A New Found Motive
Mowgli and Shanti both laughed as Ranjan told them how he beat up a snake who attacked Shanti when he went after her in the jungle. No one saw Mowgli shudder a bit in remembrance. He knew who Ranjan was talking about and the memories he had from when he last saw said snake made him uneasy. Shanti took notice of her friend's discomfort.
"Mowgli, what's wrong?"
Mowgli, startled, looked up at Shanti. Something in her eyes made Mowgli cave in.
"That snake Ranjan's talking about…I know him."
Shanti saw the fear in his face and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You know that snake?"
"Yes His name is Kaa. He tried…doing the same thing…to me."
Shanti gasped a bit, she had never seen Mowgli so scared before. He never mentioned this snake in his stories! Whatever he did must have really scared her friend.
"Well, once we get back to the village…we won't have to worry about anything." She said trying to lighten the mood. Mowgli smiled a bit and the two just stared at each other. Their eyes never leaving, their faces getting closer..
"Mowgli. Shanti. Time to go."
Both children blushed as they looked away and started to follow the adults back to the village, not realizing that someone had seen everything from the treetops.
Kaa, the snake, had managed to upchuck the rock he had swallowed previous night. He was fuming at losing the girl-cub and the fact the little man-cub had managed to stop him from having his meal. He glowered until he heard the voice of the man-cub down below. Kaa poked his head out slightly and saw Mowgli, Shanti and the little man-cub, he now heard called Ranjan. Kaa saw the interaction between Mowgli and Shanti. He heard the man-cubs words and then how the girl-cub comforted him as they talked about their encounters with him! Both looking at one another with big smiles on their faces as they held hands. Perplexed, as he then saw both blushed as they heard the other humans call them to follow them. Not before he saw the man-cub and the girl-cub smile at each other again. Kaa retreated back up to the tree tops with a sinister grin on his face.
"Well, Man-cub. It looksssss like we'll be ssseeing each other again. Real sssssoon."
It was the next day. Night had fallen and everyone was tucked away in their huts, sleeping. At the edge of the river that connected the way to the jungle to the Man-village, Kaa was slithering his way across the water. His huge gullet dragged behind as he swiftly moved through the brush. He poked his head out, quickly looking back and forth before he went back down again.
"Now, where are thossssse cubssss?" He muttered to himself.
His question was answered as he heard laughing coming ahead of him. He slithered further and went underneath a mango cart. His eyes widened with spirals as he saw Mowgli wishing Shanti a good night. The two smiled as Mowgli went one way and Shanti another. As tempted as Kaa was to just go after the man-cub, he focused his sights on the girl. Why not have the man-cub come to me this time instead of going after him? Kaa flicked his tongue, catching he delicious scent of Shanti as she made her way back home. Kaa slithered forward, now was the time to strike.
Shanti went around the well, until she heard a snap nearby. She gasped and turned around. Nothing was there. Shrugging her shoulders, Shanti kept walking. Kaa stuck his head out and his tail followed her. Just as it was close to her head, it went forward wrapping around her mouth, catching shanti by surprise. Shanti recognized the tail and grew scared, putting her hands on the tail trying to pry it off. Kaa made his move with his eyes filled with spirals and locked onto the helpless girl.
"No need to fear little one…" Shanti's eyes went wide as she remembered Kaa and tried to look away.
"Now, issss that any to treat an old friend?" He hissed as his tail went down from her mouth, to her shoulders, chest and legs, wrapping her in a full cocoon of coils. Shanti struggled, but her eyes were open enough that when Kaa drew closer, she stopped struggling and fully succumbed to the bright colors. Kaa smiled as part of his plan was now complete; he started slithering away in tow with shanti behind him. Not realizing someone had seen him as he started making his way back to the jungle.
Ranjan was up and looking at the window, just as he was about to go to bed, he heard something. Curiosity getting the better of him, he looked up and saw Shanti and the big snake he had seen from last night towing Shanti behind him. He remembered seeing said snake, trying to eat Shanti when he followed her into the jungle. Ranjan ran out of his room and found Mowgli in bed, asleep.
"Mowgli! Mowgli! Mowgli!"
He jumped on his big brother who got startled and fell out of the hammock. Groaning, he got up and Ranjan was looking at him wildly.
"Ranjan? What's going on?"
"Shanti's being dragged away by the huge snake!."
When Mowgli heard that, he sat up immediately.
"Ranjan, tell me exactly what you saw."
"Shanti was wrapped head to toe in the snake's tail and her eyes were glowing circles."
Mowgli felt dread rising in his stomach when he realized what he was talking about. Kaa! He was in the village! He got Shanti! Mowgli felt an array of emotions rise up in him. Fear, anxiety, but mostly rage. He felt his anger start to grow. Kaa had his best friend. Kaa was going to pay.
"Ranjan, come on."
"Where are we going?"
"We're going after Shanti. But first we need to find Bagheera and Baloo."
Kaa had brought Shanti to a tall tree, where he settled the cocooned girl in gap between two large branches. He knew the moment those humans realized she was gone that the man-cub would go after her. He would find out who took her and come looking for him and then he would finally have him. Kaa grinned and looked at the hypnotized Shanti with a sinister grin who had a silly smile on her face.
"Ssssoon little girl-cub, sssooon your man-cub will come and I will finally have my meal."
Mowgli and Ranjan made their way through the jungle. Mowgli had a torch with him and made sure Ranjan stayed closely behind him. He didn't know how far away Kaa was and wasn't going to take any chances if the snake was possibly still nearby. Mowgli pulled back some brush and Ranjan walked through, the torch was held up high and then Mowgli saw Bagheera and Baloo in the clearing near the stream.
"Baloo! Bagheera!"
Both the panther and bear looked up and were startled to see Mowgli and Ranjan running to them. Bagheera was about to scold Mowgli about coming back to the jungle when he saw the distressed face. Something was wrong.
"Mowgli? What are you doing here?" Bagheera asked.
"Kaa came to the village." Mowgli said all in one breath.
Bagheera and Baloo were shocked. Kaa went to the village? Ranjan then piped up,
"He has Shanti."
"What?" Bagheera came down from his spot on the rock and jumped down.
"Ranjan saw him leaving the village with Shanti in his coils." Mowgli said angrily.
The tone didn't slide past Bagheera and Baloo. They could tell that Mowgli was very angry.
"Calm down, lil' britches. We'll make sure Kaa doesn't do anything to Shanti." Baloo said, trying to soothe him.
"Baloo is right, we'll find Kaa and make sure she's safe." Bagheera stepped in, "what I don't understand is why would Kaa go after Shanti?"
Ranjan said, "He did try to eat her last night."
"Maybe, but why wouldn't he do it now?"
Mowgli was thinking the same thing. Why wouldn't Kaa do it when he was in the village? Why go to the jungle? He then remembered how Kaa reacted from their last encounter. He didn't try looking at him when he backed away, he just lunged forward. He couldn't have Shanti again, unless…Mowgli felt his eyes go wide and his heart started pounding out of his chest.
"Mowgli?"
Baloo noticed Mowgli going rigid and grabbed him as he was about to fall and moved him to the rock next to Bagheera.
"Man-cub, what is it?"
Mowgli looked at Bagheera, "I think Kaa is using Shanti to get to me."
Everyone looked at him skeptically,
"Why would you say that?" Baloo asked. Mowgli sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"When I ran away from Baloo after telling me I had to go to the village I ran into him again. He managed to get me again but I got lucky and got out." Ignoring Bagheera and Baloo's shocked expressions, "I pushed him out of the tree and when I got down he tried to grab me again but his tail got stuck again and then I ran."
Mowgli sighed, taking a big breath. Bagheera saw this was hard for him to talk about.
"Kaa wouldn't have risked coming to the village and getting her unless he figured something out. Shanti and I talked last night about our encounters with him and…maybe he heard us."
Bagheera and Baloo's eyes went wide as they realized what this meant now. They had to find Shanti…and fast.
Kaa rested in the tree with Shanti still in coils. The girl was till in a trance wrapped tightly in the snake's tail. Higher up in the trees, were four familiar vultures that popped their heads out of the leaves. They peered down and saw Kaa with Shanti. Being quiet, they backed away and flew down to where Mowgli, Ranjan, Baloo and Bagheera were waiting a few trees away.
"He's up there alright, with your friend, lad."
"We gotta bring him down here." Mowgli said.
"Mowgli," Bagheera walked up to him, "You know the moment he knows you're here he will stop at nothing."
Mowgli sighed, he knew Bagheera was right. Kaa would try whatever it took to get him in his coils again. But, it was their only shot.
"What other choice do we have? If it means getting Shanti out, I'll have to do it."
He placed his hand on a vine…wait? Vine? Mowgli looked up and saw a vine hanging loosely. He looked up and saw a mess of vines up above. A smile grew upon his face,
"I have an idea."
Kaa was still napping amongst the trees, until he heard a,
"Shanti!"
Kaa woke up and bonked his head on the tree branch. Shaking it, he heard another,
"Shanti!"
Kaa poked his head out of the brush and his eyes let loose spirals as he saw Mowgli down below with a torch in his hand. He smiled greedily.
"Yessss. Man-cub, there you are."
He brought his body into position and lowered himself down.
Mowgli moved his torch around, alert for the snake. He remembered Kaa would turn up when he wouldn't suspect it and didn't take long.
"Hello man-cub, long time, no sssssee."
Mowgli froze, knowing the voice all too well. Anger taking over, he turned and glared at the snake,
"Where is she?" he said,
Kaa mocked feigned innocence at the boy,
"Where'ssss who?"
Mowgli sneered at him, "Shanti."
Kaa looked at him like he was thinking,
"Ah, your little friend right?" Kaa got into Mowgli's face with an evil grin, but Mowgli just moved the torch to the snake faces, making Kaa go back a bit at the sudden movement.
"If you did anything I'll-"
"You'll what?" Kaa said mockingly, getting his barrens. Kaa's tail shot out and wrapped around his arm, making him drop the torch and wrapped around his chest, going down his right leg and started hoisting him up to the trees. Bagheera saw Kaa was distracted and made his way up to the trees. Baloo watched with Ranjan who was a little bit scared, while the vultures stayed behind and watched as well. Kaa grinned as he had the boy tight in his grasp. He was finally his.
"You are not getting away thisssss time. No more gamesssss." Kaa chuckled at the struggling boy. His tail tightened and Mowgli gasped. Bagheera saw the girl in the cocoon of coils and leaped over to her. He lightly knocked her on the head and Shanti's eyes popped opened. Disoriented she looked around in a panic, until she saw Bagheera who frantically shook his head, signaling her to be quiet. Shanti tried maneuvering herself as carefully as she could, unaware what was happening down below.
Mowgli continued to struggle, but the coils just kept getting tighter. Kaa moved his head `forward and with his tongue he licked the boys' cheek making him shiver.
"Itssss not going to matter anymore man-cub. You're mine now and thissss time," He moved his head next to his head and hissed in his ear, "You will trusssst me."
Mowgli when he heard those words. He knew what the snake was implying. Too worried for Shanti though, Mowgli said,
"I'll trust you, just let my friend go."
Kaa was a bit startled when he heard that. The man-cub was giving himself up for his friend? Baloo got nervous till he looked up and saw Bagheera with Shanti on his back who was trying her best to not scream as she saw Mowgli with Kaa. Ranjan, though peeked out from the vultures and when he saw Shanti, he screamed happily,
"Shanti!"
Everyone froze and Kaa looked up and saw Bagheera with the girl-cub.
"Why you-"
Mowgli swung his free leg up and got Kaa in the face. He dropped to the ground and Mowgli was free, getting out of the coils he ran forward as Bagheera came down with Shanti. The two hugged,
"Are you alright?" Mowgli asked.
"I am now."
They both smiled, not realizing Kaa wasn't knocked out as well as they thought. Kaa roped his tail from the trees and a big coil pinned Baloo and Bagheera to the tree trunk. The vultures hid Ranjan.
"Ahh!" Shanti screamed.
Kaa than used his tail to grab Shanti by the foot and she was brought back up to the tree.
"Come along man-cub, you don't want to ssssee your frined in my ssstomach do you?" Kaa laughed and Mowgli climbed the tree, too angry to listen to Baloo and Bagheera's yelling at him. Mowgli stalked the branches like a panther and saw Kaa pinning Shanti to a thick branch, coils keeping her still.
Shanti was shaking, as she felt the snake scales wrap around her. She wanted to cry she was so scared.
"Please. Let me go."
Kaa just laughed, "No. I need you to bring the man-cub to me."
"Leave Mowgli alone." Some of her bravery returned to her, only to lose it once she felt a snake tongue caressing her cheek.
"I wassss right. You care for him jussst like he caressss for you."
Mowgli was up above, listening to Kaa.
"But, it won't matter. Once I'm finished with him, you'll be next." Kaa licked her again, on the throat, making her whimper in fear.
Mowgli felt all of fear towards Kaa vanish in a wisp of smoke. He was mad. No, he was beyond mad! Mowgli positioned himself right over the snakes head. Crouching down as best he could on the branch, just as Kaa was about to come closer to Shanti again, Mowgli jumped. He landed right on top of Kaa and with all his might pulled the snake away from Shanti who was shocked to see Mowgli.
"LEAVE HER ALONE!"
Kaa started to buck trying to get the boy off him, but Mowgli's grip was a bit strong. Mowgli threw Kaa as hard as he could away from Shanti and he went head first into the trunk. Shaking his head, Mowgli than grabbed a nearby branch and broke it off. Holding it above him like when he faced Shere Khan. Kaa turned,
'Why you little-" and was met with a hard whack to the head. Kaa saw Mowgli hopping away and shouted,
"You want me so bad, come and get me." And he went off deeper into the canopy. Kaa took off without a second thought. Mowgli maneuvered as fast as he could through the branches, straight for the mess of vines ahead. Kaa shot forward but kept missing. Mowgli stopped as he came to the clearing and saw the vines. Kaa shot forward, barely missing Mowgli who managed to jump out of the way just in time. Kaa put himself in position, ready to strike, while Mowgli got himself at the edge.
"Your timesss up, man-cub."
Mowgli just looked at him, dead in the eyes and said,
"We'll ssssee about that." Mowgli mocked his hissing.
Kaa, very annoyed, lunged and Mowgli threw himself out of the way. Kaa yelped as he tumbled below and got caught in the mess of vines. The more he moved, the more tangled he became.
"Ohh, my sinusesss." He groaned.
Mowgli took another vine and swung down to the ground. Baloo and Bagheera were free from Kaa's coil when he brought all of himself up to the trees.
"You ok?" Bagheera asked seeing Mowgli.
"I'm fine. Where's Shanti?"
"Mowgli?"
He turned and saw Shanti come from behind the tree with the vultures and Ranjan. Mowgli and she looked at each other before they both ran forward and hugged tightly. Mowgli rubbed Shanti's back as she started shaking.
"I-I thought he was gonna get me… and then you went off and-"
"I know, but I had to do it, otherwise he would've got you." Mowgli said.
Shanti smiled and kissed Mowgli on the cheek in gratitude, who had blushed a bright red as well as Shanti when she realized what she did. Bagheera, Baloo, and the vultures had smiles on their faces at the interaction. Mowgli smiled and said,
"Let's go back." Offering a hand.
Shanti smiled and took his hand as Ranjan came out and joined them. Baloo and Bagheera followed them back to the village as the two walked hand in hand. Happy that each other was safe.