Normal speech

Thoughts

Talking aloud to self

Phil Collins Singing

Tarzana arrives in an area of the jungle covered by bamboo. However instead of the normal tall grass it seems to have been cut down. She then starts to sniff the air and smells something, something she has never smelled before. Jumping from a tree, she goes to the ground and sees some unfamiliar tracks. She hasn't seen anything like it before. Then, her eyes spot a weird golden object, and she picks it up. She examines the object and sniffs it. Whatever it is, it smells like powder, but not the kind she's smelled before. She licks it and she almost gags, a look of disgust on her face. The thing tastes awful.

Suddenly, the same noise is heard, this time it is close. Tarzana looks in the direction of the noise before running up a trunk and grabbing a vine to swing up. Once she's higher in the tree she looks down. She sees something slicing through some bamboo below.

Voice: I was reminded of a safari I led up the Zambezi. Marvelous. Lots of hunting, yes. Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. Ooh, was it scary there. (Out of curiosity and since she can't see from where she's at, she jumps off the tree, grabbing a nearby vine to swing to another tree and slides on the branch to hide behind some bushes. She parts some leaves and watches as someone makes their way closer to her.) Two bearers with only three rifles for me, blasted away. That's when I knew I was born for Africa, and Africa was created for—

As the figure comes closer, he stops. Tarzana looks puzzled, but dodges something that knocks down some more bamboo. It makes the same noise she heard before. Tarzana doesn't know it at the moment, but she has dodged a gunshot.

Soon, the figure cuts down the grass in front of him. It's a tall, muscular hunter with thinning hair as well as a pencil thin mustache that is mixed with his dignified English hunter attire and machete attached to the hip. He is the infamous poacher William Cecil Clayton. Although neither know it, Clayton is her biological cousin.

Clayton narrows his eyes as he holds something in his hand, AKA a double barreled rifle. He points it at something he just saw. Tarzana looks worried, until another figure appears. His name is Archimedes Q. Porter. He is a short and slender man with fair skin, white hair and mustache, grey eyebrows and green eyes. He wears a cream exploration shirt and blue bow tie, yellow pants and a hard safari hat.

Porter: Clayton, Clayton, there you are, what is it? (Tarzana looks in awe at the creatures. They look like her.) What is it? Are we in danger?

Clayton: I thought I saw something.

He walks off towards where Tarzana is hiding.

Porter: Is it a Hippopotamus amphibious, or a Rhinoceros bihornus?

Clayton: Professor, don't move!

Porter stops where he's standing, holding an uncomfortable position. He nods swiftly in understanding.

Porter: Oh, right.

Young male voice: Father?

A voice calls from behind the bamboo. Another figure comes through the bamboo, holding it back. It is a tall young male man. His name is John Porter, the son of the professor. John is a man in his early 20s with fair skin, blue eyes, and long, brown wears a long yellow suit and dark brown khakis, hard safari hat, white gloves, long brown hiking boots, white petticoat, with a blue tie and his hair was in a ponytail. He held a walking cane and drawing sketchpad. Tarzana looks a little lovestruck at seeing John.

John: Father, what's all the hullabaloo about? (He tries to get out but gets thrown back a bit. Growling in frustration, he breaks the bamboo that throws him in pieces and steps out.) What is it, Father?

Porter: Shh, Mister Clayton asked me not to move. He saw something.

John sighs in annoyance, then heads over to speak to Clayton, as Professor Porter tries his best not to move. That is until Porter falls, making him yelp.

Porter: Oh! I moved!

Clayton is over by the bushes Tarzana is at and uses his gun to poke around for any creatures that may be there. John interrupts Clayton's investigation.

John: Uh, Mister Clayton, sorry, excuse me, uh, but my father and I came on this expedition to study gorillas, (Tarzana points her chin up so as to evade the rifle by her throat.) and I think your shooting might be scaring them off.

Clayton rolls his eyes at John.

Clayton: You hired me to protect you, Mister Porter, and protect you I shall.

Clayton wears a sickeningly sweet smile on his face while holding the gun towards John. John uses his cane to move it away from him.

John: And you're doing a marvelous job of it (Clayton stands the gun up on the ground resting his hands on top of it.) but we only have a short time before the ship returns, and you see-

Porter starts exclaiming nonsense, causing Clayton to bring his gun to attention, ready to shoot the potential creature. John then looks to his father.

Porter: John! John, do you realize what you're standing in?! (John looks down and gasps in excitement as Porter comes to stand beside him.) A gorilla's nest!

John looks at the nest mystified.

John: Oh, Father!

They both crouch down to examine the nest.

Clayton: At last! (Clayton kneels by John a devious look on his face.) Our first sign in days! Do you think the beasts could be nearby?

He looks around, unaware that Tarzana is behind him holding a vine. She sniffs him to confirm that they are what she was smelling beforehand. To her delight they are. The ape woman slips out of sight just as Clayton turns around.

Porter: Well, they could be. There's the evidence, you know.

John looks up from the ground and sees something down the path. He shakes his father's shoulder then begins to point to different spots.

John: Father, look! Over there and there and-

Porter: Yes! More nests! I see them!

John: Just as you predicted!

Porter & John: Family groups!

Porter: Oh John, I love you!

The father and son duo hug each other. Tarzana grins as she watches from the safety of the trees. The father-son moment caused a warmth to go to her chest making her heart flutter. These strange creatures amuse her. What amuses her more is the strange-looking boy. Clayton then chuckles in absurdity.

Clayton: Family groups? Excuse me, but these are wild beasts that would sooner tear your head off than look at you!

John: On the contrary, Mister Clayton. Father's theory is that these are social creatures... (Tarzana leans a bit too far over in the trees causing a branch to snap. A single leaf falls by Clayton. He looks up in caution and swiftly fires into the same tree Tarzana is at. Both Porter and John cover their ears from being at such a close proximity. Two holes are then seen in the tree canopy above. Luckily, the ape woman dodges in time remaining hidden and uninjured. John removes the hands over his ears.) Mister Clayton, please! What if it's a gorilla?

Clayton scans the trees wearily unsure if what the creature is that's watching them.

Clayton: It's no gorilla. (Porter and John look to where Clayton is, concern on their faces. Clayton decides that it may be best to move on.) Perhaps we should press on.

Clayton starts to walk off. Porter grabs his hat from the ground and stands up. He starts to follow after Clayton. He begins to chatter about where they should head.

Porter: Yes, indeed. Now we should keep heading west… following the Ganoderma applanatum.

John stands up holding his cane and sketchpad close to him as he keeps staring up at the trees. Before he looks back down, his eyes catch slight movement in the from of what seemed to be human.

John: I wonder.

John is brought out of his thought by the obnoxious voice of Clayton.

Clayton: Excellent, Professor! I could've used your expertise on my last safari.

As John begins to leave, a papaya hits his head, making him jump. He looks at the tree and turns in the direction it was thrown from. Sure enough, it was thrown by Manu, a small innocent looking baby baboon. John frowns but grins a bit chuckling in relief. Manu picks up the papaya and takes a bite out of it.

John: Are you what all the fuss was about? (He whisper shouts to his father so he can see the small primate.) Father! Father Quick! No, wait, wait. Hold still.

He pulls out a sketchbook and proceeds to draw a picture of the baboon. Standing on a branch while holding a vine to keep her from falling, Tarzana has a curious look on her face as she looks at what he is doing. She has never seen anything like a drawing before.

John: You may not be a gorilla, but you are one sweet little... (He stops as he sees that the baby baboon is gone. He looks puzzled, but then feels a small weight on his shoulder. The little baboon is on his shoulder, looking at the paper. With a shrug, he completes the picture and shows it to him.) There you go. What do you think? (The baboon looks at the drawing and preens himself agreeing that he looks good. He then smirks and grabs the book before running away.) Why, you little... (He starts to chase after him unknowing that Tarzana is following in the trees. Pages from the sketchpad fall out as Manu runs through the jungle. John's shirt gets caught on a branch as he fights to remove it. Once free he picks up some of the papers that fell out.) well, this is absolutely peachy! Come to study gorillas and I get my sketchbook pidged by a baboon! (Tarzana swoops down on a vine and grabs one of the papers that John missed. She then climbs up the vine before stopping and examining the paper.)

The baboon, meanwhile, tears out pages, chattering with glee. He stops as he grins, seeing the picture of himself. John eventually catches up to him and reaches out for the drawing of Manu.

John: Give me that! (The baboon frowns at him, holding the picture protectively.) Oh come on now, enough of this. I want this paper on the count of three. One, two, oh look, bananas! (The baboon turns to see what John has pointed out. He grabs the paper back as he laughs.)

John: I can't believe you fell for that one. (The baby baboon, shocked at what John did, cries.) No, no, don't give me those crocodile tears. What would your parents have to say?

As if to respond him, a loud aggressive chatter is heard. John looks up and sees an angry troop of baboons frowning at him furiously. He gulps in worry as he backs off.

John: Oh, you see? I told you they'd be cross. Go easy on him, children will be children.

John keeps backing off, until he accidentally trips on a tree root. The baboons choose this time to attack. Yelping, John runs away with the angered baboons in pursuit. Tarzana, who is watching this from the trees, becomes alarmed. Whatever this creature is, needed to be saved. Knowing what she has to do, she begins to swing on a vine towards John.

Two chapters in a week! Up next John means Tarzana for the first time. How will he react? What will she do? Stay tuned for more! And thanks for reading Tarzana!