Chapter 11

The day was still as the jungle was too, the sun was falling back upon the green surface of the Earth. Soft rushing feet were hit hard on the grounds of the jungle, but it sounded like small tiptoes. A young girl-cub was running down a path, Kitty could hear herself breathing while feeling her heart beating both fast and hard at the same time. Kitty's throat and her arms were still hurting from the way they were grabbed, there were a few, small hand marks on her arms. She was getting close to the man-village, running on a path leading Kitty to run cross the fields where the buffalos are.

Sahana was sitting by the window, she was gently hand-sewing some small leaves in golden threats as a decoration on a light blue hijab. Smiling as she was enjoying her small hobby while humming a sweet song to herself. Then her smile suddenly faded away when she looked out from the widow in the,; corner of her eyes. She spotted the young girl-cub running up towards her house, the girl looked not much injured but hurt.

"Kitty?" Sahana asked herself as she lean closer to see if it is really Kitty, but Sahana never doubted her sight knowing that what she sees is always true.

Sahana stood up in a shocking reaction from what she was seeing, she rushed right out from her house and ran to Kitty as they to each other. Kitty ran into Sahana's arms as they hugged each other, Sahana could feel the cold marks laying on her arms.

"Kitty? What happened?" Sahana softly laid her hand on he sides of Kitty's face.

"Buldeo" Kitty started while trying to breath in slowly, "He threaten Mowgli and…"

"Calm down, calm down" Sahana said as she noticed that Kitty was trying to hold back her tears, when Kitty was finally calmed down Sahana continued, "Good, you are fine now Kitty, everything will be fine. Let's get inside."

Kitty walked beside Sahana with her arm over Kitty's shoulders as they walked together side by side around from the back of the houses to the front. Before they reached up to the front door, they saw a group of men walking towards to the centre of the village, it was Buldeo and his mates. Two men from behind were leading two horses for they were pulling ropes from a barrier with something huge inside underneath dark grey covers. Kitty and Sahana were curious and anxious for what was Buldeo doing now, they decided to walk up to the centre and see what was happening. Down by the huge tree in the centre of the village, Buldoe jumped on top of a big root on the side of the tree and turned facing forward as more villagers began to gather around wondering as they look up to Buldeo.

"People of this great, small village!" Buldeo started, "You are all in great danger!" By the second, everyone started chattered to each other, whispering questions that they do not understand, eyes wondering for answers. The sound of talks and asking soon stopped as Buldeo continued, "The jungle boy, you thought was just an ordinarily child, but he is in fact, a sorceress!"

The chatting from the crowd began more louder and sounded so confused, so shocked. Kitty eyed directly at Buldeo, in her thoughts she asked her, "What the heck is he talking?!"

"My friends and I, were out alone in the jungle for our last hurt, till the boy arrived" Buldeo explained, sounded so innocently, "He did look like a human boy at first, but once we decided to take one more step, he transformed himself into a vicious, black panther!" The crowd was now silent feeling shocked from what Buldeo just explained, Kitty looked around the crowd hoping that they wouldn't fall for this madness. "He came right out and attacked, one by one they knocked all of us down with his mighty paws. Then I went right back up asked him, please don't harm us, but right out from no way the sorceress cast a sell to make all the animals of the jungle to attack us."

"That's a lie!" Kitty shouted, all the villagers turn their heads arounds looking at Kitty as she explained, "He didn't attack you, you attacked him and me!"

Buldeo tried to hold back his hatred for Kitty talking in this situation, he watched as the crowd were now talking of confusion for they don't know who to believe in. Buldeo shortly grinned as he walks towards Kitty, "You must be mistaken, why would I hurt you?"

"Then where exactly did she get those marks on her arms?" Sahana asked, came by Kitty's side and lifted softly one of Kitty's arms to show everyone of the marks.

"Buldeo?!" Sanjay passed through the crowd while staring at Buldeo, "Is this true?!"

Everyone was shocked more about what happened to Kitty than what Buldeo said, he was trying fast to think for his answer. Then, Buldeo answered calmly, "The girl was in there too, the boy found her and hurt her by pulling her arms around."

"What kind of animals did attack you?" a few of the villagers asked.

Buldoe answered fast, "There was a grey wolf fast as lighting, an there was huge monstrosity bear with the strength to knock down a tree as big as this one" Bukdeo pointed the huge tree behind. He turned around showing a small, eerily grin on his face, Buldeo added, "In fact, we have the beast!"

The crowd surprisingly sighed with a shock and looked around at each other wondering whether or not Buldoe is telling the truth. Buldeo walked up towards the barrier, everyone came in a big circle around the barrier as they watch Buldeo slowly gripping on the covers. Then, Buldeo pulled the covers off as it flew away and its skin was waving around in the air like a flag. Everyone could now see what was underneath, most of the villagers at the front took a huge step back away from the barrier. Kitty was still at the back by Sahana, but her curiosity moved her feet closer passing through the villagers. The sounds of her feet stepping on the ground were like tiptoes again, as the chatting talks from the villagers were loud enough for Kitty to know that whatever was underneath the covers. Kitty finally reached to the front but her curious face melted into a depressing, shocked face. A huge, brown bear was roughly lying on the barrier, long, strong ropes were tightened around its paws and over its body. The poor bear was trying to breathe for lots of air, but his mouth was trapped inside the wire loop, nearly closing his mouth shut like a mouse trapped inside claws of a wide cat.

"Baloo?!" Kitty whispered to herself, her hands was over her mouth covering the shocking air she is breathing out.

"You see!" Buldeo shouted, "These are what lays out there beyond our village! What crawls in the shadows of the jungle! And that sorceress, that jungle brat is using them to attack us!"

It's like the more Buldeo keeps shouting, the louder the shock will come to the crowd's response. Sanjay couldn't let Buldeo continued this untruthful danger he keeps talking about and how he is blaming all on Mowgli. As the leader of the village, Sanjay took a stand infront of Buldeo and faced the crowd.

"Everyone, listen up! Mowgli is no sorceress!" Sanjay shouted to calm the crowd down, "Why on Earth would he try to attack us? He's a good boy and a friend to us all…"

Buldeo was growing tired of listening to what Sanjay has to say to defend Mowgli and the fact that Buldeo was actually lying. Buldeo slipped his fingers around at the top of his rifle, then started to grip it tight. Buldeo lifted the rifle slowly and aimed the back of the rifle towards Sanjay. When Sanjay nearly finished his speech, Buldeo banged the end directly right at the back of Sanjay's head, not too hard but enough to make the poor, strong man fell roughly to the ground and make him feel unconscious. Buldeo whispered to himself, "Just like Ranjan."

"Sanjay!" Meshua shouted, pushing hard through the crowd.

"Papa!" Shanti shouted, rushing by her mother's side, they both kneed beside Sanjay crying for his injuring. Sahana rushed up with them and kneed down to check if Sanjay was alright, around his face, his arms, and finally his back.

"You see this?!" Buldeo pointed down upon the family, "This is witchcraft!"

"Lock them up!" Buldeo ordered his friends, then one by one they pulled up each one and carried them away. The crowd were in a deadly shocked, they desperately wanted to help Sanjay but noticing that Buldeo has got his rifle out and prepared. Buldeo ordered other two men to bring Sanjay along on the floor since he's other friends are carrying the other family along. Sanjay was easy to carry but the others were a hard struggle as they keep moving around to get out from the grip arms of the men.

Out on the window in Sahana's house, Rikki Tikki Tavi jumped up and was watching everything that has been happening. He was really sure when he noticed that Buldeo's friends were very roughly carrying along the family, especially hearing the depressing cries from Shanti as the man was lifting her in a hard way which was hurting. Rikki was growling angrily while seeing the disturbing view, he couldn't let the little, innocent girl get hurt and cried for and no one is there to save her. The vicious mongoose jumped off and rushing pass through the crowd, jumping over other people's feet with the lightest touch they caught even feel. Rikki found the men who was carrying Shanti, Rikki decided to take the attack. Taking a big bite with his shape, small teeth digging through the skin of the man's ankle, trying to give Shanti a chance to get away. Trying to hold on as strong as Rikki could even when the man was wiggling his leg to get the mongoose off, but by using his other foot to kick Rikki off. Rikki flew off far and fallen to the ground, the kick was aimed right his stomach making Rikki feel too sore and too weak to get up and fight back.

Shanti was still fighting back as hard as she could to get herself out from the man's arms wrapping around her waist, tightening her in one position. She strength was beginning to die out feeling it all started to drain out, but she kept her voice still and the fresh air in her lungs till last. Shanti shouted with all the mighty air she's got with a strong voice she holds, "Help! Someone please!" Shanti then prayed for a name of hope and faith she would never give up, "Mowgli!"

The family including Kitty were dragged into the stables and were tied up by strong ropes, the men left a plate or cold rice and a small, water filled in a small jar but dirty on the inside. Rikki tries to get up and looked watched the family being locked up in the stables. The name of Mowgli rings in Rikki's mind as it echoed its way through his ears from sadly hearing Shanti's cries, asking himself, "Where in the jungle is he, anyway?" But at that moment, Rikki knew exactly what to do now, and who to call for help, in a flash he got back up on his feet and began to run away from the crowd. Rikki was running towards the edge of the jungle, while trying to save up some of his strength and his speed for later situations but knowing that this is an important situation that has to be dealt with. Once Rikki has entered into the jungle, he quickly picked up a man-cub's scent, but it wasn't Mowgli's, but possibly Kitty's from the looking down at the size of the foot prints. Rikki followed the scent as he believed that the scent will lead him to where Mowgli could be.

Back at the village, the crowd were starting to raise their voice, the louder their tones of voice were from anger, disgusted and stupidity for not helping Sanjay or his family from being tortured like this. They all faced Buldoe showing their horrified faces and began shouting at him to stop all of this madness. Buldoe noticed the raging from the villagers and couldn't stand to let it happen, he raised his rifle making it aim up towards the sky. The villagers went low close to the ground as the awful sound echoed throughout the whole village till the edge of the jungle.

"Listen up!" Buldeo shouted with a dark, threatening tone of his voice, "Right here, right now, you got a new leader! When the last light of the sun sets on the horizon, you will set out a great fire in this centre." Buldeo pointed to the stables and continued, "Those people are to be kept for witchcraft! And the jungle brat is still out there, surrounding our village while we are doing nothing! I will hunt him down in the form of whatever beast he will be, if any of you dares to realise or any chance help the family. You will gladly join in them in the fire, for betrayal! Do I make myself clear or should I shoot again but closer?"

Buldeo's eerily eyes aim at the villagers with his rifle aiming lower close to the crowd. The villagers took a step back away showing their fear; husbands stretching they arms out to protect their families away, wives kept their children away behind for them not look and hear anything.

"You may think that they all innocent, even the boy?!" Buldeo finished, "Well, I say we should hunt him down!"

The sky was getting darker by the second, the bright, organ light leaving the still Earth while the dark shadows were taking their places. Alone in small area were underneath the dark blue sky, lying down in a cold cage turning his own back away from the beautiful sight from beyond the door of cold, metal bars. Laying on the side of his body, tucking in his knees close to his chest with his arms wrapped around them, and bending his head close between his knee. The man-cub was fighting to keep himself awake, he was in a fight against the coldness, to sleep, and all the twisting, dark feelings crawling around inside his head. But soon, his eyes were beginning to feel feeble as he could only see the black shadows, making him feel like there's nothing else to see, no colour, no light, nothing the man-cub was starting to sleep, as though the world outside suddenly faded away. Till his ears picked a small sound of scratching, he ignored it the first time then the second time woke him up. The man-cub turned around slowly scanned around outside throughs the metal bars, and the third time the sound was heard from the back of the truck. Noticed in the centre of his eyes little paws appeared in the middle at the back of the truck, the creature was trying to climb up on the truck.

Its head was finally revealed, he first said, "That's long climb than from down there."

"Rikki?" Mowgli asked in a low, quite tone.

"Man-cub!" Rikki cheerfully, then slipped a bit nearly fell but quickly raised up and jumped on the surface.

"Oh, man-cub, what happened?" Rikki jumped infront of the cage facing Mowgli behind bars.

"Buldeo" Mowgli sadly answered.

"I know, he's got the whole village in control" Rikki said.

"I couldn't fight back" Mowgli replied, he looked down in shame.

"And he's got the whole family locked up as well" that caught Mowgli's attention as he looks up facing Rikki, Rikki continued, "Sanjay, Meshua, Shanti, Sahana, and Kitty. Also, the big bear is tied up too"

"You got to get me out of here, I have to help them" Mowgli said, he felt guilty for causing the family such damage.

"Really? I thought the earth worms were going to help me?" Rikki sarcastically asked, Mowgli responded with down, shape look upon Rikki meaning for he doesn't have times to joke. Rikki added, "Okay, okay, sorry. So where are the keys?"

"Buldoe took them, is there anything around here that could break me free?" Mowgli asked, pushing his head to the side of the bars trying to look around the outside for the cage.

Rikki jumped around the cage and scanned around the back of the truck, he searched high and low, under covers from over small cages, checking at the front seats of the truck, till he spotted something long, and black, and hard. Mowgli was waiting by the door looking at side, then a rough scrapping against the floor, he turns his head around and saw Rikki dragging along a motorcycle tyre lever.

"And I thought pulling out a porcupine's quill was the hardest thing to do" Rikki said, using all of his strength to drag the heavy motorcycle tyro lever to Mowgli.

Finally, Rikki pulled the motorcycle tyro lever close enough for Mowgli reach out his long arm and grab it quick. Mowgli first started breaking the lock however it was useless because it was too hard to break. Second, hooking the bending edge around one of the metal bars, gripping his fingers tight around the other end and began to push it towards him so the bars will bend wide enough for Mowgli to slide through. Feeling the smooth, rubber cover at the other end but rough and tiring marking the edges of the man-cub's palm of his hard hands. Mowgli was growling his teeth from the tiring feeling which was crawling upon, but he's shouting to himself in his mind, "NO! YOU CAN'T GIVE UP! KEEP GOING!"

"Come on, man-cub!" Rikki cheered, "Don't tell me that your muscles are made up of

Mowgli began pulling harder and harder it by thinking back of all the hardback attacks of anger, confusion, depression, and self-pity. With all of that mixing inside of him, Mowgli could feel the cracking sound of the bar bending wide towards him. Happily, Mowgli stopped and let his hands rest, looking at an angle noticing that the gap is quite wide enough for Mowgli slide through. He gave it a good try first it was difficult because he was half way through but if Mowgli added a little, strong push from himself then he finally made himself out from the dark cage.

"Right, now you're out, let's go!" Rikki suggested.

"No, wait!" Mowgli stopped Rikki for the mongoose nearly jumped off the back of the truck, Mowgli continued, "We need to go the Council Rock."

"Why" Rikki asked with a wield, confused look on his face.

"We need to make a plan to get Kitty, Baloo and the others out of there" Mowgli explained, he jumped off the truck and walked off fast.

"What about a plan attack because that always work."

Mowgli stopped and looked back at Rikki with a straight face and a serious voice, "Are you coming with me or not?"

Rikki paused for second, rolled his eyes up and answered, "Fine, it's not like there's anything else fun than a good fight."

Rikki run up to Mowgli and crawled up onto one of his shoulders then Mowgli began his run. Mowgli smiled a little at Rikki for helping him, "Thank you Rikki. You'll get your fight, I promised."

"Yeah you will, also you still own me a boiling egg" Rikki commented, then Mowgli laughed.

Hey guys, what's up? I'll tell you what, from when Buldoe took control, I could sometimes imagined him singing the Mod Song (a villain song from Beauty and the Beast) about Mowgli as the monster and to hunt him down, but the song is much better with the film it's was written too. So, now Buldoe has everything controlled in the village by his command, and it's up to Mowgli to save his family. What will he do? Leaves some comments and see you soon…