Chapter 2
Author's note: So here is the next chapter of Jungle secrets. Hope you enjoy it.
…
The Amazon was buzzing with activity, from the sound of insects flying to the monkeys jumping from branch to branch. However suddenly something that wasn't part of this wild scenery appeared. It was a large yacht gliding though the water, once in a while pushing away of trees which were hovering over the water.
And in the boat all seven of the young adults, Nick Kowalski, Max O'Neil, Mark Smith, Spencer Johnson, Leticia Oliveira, Jennifer Carter, and Sarah Palski, were relaxing in the rear part of the Yacht, were the swimming pull was located.
Nick kept watching the trees, he was amazed at the beauty of this land, and all the natural sounds from the animals fascinated him. It was very different from the concretes jungles they were used to.
"Look at all this, isn't it beautiful." He asked his friends.
"Indeed." Commented Max.
"Absolutely, look at all this green." Said Leticia.
"Whatever" said a annoyed Mark. "To me it all looks more shiny with a smoke of this." And he showed his cigarette.
Nick felt a surge of annoyance and barely concealable anger. "You shouldn't smoke that trash, what is it Marijuana or Cocaine?"
"Cocaine" Mark answered in a matter of fatly tone.
"Drugs, can destroy a person it rots your brain and lowers your mental functions. To the point you become nothing more than a drooling animal."
Mark wasn't amused by that. "Hey are you calling me an animal?" he asked with a tone of clear anger and threat in his voice.
"No that's not what I said." Nick quickly answered. "I'm just saying that its what you may become if you're not careful with that."
"Whatever man, you don't know what your missing."
"Forgiving me if I will not take the word of someone who failed several times in the university."
Mark seemed he was about to say something unpleasant, but fortunately Spencer intervened. "Alright you too, stop it. Nick, Mark's lifestyle is of no concern of yours, he is already an adult and vaccinated, so he can do what he wants with if life, even if you don't agree. And Mark, Nick has a right to his opinion and what he says isn't wrong, Nick knows better than most how drugs can destroy a person and those who surround them, you know them."
Mark apparently remembered what Spencer was talking about, he looked at Nick whit an apologetic look. "Sorry Nick I forgot how drugs can be a touchy subject for you."
Nick answered kindly. "No matter, it was a long time ago."
"I know you're just looking out for me Nick, but please I'm a big boy now and I can take care of myself."
Nick looked at him whit a note of sadness in his voice. "I know, I just don't want to fail my loved ones again."
"You won't I'll be careful I promise. Look I'm putting the cigar away."
And that concluded the exchange.
Spencer sat back next to Leticia, who whispered in his hear. "I love it when you're the alpha male."
He smiled and kissed her in the lips.
Nick went to the roof of Yacht, were he continued to watch the jungle and thinking about his past, the argument had brought up many bad memories. Suddenly he heard someone climbing the metal ladder towards the upper deck behind him. His heart started racing when he saw it was Sarah, she looked so beautiful, and her golden hair contrasted with the green of jungle, giving her an angelic beauty. The fact that she looked worried in no way diminished her beauty.
She spoke. "I'm not intruding am I."
Nick was paralyzed a moment, but he decided to speak quickly before he made a fool of himself. "No… I mean uh no… no, not at all. I'll even vacate the spot if you want."
She quickly replied with an embarrassed look. "Oh no, no. God no, I'm not here to chase you away. Plus there is enough room for both of us isn't it?"
Nick smiled. "Sure there is. You're always welcome."
She smiled, and what a pretty smile it was. "Good, I don't want to make you uncomfortable."
"Is there something you came here to do in particular?" he asked hoping she wouldn't think he was prying.
"Actually I came to see if you were alright."
"What? Me? Why wouldn't I be?"
She sighed I noticed you seemed pretty upset with Mark. And then that reference about your past, the others seemed to know what Spencer and Mark were talking about, but I didn't."
Nick though about how he could have been so stupid. Of course she didn't know about his past, she had only joined their group a short while ago, apparently nobody had told her.
"It's not something I like to think about."
"I'm sorry Nick, if that troubles you I'll go. Even if I'd like to know."
That was one of the few times she called him by his first name, and he found he liked to hear it.
"No, no don't worry. I think it would do me good to tell to someone."
She want from her worried look to her more relaxed look. "So did you take drugs in your past?"
Nick quickly replied. "No, God no. I was always warned not to touch that trash, and I've always been interested in sciences, so I was always aware of the dangers of drugs."
She thought about that for a while. "So I guess it was someone close to you."
Boy, she was smart. "Indeed, my little brother to be precise. Me and my mother and sister tried to warn him about the dangers, but the fool wouldn't listen. You see he fell in with the wrong crowd, began frequenting drugs dealers and thieves, and he became convinced he was smarter than all of us because he frequented the criminal underworld and therefore had a larger view of the world, he said he saw how the world really worked."
Sarah looked horrified. "Which is?"
"Which is, he though in the real world people are always false. He though people always faked feelings and emotions to fool other people into doing things for them. He thought that in the real world there is no loyalty or love, just the need to care for number one."
"That's a pretty dark way to look at humanity." She said with disgust.
"Yes it is. And his friend thought also, they began leaving him one by one, once they realized he was seeing them more has tools to achieve is goals, rather than friends.
However it didn't stop there he began coming back home drugged and drunk, he became savage and aggressive he overreacted with everything. Once he lost his cigars and he became completely mad, he began attacking the furniture and searching our rooms, thinking we had stolen them. Only to find out the cigars were actually inside his own bag, he didn't even apologize afterwards.
He insulted my mother and my sister for no reason, has he began to see woman has inferior to man."
"What?" she exclaimed, with a look full of revolt in her face. "What kind of savage retard his this guy, you must be joking."
"Not at all, he began seeing woman has being only good for two things: preparing the meals and keeping the house clean, and for going to bed. He sees woman has sex objects which he can simply use than leave them, which might explain the fact that he is still a virgin."
"He is a virgin?" she asked.
"Yes, actually he told me he had slept with a dozen woman, but he talked about it with such disdain, whit such banality, and he often spoke of them by using stereotypes and clichés from movies, which made me suspect it wasn't true. My suspicions were confirmed when one of his friends secretly told me, that my brother had admitted he had never been with a woman. So apparently he was just lying in an attempt to make me feel less of a man than him."
She looked at him with a curious look in her eyes. "Why would it make you feel like less of a man?"
"Because I'm a virgin."
"Really, you're a virgin."
"Yep" he replied without emotion. "I don't feel ashamed by it. I just want to do it with a very special woman, its not that I'm unable to." He quickly replied.
"You've never been another woman?" she asked.
Nick wandered why did she want to know that. "No, it's just I don't see the point in jumping from one woman to another. I mean I often see guys in the states bragging about how many woman they slept with, like if it was a competition, or to see who managed to be with the prettiest woman."
"And you don't agree with them?"
"No I think people should only enter a relationship were both people genuinely care about each other. Someone you would be there for at all times, someone who smiles when she sees you and you smile back, even someone I would be willing to lay my life for her." Has he spoke this words he noted he was looking intensely at Sarah, she turned back her head to look straight into his eyes, but he quickly turned them away embarrassed. Oh God, he hoped she didn't think he was a wimp, talking about all that sentimental things.
She smiled. "That's a very positive attitude. To be honest I didn't expect you to be a romantic, I which more guys were like you. Too many men treat women like they are some expensive cars, instead of speaking of the heart like you do. I also noted you're a very nervous person Nick, why is that?"
He hesitated before answering "I'm just often afraid I'm going to make a fool of myself in front of other people. I'm not a popular person like Mark and the others or you."
She gave him an understanding look, she gently then raised her hand and gently put it on top of his. "Don't be afraid to be yourself Nick, you're a great guy, with great morals and I'm sorry about what happened to your brother and what it did to your family, but it wasn't your fault."
"Are you sure? Maybe if I had been a better big brother, maybe if I had been more attentive, maybe if I had given more attention to my brother he wouldn't have turned to such bad company."
"It wasn't your fault." She said firmly. "You and your family can't be held accountable for the actions of your brother, he was old enough to make his decisions now he must bear the consequences, it's not up to anyone else including you to clean up after him.
Live Nick, live for yourself your family and your friends. Am I your friend Nick?"
Nick was stunned by this question. "Of course your are, I care about you a lot."
She smiled once again. "I'm glad to hear it. And I'm proud of calling you my friend too."
For a moment everything became brighter, the light, the trees, the water Sarah's face, and he still felt her hand on his, it was pleasant the feel of her warm skin pressing down on his, he was amazed on how soft it was. He suddenly felt the urge to put his arms around her athletic body, and press his body against her. To put his right hand on her golden hair, and drown his face in it and then to press his lips on her lips.
He quickly came back to reality, thinking how inappropriate it would be to do such a thing to her right now that she had offered him her friendship.
They suddenly heard the voice of Max. "Ay, you too up there we've just arrived."
Nick was a bit frustrated by this interruption but he forced himself to reply. "Arrived where, Max?"
"Well the black lagoon silly, or have both of you forgotten?"
"Already" asked an exciting Sarah. "How exciting, lets go." They came down from the upper deck. And has he went down Max asked Nick in a low voice. "The two of you were there for quite a while. Anything I should know about."
Nick was pretty embarrassed. "Nothing that I would care to discuss with you."
Max smiled and winked at him, has the three of them went to join the others in the forward deck.
They were all baffled by what they saw. The lagoon was immense, beautiful, the water was very dark you could barely see what was under it. And the trees were enormous, covering most of the banks were they could land.
"It's beautiful." Sarah said.
"You said girl." Said Jennifer.
Then Leticia said excitedly. "I have an idea, let's go for a swim."
"Why go for a swim inside the lagoon if we already have a swimming pool aboard the yacht."
"Swimming inside a pool is not the same has swimming in natural water, with the algae, the fishes and the beauties of the deep."
"Yes" replied Mark in a mocking voice. "And the crocodiles, and the anacondas, and the piranha, and the bacteria, should I continue."
Jennifer then asked. "You're not afraid are you Mark?"
"Me? Of course not, with all this muscle I can beat any crocodile or reptile that comes our way."
Sarah smiled. "Good it is decided. Now you boys go put on your swim shorts, while we girls go put on our swimming gear."
The three woman went down to their cabins to change while the four young men stayed and took their swimming shorts from their bags.
Nick's swimming shorts were a clear green, while Mark's were white, and both Spencer's and Max's were blue.
They then waited for the girls to come back. The first one back was Leticia who was wearing a purple bikini, whose underwear was made in the form of a small skirt. The second one back was Jennifer, she was covered by a completely black swimsuit. And finally came Sarah, and Nick felt his heart pounce so fast he though it was beating like the heart of a rat, she was wearing a clear blue bikini wish accentuated her blue eyes, and contrasted with her golden hair, not to mention it went well with the rest of her slim athletic body revealing her strong slim arms, powerful delicate legs, and a very slim figure.
"My, my." Said Mark. "Girls are you looking to give the four of us a heart attack, appearing ravishing like that."
"Don't even think about it Mark." Said Max and Spencer in a threatening tone.
"Wao, wao, hold your horses? I promise my intentions are strictly honorable."
Nick couldn't help but laugh. "You know quoting a man like James Bond isn't exactly going to put you out of trouble. You know him being a womanizer and all."
Mark looked at him with shock. "That line was from James Bond? Which one?"
"The first one, "Doctor No" when he meets the first Bond girl."
"Hum I understand now why that scene stayed in my brain."
The girls laughed. "You boys don't look bad yourselves." Said Sarah.
"Well if were done admiring each other's bodies and quoting James Bond. I suggest we get into the water."
Leticia, Jennifer, Mark, Spencer and Max didn't need to be told twice they all jumped from all sides of the yacht and into the black lagoon. Only Sarah and Nick had yet to jump in the water.
"What are you waiting for Nick jump." Said Sarah.
"Oh no thank you, ladies firsts." He said with hesitation.
Sarah seemed confused. "Are you afraid of something?"
Nick decided to be honest. "Well I'm a bit afraid of cold water."
She seemed surprised and she asked in a mocking voice. "You are." She laughed.
Which embarrassed Nick even further. "Don't laugh please. It's just I'm very sensitive to temperature changes, so its difficult for me to get into cold water, once my body adapts I have no problem. However it takes me over a quarterof an hour sometimes half an hour to get into the water by slowly immersing myself."
She laughed. "You know its easier if you simply jump right in. The body adapts quicker then."
"I know, but I'm often nervous about doing it."
"Come with me." She said has she offered him her hand.
Nick grabbed it and let her pull him towards the edge of the boat.
She then told him. "Now forget about the water for a moment, stop thinking about how cold it must be. Just think how nice it will be once you dive in."
Nick banished all though of freezing water from his mind. "Done." He said.
She smiled she put her lips next to his hear and whispered. "Now jump."
And jump he did, he didn't even think about it, he flew overboard and hit the water, his body protested at first at the feeling of cold water, but a few seconds later he felt better, and the water felt natural. He swam back to the surface, but has soon has he managed to get his head out of the water he felt something landing on his back, pushing underwater, he felt a pair of arms around his neck and legs around his torso. He turned his head and saw the smiling face of Sarah staring back at him, he then realized with amusement what had happened. She had waited for him to resurface, then she had jumped from the Yacht unto his back and put her arms around his neck and her legs around his torso.
He smiled. "You little minx, that was low."
She laughed. "Common, a girl needs her noble steed to carry her."
"Who said I was noble?"
She fainted a look of shock. "Nick Kowalski, are you implying you're not a good man."
"No, no, I'm yours to command, just hope your ready."
He then suddenly dove underwater, with Sarah still in his back. They went through the dark waters of the lagoon, he continued until they reached the bottom where he took both of them through the algae, has they saw the fish swimming by them.
Nick suddenly felt the need to come up for air. He made hand gestures to Sarah, pointing at his throat. She understood the message has she got out of his back, to allow him better movement has they both swam towards the surface.
Finally their heads emerged from the water and they took both of them a big gulp of air.
"Boy that was fun." Sarah said.
"You sure can hold your breath." He commented.
"I do a lot of swimming at the gym."
"Cool." He replied, his admiration of her having grown.
"Did you see down there, it seemed like a whole other world." She said.
"Yes like a underwater forest. Who knows what lives in those waters."
"Hey you too over there, come and join us." They heard from a great distance behind them. They turned and saw it was Leticia, with the others a few 60 meters away from them.
"Apparently we swam more than we though, we drifted more than we though." Said Nick.
"We better join them. Race you?" she said with a defiant look on her face.
"Your own."
And they both started swimming towards the boat, unaware they had been watched from the beginning.
…
Gillman had been furious. Once again humans had come into his domain, his home on the coming on the back of their mechanical monstrosity. He had difficulty seeing the humans at first has they were high inside their boat.
But then they had jumped into the water. And he could see them more clearly, he had considered attacking them then, but then he saw two of them were female, very beautiful females and he decided otherwise. So he simply hid in the algae and observed until another male and female, this one wearing blue clothes, why humans bothered themselves with covering their bodies with silk was something Gillman couldn't grasp, it was almost if the humans were ashamed to reveal their bodies. However this female had nothing to be ashamed off. She was absolutely gorgeous, her limbs were delicate but strong, she had a very slim curved body, and her golden hair seemed to shine underwater has it floated. But however she had grabbed one of the males, the one who jumped before her, and was letting him carry her underwater. Gillman felt a surge of anger and jealousy has he followed them through the algae, was this male her mate?
They began to swim back towards the other humans, Gillman quickly swam under the golden haired female and began swimming with her, so close he could touch her. She continued swimming completely oblivious to his presence, while Gillman and her continued to gain distance from the male. When Gillman noticed they were getting close to the other humans he swam back towards the algae where he hid, disappointed that their swimming together hadn't lasted a lot more.
…
Sarah finally arrived near the others, while she waited for Nick to catch up to her. He arrived a few seconds later.
"So you can't beat me, slowpoke?"
"Apparently not speedy."
"Oh, already changing cute nick names?" Asked Mark.
"None of your business" she said.
…
Gillman decided to approach the humans carefully. He swam near them careful not to touch their bodies, he then extended his hand and touched the leg of the sun haired female.
…
Sarah suddenly felt a hand touch her leg. She quickly screamed "Who his touching my leg?"
She looked with suspicion at Mark. "It wasn't me, promise." She then looked at Nick. "Neither did I." She quickly looked underwater but there was nothing there.
"Maybe it was a stray fish." Suggested Nick
"It didn't fell like a fish, but yes like a hand, a strange hand it felt scaly."
Mark laughed "Maybe it was a lizard."
Sarah though about. Yes it was probably it, she probably exaggerated the feeling of a hand, due to the surprise of being touched, after all what else could it be?
