chest. And judging by the face she was making, they had begun to squeeze hard.
- "Bethany..." Alex said, moving forward.
- "Can't breath…" she murmured.
- "I know it's hard, but try to hold on. Martha and Spencer will bring back the jewel to the statue and you'll be released." the pilot said, trying to look confident.
- "'kay…" she whispered.
He tried to squeeze a hand between two rings of the snakes to make them lessen the pressure but it didn't help. Soon her eyes revulsed and her knees buckled. She went slack against the pillar behind her. Alex and Fridge helped her to the ground. There was nothing more they could do.
Alex felt helpless. He took her limp hand in his.
- "God! Her tattoo… it is fading away...That can't be..." he noticed with emotion. "Please, hold on. Hold on."
He wasn't really aware of what happened next. He heard Fridge scream something and then he felt like an energetic pulse hitting him with force. He was engulfed in the light and when the world reappeared in front of him, the sun was brighting strong. Spencer and Martha were miraculously back and smiling.
Alex looked down. Bethany was still lying on the ground, although the snakes had disappeared. Her hand was still in his, unmoving. He gently stretched her arm. The tattoo was no more. He let a sob out.
- "What happened?" asked Martha realising there was a problem.
- "You were just a bit too late… She tried to distract Van Pelt, to give you more time to accomplish the mission. And... she lost." sadly replied Fridge.
- "Jumanji, I hate you." cried Alex, squeezing Bethany's hand. "This is not fair… Don't take her life."
Softly, he put back in place a lock of her hair and he bent over her body to land a kiss on her forehead. All of a sudden, there was a green glow radiating from her. Alex stepped back. Amazed, they all looked at the strange light. Soon, Bethany took a deep and shaky breath and sit back up.
- "What did I missed? Did we win?" she asked with a tiny voice and an innocent grin.
Laughs of joy and relief erupted. They were alive and happy. They did it. They saved Jumanji and on the way they all grew up. Bethany felt good. She smiled openly. Alex threw himself at her, hugging her strongly.
- "Easy, I've been constricted to death by pythons. It's kinda traumatic, you know." she said squeezing him back, not really ready to let him go.
The laughs doubled. Then, they heard a sound they knew. The sound of a Jeep coming their way. Yes, it was time to go home.
I hope you enjoyed it.
Bye bye then and have a nice day :).