Castella the Ocelotin...
Chapter 10: In the Jungle...
The sun had just started to peer over the canopy, spreading its sunrays over the sleeping world. It was always, without fail, the first thing to pierce the darkness, carrying with it the torch of a new day.
As the sun rose higher into the morning sky it began to awake the jungle, slowly and efficiently. Yet despite the warm glow the sun cast onto its inhabitants, the serene peace of the jungle would soon come to an end.
A morning breeze coursed through the jungle making the vines and leaves dance with rhythm and finesse as though they were experts. The lush ceiba trees stood tall and firm as if the roots were clinging onto the earth for their very lives.
It was not long before the wolves, fierce predators of the jungles, howled to make their presence known after awakening from their pleasant slumber. The ocelots however, refused to announce their presence not only because of their conventionally shy nature but to also stay under the radar so they could catch their morning meals with ease.
Ocelots, as a general rule, were not meant to be chasers; so Castella had to rely on stalking her prey. She lay flat on her stomach, observing the waterhole where her prey was known to gather, from a safe distance. Hours passed by, and the ocelot's patience was tested as it staked out the clearing from the measly cover provided by a patch of low-lying shrubbery. Finally, just as she was about leave in the hopes of finding better hunting grounds, her patience was rewarded.
Wary at first, a hen emerged from the undergrowth and cautiously stepped out into the clearing. The bird was a pathetic sight, a wiry figure whose feathers seemed to be dangerously close to blowing away in faint the breeze. It was all the same to Castella.
The ocelot licked her lips eagerly. It wasn't just the idea of finally satisfying her hunger that excited her; it was the thrill of the hunt. She let the hen lull itself into a false sense of security, fervently waiting for her prey to lower its guard.
Castella tensed her muscles and grated the ground with their hind legs, never daring to take her eyes off the hen. She wriggled her tail vigorously to attain balance and prepared to pounce onto her unsuspecting pre-
"Alright boys, let's get to work!"
The booming cry echoed through the jungle; followed swiftly by the cacophonous sound of dull rhythmic thuds. The hen, startled by the sudden noise, darted off back into the undergrowth, disappearing almost as suddenly as it had arrived.
Castella hissed in frustration, pouncing belatedly onto the spot where her meal had stood only moments earlier. There was no point in pursuing the hen, by now it was likely long gone, frightened off by the noise.
She was still disgruntled by the loss of an easy meal, but curiosity overtook her instincts. The booming clamor that echoed through the jungle, drowning out the sounds of nature, seemed to beckon to her. So Castella, setting her hunger to the side, set out to find the source of the noise. Who knows? Maybe she'd be able to grab a bite to eat along the way.