Chapter 14

Legs were getting tired, sweaty water sliding down Mowgli's hot forehead to the top tip of his eyebrows few of them sometimes buried the side of his eyes. Running as fast as Mowgli could, pushing his hard foot against the rough floor so he could still try to see the sight of the car, till unfortunately the car was too fast for Mowgli to catch and he could no longer see it. Mowgli tried to keep moving but his legs were starting to get too tired, beginning to slow down while gazing straight ahead. This is the guilt feeling crawling right back at him, the feeling of giving up when you came so far, he let Buldeo get away again, he let Kitty get kidnapped, and worst of the worst he got a loved one killed.

The feeling was heavying upon Mowgli making him fell on his knees then his flat hands banging down on the rough ground. Staring down hard at the soft surface of the grass like placing all of his focus onto the ground. The dead still jungle surrounding around the tired, young, jungle boy in a deep silence and Mowgli's breathing echoes as it's only sound. The long branches filled with green leaves covered Mowgli in the shadows, shaded him away from the sunlight. The tall grass stood silently still as well as the trees, and there no torch of the wind bowling coldly on Mowgli's back.

Down behind the tall, jungle trees rushing feet coming towards him, but Mowgli couldn't be bothered to turn around and look back to see what it is. The closer louder the footsteps get closer, the slower they become meaning that someone is now already there beside Mowgli.

"Hey, kid, you alright?" Baloo spoken with a soft voice to Mowgli, but Mowgli didn't answer back he only looked down upon the still grass.

"At least you are not hurt or killed" Baloo said in a positive tone to cheer up the man-cub, but Mowgli still didn't move a muscle.

"I'm sorry kid, I'm so sorry, but right now we got to save another one, come on" Baloo walked past slowly predicting that Mowgli would just get up straight away and walk on beside Baloo, but Mowgli didn't.

"What's the point?" Mowgli said in a low tone, Baloo stooped and asked Mowgli to repeat himself once more. The man-cub raised up slowly and repeated, "I said what's the point? I already got one killed one killed and now… I don't know what to do."

"I know, life is hard, but if…" Mowgli interrupted Baloo.

"Oh, come on Baloo, I wasn't expecting life to be so easy! Or, perhaps anyone, even the stupidest dear would expected or to know how my life is expected! You know you animals, or man they all have a purpose for them to do in their life. And me… I got always get someone hurt, so yeah you know exactly that life is hard!" Mowgli slandered down hard and sat right back down with his right hand up the side of his head.

"Well we could really understand our own lives unless you tried to talk to it, it's just like the bare…"

"Stop! Just, stop! It doesn't work like that anymore!" Mowgli stand up again and ranged out.

"Now, would that nice woman allow you to say that" Baloo mentioned about Sahana and then Mowgli went completely silent, while secretly gripping tight his fingers into a fist and shutting his eyes tight so he could see blackness. Baloo continued, "Don't tell me she died for nothing, because from where I saw her we called that courage for goodness-snake Mowgli. And what Akela, did he died for nothing when Shere Khan killed and you rushed back to for his honour. So, what would Akela say about this?"

"Shut up! Shut up!" Mowgli couldn't stand to hear it anymore, he couldn't bear to hear one more word about the deaths of Akela and Sahana. Mowgli raged up to Baloo and started banging hard angrily against the big, brown bear. No matter how hard Mowgli bangs his fists against Baloo's skin, or how loud Mowgli cries out in rage, Baloo never moved he just Mowgli let go of his anger. After a few hits and bangs and cries, Mowgli slowly started to stop, and his fists transforms into flat hands and his cries transformed into slow, soft breathing. Baloo watched the young man-cub calms down and Mowgli gradually feel back to his knees, then Baloo sat down with Mowgli leaning down on Baloo's belly. Mowgli relaxes against Baloo's gentle fur as Baloo's paw patted softly on Mowgli's back.

"Did I ever tell you that when around your age, I had a really rough time as a cub?" Baloo asked, Mowgli nodded side to side. "I moved places a lot, then I lost my family; father, ami and my little brother. That's when I learn about the bare necessities of life."

Mowgli rises his head in a curious look facing Baloo, "The jungle gave me that lesson for everything that I need to know. No matter how bad, or worst things get you can still try to make things right for others and for yourself." Mowgli was getting a confusable feeling as he looked up at those warming, brown eyes of Baloo as he looked down upon the young man-cub. Baloo smiley asked, "Are you going to give up?" Mowgli smiled back and nodded up and down, "Well, let's get go."

Baloo raised up on all fours and Mowgli jumped up on top of Baloo's back, before took off Mowgli said, "Thank you Baloo."

"Any time kid" Baloo said, then he took running straight in the direction where the car driven by.

Burly with the sight at the start when Kitty open her eyes, she blinked a few times before looking around and remembering what happened. Bumped hard against her head the side at the back of the car Kitty saw the three men sitting in the middle lay, then Buldeo at the front with Riswan driving. Kitty quickly noticed close her big, light brown bag by the other side close by the tip of her toes. Slowly reaching her right out towards the top of the bag to open and pick up something useful for her to escape; her phone to call for help.

Nearly opening the top of the bag, till an eerie voice appeared, "You won't find any help around" Buldeo looked up at the middle mirror and stare at Kitty, "There's no signal."

Kitty kept on a straight face and slowly moved back laying on the side, she replied, "You could have help Sahana before you ran away cowardly."

"She shouldn't have got into the way" Buldeo calmly like he doesn't regret it at all.

Kitty's jaw just dropped as she couldn't believe what she just said, "You just murdered someone and that's the first you say about it!"

Buldeo first responded with silence then answered back, "Accidents happens."

"Just like what that jungle brat is going to get again" Riswan added, but unexpected that Buldeo gave him a mad, death stare.

Kitty went cold and still, imagining if the same thing from what happened to Sahana could happen to Mowgli, soon change feeling confused and curious about what Riswan meant "again." "What did you mean?" Kitty asked, but there was no response from any of the men, then she asked directly to Buldeo, "You mean you tried to kill Mowgli before?"

Buldeo was first in dead silent while staring out through the window, then suddenly splashed out with rage words in a different language as he banged his right hand hard on the front side. Kitty looked back at Riswan and knew that Buldeo wouldn't let him speak a word about it, she can't get out, she can't give any signals for help, the only thing she can do was praying for a miracle to happen.

To change the situation, Riswan slipped his left hand down to the side in the middle of the car and picked up long paper and gave it Buldeo. The paper is listed with different times but one in the middle had an ink circle around, "1:35."

Rushing fast towards the high cliffs which can catch the beautiful view of the jungle, with the sun hanging high in the sky. Baloo and Mowgl reached up to the highest point of the cliff, Mowgli stand up carefully, so he doesn't hurt Baloo's back, while scanning around to find Buldeo and his gang as they captured Kitty. Out from behind, a black fur creature walked out from the shadows underneath jungle trees to the side.

Mowgli turned his head and smiled, "Bagheera."

Bagheera walked to the side and smiled back, "Good to see fine, man-cub."

Mowgli knew that Bagheera didn't want to mention anything about Sahana's death, so he respected that and replied, "I fine, really."

Bagheera and Baloo trusted Mowgli's calm words as he was really fine for now, then they all quickly went back to scan the whole view of the was found yet till a flock of birds caught their attention as they jumped off from tree branches and flew off in fear away from something. Mowgli jumped off from Baloo's back walked close to the edge of the cliff focus on where those birds were and see what was underneath the trees, till it rushed out. Mowgli spotted the car as it was in a great speed like a fast river tide, Mowgli followed further up ahead in it's direction to know where it is going. If Mowgli can reroll his memory for what is up ahead, he can remember a huge, long thing one of man's greatest tricks to creature to carry along many people into it and ride along, and loud, smoky sound at the top of its head.

"They are heading towards the train" Mowgli stated knowing their escape plan.

"The train?" Baloo asked himself as he doesn't know much of man's tricks as much to Mowgli, he walked up to Mowgli's side. he looked down and noticed how far the car is from where they are, he advised, "Sorry, they are far off and it will be too slow if walk off from here."

"Baloo's right, man-cub" Bagheera agreed, "We can get more help from the pack if we go back."

Baloo and Bagheera turned around and started to walk back, Mowgli stares the view for a second then slowly turned around and followed them. Thinking that it was the only way to help Kitty and get back on Buldeo, but suddenly Mowgli stopped and looked back the view. Baloo and Bagheera spotted as they realised that Mowgli stopped, wondering what is he was doing they walked over and asked, "Mowgli|? Hey kid, you're alright?"

"Can you do me a little favour?" Mowgli turned back face to face and asked Baloo and Bagheera, they both looked at each other confused but both nodded as their answered. Mowgli said, "Can you tell ami and the pack, that I'm sorry for everything that happened, and I tried to as best to be wolf, and her son. And I love her, I love them all." Bagheera quickly noticed Mowgli's hands were stretched out and shaking a little. Mowgli continued, "You are right, it is too slow down this cliff to catch Buldoe, but there's always another way."

Mowgli turned around back facing the view of the jungle, Baloo and Bagheera didn't like the idea in what Mowgli has in mind. "Mowgli?" they asked, but the man-cub answered in only silence, suddenly Mowgli was walking towards the edge of the cliff changed into running. "Man-cub stop! Kid wait" Mowgli ignored they warnings, Bagheera tried to jump in Mowgli's way to stopped but it was too late. Mowgli ran off far and wide away as though he was running on air, quickly he was falling down but he wasn't wearing a scared looked on his face. As fast as times flies, Mowgli was getting closer to the trees below and with his arms out wide enough to catch a vein and swing him hard to the tree branches and swing more. From all of the racing and the hunting he has done with the pack, he has learned to use the tree tops and the veins to make himself run fast as a wolf then faster as the wind. Baloo and Bagheera gazed upon where Mowgli has fallen with their surprised eyes, and all the unexpected shocks were throwing hard at their faces.

"I can't believe I let him do that in my sight" Bagheera said.

"But, how are we going to tell Raksha he made us came all this way, just to commit suicide" Baloo asked, unknowing to them that Mowgli survived the fall.

Bagheera said, "That was the most ridiculous, reckless…"

"Miracle!" Baloo irrupted.

"How exactly is that a miracle?" Bagheera looked confused from what Baloo said to finish his sentence.

"Look!" Baloo pointed with his eyes staring at the moving branches and howling Mowgli makes when he's running on the branches and swinging on veins. Baloo began to cheerer loud and blissful, "Yes, he's done! Ah, I love that cub!"

"Well, love as you can because I'm going to kill him soon" Bagheera said angrily for Mowgli's unexpected event, but Baloo laughed for Bagheera being over dramatic. Bagheera ran up to the edge of a narrow path near which leads them down to ground level. "Come on, we need to catch up with him" Bagheera said, feeling that Mowgli is still under his care and is sure that he must still protect.

Baloo run up to Bagheera before the panther started off rushing, first Baloo warned, "I might not be as fast as I was coming here."

"Then rolled down" Bagheera answered sarcastically, "I think that would make you more faster than you are running."

Kitty was looking outside of the windows hoping to see where exactly she was going and if there's a chance of escaping. She knew that she was heading to a train station from what Riswan mentioned about the perfect timing he suggested to Buldeo. Deciding when they arrived Kitty could try to run off away.

Before Kitty said directly Buldeo, "There's no point of keeping me now, you can let me go."

"And then, you'll go to the police? Besides, how many rupees do you think we can get if we return the daughter of a captain?" Buldeo eyed at Kitty as she began to really worry about what they are going to do to her, she laid back and brought her knees tightly close to chest and wrapped her arms around them.

As the jungle was all in a quiet position, and loud, smoky noise alerted everything in it's surroundings. Rising out the steamy smokes at the head of the train, they were more greyer than the clouds in the dull sky. The whole metal skin was covered in a deep black colour, all to the head to the end. The long, thick, black train tracks were attached deep within the soil in the ground, leading on and on till the end. Many people were leaving off the train being told from the driver and the other workers. Rushed by in a second, the car dashed unexpected and stopped close the side of the train.

Buldeo walked out fast towards the driver, "When you start again?"

The driver answered, "Not for another hour, or more…"

"Make it surer" Buldeo eerily ordered, he wanted to get a move on before he might get a caught.

The driver tried to explain, "But there's going to be a…"

Buldoe rapidly gripped hard on the driver's shirt and lifted him up a little, the tone of voice spooky risen, "If you are not going to assist me, then I advise you get out of my way!" annoyed, Buldeo threw the driver down hard to the rough ground.

"Bring the girl!" Buldeo ordered.

Before kitty could try to get out from the car and run away, Buldeo's friend quickly gripped tight on her arms and pulled her out from the car. Kitty tried to get them off but the harder she tried the harder her struggle will be from the men hold on her arms. They pulled Kitty into the second carriage away from the head of the train, the carriage was filled with large, wooden boxes and bar cages. The couldn't hold the girl down so they decided to lockd her up in a cage, Kitty nearly slipped out one of the men but was pulled back and threw in hard into one of the dark cages. One of Buldeo's friend know the ways of controlling a train, he started off the engine and the rumbling feeling shaken throughout the whole train from top to bottom.

While, as far from the car but running closer to it, Mowgli felt every step he takes off from the huge tree branches lifts him further and swinging on every long vein to pull him further closer. His eyes focus only straight ahead making him believe that he is getting closer by the second. No matter how strong the wind is to push against him, no matter how many branches he has to dough through, Mowgli isn't giving up now. He came this far, he would not let another of his love ones get hurt again, not on his watch. As he nearly reached up to them, his ears caught a loud noise beating up in light, grey smoke, Mowgli recognised that it was train but knowing now that the train is starting to leave. Mowgli began to rush off again; running and jumping on the tree branches and swinging on veins further and faster. He could the fell the speed of the train getting closer, and closer, till it was close enough for him to stop to look and think about how he is going to sneak in there. From his short view the train was riding faster than he excepted, rushing by as fast as the wind can blow. Mowgli thought of the consequences of the lifeless risks you could take, but he reminded himself that Kitty is in danger and he wouldn't let a claw or a knife or a bullet torch her skin, so he decided to take the risk. Mowgli took a few steps back on a huge tree branch, then after a second Mowgli took off in a great speed and jumped off far from the edge. Felt like flying when Mowgli lets go swinging off from the veins, Mowgli was aiming in the right spot, but he was close to the edge of the train. Finally, banged hard on the roof and quickly rolled into the centre.

The men in the third carriage felt the loud, bang noise from the roof but on a different carriage. "Did you heard?" one asked the others, "Yeah, could be a fallen branch" they answered.

Mowgli landed on the carriage two away from where the men and Kitty are staying. He risen up half way while sitting down, then slowly risen more starting to stand slowly on his feet. His head felt dizzy, shaken a little side to side just to get it back in place because he loses his balance he will fall off. Mowgli crawled carefully to the end of the carriage and looked down seeing the door open to the next carriage. Laid his hands on the other end of the next carriage and swing himself down smoothly, he first looked around and then slowly open the rusty, black metal door with a clean window close to the top. Mowgli entered inside the new carriage with his wide eyes wide open to focus on his surroundings, with his right hand close to blade ready to slide it out for any attacks. When someone new enters inside the jungle for the first and it can be scary, that is what it's like for Mowgli when he enters somewhere man-like place, somewhere unknowing for him. He doesn't much understand most of man's tricks, all the dark, cruel ones' man uses against each other, sometimes Mowgli could feel those weapons laying in these wooden boxes. He scans around, and it's seems alright until he caught a strange, banging sound of fallen boxes from the carriage behind. Mowgli bended down so his whole body is below the window level, in case whatever didn't see him.

Entered slowly outside the carriage, Mowgli carefully leaped over the gap between the carriages as he still bended down below the window level. Mowgli slowly open the door responding with a creaking sound as the bottom of the door rubs against the wooden floor. Entering in slowly step by step while rising and unbending his knees, Mowgli noticed that in this carriage was filled more wooden boxes but something inside felt more eerily and darker. As he passed a long pile of boxes standing on each other, hidden on the side shocked Mowgli as he caught a very still, small, staring owl. Quickly calmed down happily that was it was just a bird, but the owl looked too still. Mowgli reached his left hand out to tap on the head, then nothing happens, starting to rub softly on the skin it felt really but too hard. The spooky feeling shaken through his arm to the top of his head a down to the tip of his toes. Mowgli then opened up a wooden box and saw that it was filled with rusty objects; cups, lamps, plates, and a few small tools.

A creaking noise rumbled down on the floor as someone ahead stepped on an uneven wood, Mowgli quickly sliced out his blade keeping the sharp pointy end facing front. Tip toe how carefully as he could to get closer to see what it is, so he doesn't step on a spot of the floor creating that creaking sound. There two large boxes infront in a line as Mowgli was crawler closer to nearly looked over the edge. In a deadly silence, nothing was caught in Mowgli's sight as he had a confused look in his eyes. Suddenly, a small creature jumped up and flew right at Mowgli's face and starting scratching and dug it's small but shape claws in his skin. Mowgli wiped his hands through the air as he tried to hit and catch the creature, but it was crawling fast all around the top of his body. The squeaky, cute noses the creature makes rings a bell to Mowgli, and sooner Mowgli caught the shape of the creature and figured out what it was, a small, brown, wide mongoose.

"Rikki?" Mowgli asked.

Surprised for both, the creature quickly stopped as rushed back up facing Mowgli, "Man-cub! I wondered where the hell you ran off to."

"How did you get here so quick?"

"The vultures own me for mistaken think of a perfect meal" Rikki answered as he jumped on Mowgli's shoulder, "You found Kitty yet?"

"Not yet, but this is last carriage, there's more to search, come on" Mowgli courage feeling luckily now there's chance for Mowgli to find Kitty much quicker with a bit of help laying on his shoulders.

In case the men decided to walk through the carriages to look out for the man-cub, Mowgli thought of going up back to the roof, so they would see him. Outside again leaped onto the next carriage, Mowgli jumped high and his hands held the edge hard, Rikki jumped over fully and Mowgli easily climbed over. Rikki climb up quickly back on Mowgli's shoulder as the man-cub began walking along softly so doesn't try to bang noises. When moving on to the next carriage, Mowgli calmly jumped over the huge gap in between the carriages as he though to himself it's like jumping off from a high tree branch. He needed to check if Kitty is trapped in this carriage but without being spotted by the men. An idea popped up in his head; Mowgli quickly gripped a small vein from a passing tree, wrapped it around Rikki's waist and carefully low him down so Rikki could see through the windows on the side of the carriages.

"Oh my God!" Rikki shouted in terror, "On my life, it's horrible!"

"Rikki!? What is it?!" Mowgli shouted, growing an eerily, anxious feeling.

"Everything's pink!" Rikki cried.

A confused look was still on Mowgli's face, "What!?"

Mowgli quickly pulled Rikki back up and the mongoose was shivering in fear throughout his entire small body. Mowgli over the end of the carriage and jumped prudently, he noticed the window on the door is covered in something black. Before opening the door, Rikki warned him, "No, wait! It's terrible! Don't go there!" but Mowgli ignored Rikki as his hand twisted the nobble, "NOOOO!"

The open welcomed with the brightest colours on fabrics coved all over the room inside the carriage. Some were plain fabrics, and some were printed fabrics of birds and flowers and many more different beautiful patterns. The door had a black fabric cover the window from eth inside. All the mixes of the coloured fabrics certainly brighten the though for Mowgli, thinking so blissful and beautiful. Mowgli spotted the widow that Rikki looked through and noticed that it was covered with a light pink fabric.

"It's just a pink fabric" Mowgli corrected for Rikki was terrified of.

"In that exact colour of pink, why would that do?! I mean why!?" Rikki dramatically asked.

"You're scared of the colour pink?" Mowgli asked.

"It's the colour inside the skin when a snake tries to eat me. They are all friendly and softly, then the next thing you know you got an early trick to the afterlife. What you people blind to colours of death?"

Annoyed, Rikki jumped off and entered outside for he couldn't take another second looking at that colour fabric. Mowgli understood now why Rikki didn't like the colour the colour pink. He could remember when Kaa, the giant python tried to him and imagen what happens if she succeeded, it shivered to forget and think back on the mission. Mowgli and Rikki jumped over to the next carriage but decided to walk through the inside. Mowgli crawled through the carriage passing a few wooden boxes and small bar cages. Mowgli could feel the cold freeze blowing upon his chest. Started to think about it; how is there so much cool wind is in here and you could the sounds of the trains wheels spinning on the railways tracks. To answer those questions was the fact that in this carriage a large door was wide open. Shocked, Mowgli dotted a one of the men laying back on balance pile of wooden boxes with his black rifle next to his legs. Mowgli quickly bended with his eyes just above the height of the boxes, it seems that the man had his eyes closed as he was half asleep. Sliding his sight down to the bottom right Mowgli caught a small bar cage but with someone in it, Mowgli has found Kitty.

Kitty brought her cold legs close to her warm chest with wrapped her brushed arms wrapped around her legs. Resting her head in between her knees while closing her eyes tight as she is trying to hold back the tears coming out from her eyes. She thought to herself that she's a tough girl, she can't cry or wine now, she has to do something. But how those men will just throw her hard back in again or do worst as punishment for escaping. He sat by close to the bar door of the cage, so she can get a bit a light instead of sitting in the black shadows. Rapidly, a piss sound caught Kitty's ear as she lifted her head slowly, scanned around outside the cage and saw nothing with her weak eyes, until she spotted one unexcepted, happy face.

"Mowgli?" She whispered to herself.

Mowgli laid his finger straight down in the middle of his mouth, telling Kitty to try to be quiet. The only problem is Mowgli doesn't know how to get Kitty out of the cage. Kitty squeezed her face against the bars to look at the man by the right side, she is sure remembered that the man has the keys on his side. To tell Mowgli; she twisted her wrist infront of the lock meaning for the key, then pointed to man. Nodded, Mowgli understood now that the key is with the man. Mowgli crawled around the boxes, by the side is gap between the side wall of the train and the boxes which the man is laying against. Mowgli rushed to hide in the gap, keeping his back facing the side of the boxes as though he was camouflaging. Pecking out his head to check if the man is still half asleep with his eyes close, Mowgli slowly reached his head out to steel the keys. Gently lifting them up out from the man's side pocket, unfortunately one of the keys banged against one another creating a soft, metal sound. Suddenly the man was flicking his eyes meaning he is waking up, Mowgli rushed back to the side of the boxes. The man has finally woken up but didn't noticed Mowgli as the man-cub holds his breath just to keep himself quiet. More unfortunate, Mowgli's left foot accidently stepped on a creaking spot on the floor as he quickly lifted his left foot off and hold his breath tighter. Kitty held her breath and gripping tight on the bars and Rikki held his breath but was prepared to attack the man.

"Hey!" another man from the front of the carriage, "Buldeo wants to talk with all of us!"

Heard it as clear as crystal, the man walked off with his rifle unnoticed of the creaking and key sounds. As the men shut the door of the carriage, Mowgli rushed to Kitty and trying to find the right key to open the cage.

"Oh my God" Rikki said as he reached up with Mowgli and Kitty, "What is he deaf or something?"

"Maybe it's his right ear?" Mowgli assumed.

Mowgli finally opened the cage quickly but not as quick as Kitty rushed and hugged him tight, Mowgli felt how she was terrified, depressed, losing hope. "I sorry" Mowgli gently whispered, then he felt wet drops of tears falling upon his shoulders from Kitty's eyes.

"No, it wasn't your fault, I was just…" Kitty stammered, losing her words.

"It's fine, I got you now" Mowgli calmed Kitty down, they both blissful smiled and so did Rikki a little. "Let's go home"

Mowgli, Kitty and Rikki entered outside the carriage ready to leave the train, they all leaped over the gap; with Rikki on Mowgli's shoulders, and Mowgli handed Kitty to help her jumped over. Thinking it would be better if their walking on the roof so that they would get caught by Buldeo and his friends. Before, Mowgli spotted something in the next carriage, something big and brown and flurry. His curiosity got the better of him, Mowgli sneaked into the next carriage while Rikki jumped off and waited with Kitty. Mowgli scanned around the next carriage made of wood was filled with lots of yellow straw at the same height as Baloo and wooden boxes filled with piles of delicious fruits. The carriage had rusty, wooden walls with all of windows in large rectangle shapes are all open.

Suddenly, a loud, angry voice shouted and rage footsteps marching from the next carriage coming towards. A panic started shaken through everyone's body as Mowgli ordered them to hide; Mowgli quickly rush over to hide with Kitty and Rikki behind boxes. Buldeo posed through the carriage slamming the door hard against the side with his friends following him behind.

"Buldeo, it's fine, we're out!" Riswan tried to calm Buldeo down, but Buldeo's boiling rage wasn't cooling down. Then Buldeo replied back in a different language loudly and it's sound something not likely friendly for the kids.

"You know it would be a miracle if someone understood that language" Rikki whispered.

Mowgli secretly pecked his head up to see what they are doing, but after Buldeo storms out again into the next carriage, probably checking on Kitty if she was still in that cage. And that's the problem, if they found out then he will know that Mowgli is onboard this train. After the men left the carriage, Mowgli immediately needed to think about the escape plan.

"We need to get out right now" Mowgli started and suggested, "We could jump out from the door."

"Yeah, then if we live tomorrow we could go by a swamp and meet a crocodile for dinner" Rikki said sarcastically.

"Better to jump off this train then being near one" Kitty argued back which made Rikki silent.

"If we are on flat level ground then we'll jump" Mowgli plotted ideas, "Or I swing out to a vein while holding you and with Rikki…" Mowgli stopped when he noticed Rikki is acting strangely. The mongoose was stretched out widely with his claws out dig into the surface of the wooden floor. "Rikki?" Kitty asked as she noticed too, then Mowgli asked, "Are you okay?"

"I can feel it's coming, right underneath my paws" Rikki had a low, shaken voice.

At that moment, a huge banged rustled the carriage as Mowgli moved his left arm to covered for Kitty and his right reached for his blade. Wondering what was banging that movement? They all kept quiet first, waiting if something else could happen after so they might know what it could be.

"Oh, that was a bit of a rough ride" a familiar voice appeared to their ears.

"Baloo?" they all asked at the same time, they raised up and jumped out over the boxes. Mowgli and Kitty rushed in for a huge hug with Baloo, expected for Rikki as he stands beside watching. After the short laughing and cheering, Mowgli asked, "How did you..."

Baloo pointed to the open large door "Well, this was wide open and luckily we entered in quickly."

"No, I mean how did get here so quickly?" Mowgli repeated his question.

"Oh, there was a short cut" Baloo answered.

Soon, Mowgli started to think back about what Baloo answered earlier, "we," until something black blended out from the dark corners in the carriage. A black panther came out from behind a few boxes of fruit into the conversation with a straighten face and even smile. "What to know how we get here, well man-cub I was going to ask you the same thing" Bagheera commented.

"You could have to told me about the short cut" Mowgli argued back.

"He's got a point there baggy" Baloo supported.

"Okay, nice we got back together" Rikki started to break it up, "But maybe we should get off now before…"

Rikki suddenly stopped and was in that strange position again but comes more surprising to Mowgli and Kitty that Baloo and Bagheera were sort of doing it as well. Baloo was standing more still than he had ever had and Bagheera was standing very still too while staring off at the view through the open large door.

"Are you guys okay?" Mowgli and Kitty asked.

"We really need to get off right now" Bagheera panicky said.

Mowgli didn't understand why the animals are acting so strangely, but from what Bagheera just said Mowgli couldn't agree more. Just after that second, there was a loud shout from Buldeo coming back to this carriage. Mowgli quickly pushed the boxes infront of the door to black them getting in, with the help of Kitty joining him. Mowgli arranged, "Right we jump off quick-away…"

An awful sound blasted trough the other door window breaking the glass into a thousand of tiny pieces and with a few big, sharp pieces. Another man from the next carriage who was left to take control of the train, he was shooting from his rifle aiming either at Mowgli and or Baloo were missed at the pointy edge of the top box. Everyone needled down quickly and rushed to get out from where the rifle was pointing. More eerily unfortunate, Buldeo and his friends was pushing the door hard to get the pile of boxes out of the way.

Bagheera was being prepared for an attack on the man with the rifle, as he crawled secretly on the side of the door. When the man was getting close and then Bagheera jumped out making the man moved back dropping his rifle. Now using a long blade to swing through the air trying to get the Bagheera get back away.

While Baloo and Kitty were trying to hold the door back, Mowgli could hear the loud banging as one of the men were trying to climb over on the roof. Mowgli rushed to the other door and climb fast on roof of the carriage to get stop the men from catching them. The first man who climbed over Mowgli rushed over to that man and unexpected pushed him off the carriage but fallen hard on the rough ground with light, smooth grass. Two more men climbed up on the roof and brought out their long blades to attack on the boy, however Mowgli was too quick for them to catch them. Ducking and dodging through them as Mowgli even jumped off to the next carriage. Buldeo spotted Mowgli near the edge of the carriage, from below Buldeo tried to shoot him with his small gun but misses as Mowgli keeps on moving. Mowgli grabbed a vein and tightened it one of the men's ankles and let him get swing off from the train and left hanging upside down. Next, Mowgli jumped on a long tree branch up ahead hanging above across the train and aimed his legs towards the other and kicked him hard off the carriage.

The train was coming in any second driving on high bridge standing above a huge, deep river in a fast rapid. Holding the bridge high and still is three, long hard stone materials man made it substable for the train to drive safely across. At the beginning of the bridge, Buldeo and Riswan almost bashed the door open off from the boxes which was blocking the door. Baloo was about to attack but realise Buldeo had his rifle out and ready to shoot, and that strange feeling like what Rikki did earlier. Suddenly, unexpected without a warning there was something really shaking and trembling around, and it wasn't the train. Mowgli could feel the rumbling shake right underneath his feet and tried to keep his balance on the roof, and so did the others below.

"Earthquake" Mowgli realised from the ground shaking, and soon noticed that they are about to drive on the bridge. He remembered that animals could scenes when an earthquake is coming. That's the worst part, the bridge was shaking bad and hear the parts of the bridge was trembling down and the cracks growing across. The railway tracks started to break apart and the wheels of the train began to lose the direction with train losing its balance. The train was nearly at the end of the bridge but the rest of the train at the back already went off the railway tracks. At the end of the train was just leaning off the edge of the bridge and was bringing down the next carriage then the next. Mowgli needed to get moving before he will be dragged down with the train, running as fast as he could to meet with the others.

The train was stumbling stopping as everyone tripped but Riswan and Buldeo fell down to the floor. Baloo and Kitty were ready to leave this carriage to get off this train but Buldeo still held his rifle ready to shoot them. Till Rikki attack him on the face just to distract him but Buldeo grabbed Rikki and threw him hard out through the large door, but luckily land on the edge of the bridge. The end of the bridge was beginning to fall part as it narrowed the bridge down while more, but bigger pieces of the bridge was trembling apart. Bagheera got out as the other man fell over and bumped his head, he jumped over to the end of the bridge waiting for the others to come. Baloo was leading the way out with Kitty following, Mowgli was on his way until he spotted Rikki laying on the edge of the bridge. Mowgli quickly carried him resting the mongoose on his arms as he was running for his life.

Suddenly, when the head of the train and one carriage crossed over to the jungle ground, the entire bridge was all falling apart in different ways but mostly dropping down to the surface of the river. The rest of eth train was dropping down slowly on eth bridge, Baloo and Kitty nearly made it to the end, but they were on the bridge as the floor was cracking around them. Baloo jumped for its, but Kitty couldn't make it far enough as she fell however luckily, she held on the hard edges of the cliff. Screaming of terror Kitty didn't looked down knowing that it would make it worst. Bagheera AND Baloo tried to reach out to help Kitty but it wasn't far enough, soon Bagheera notice there was big, flat path below Kitty which she can drop down and land on it then make her way to the top.

The rest of the train started falling down fast and banging to the side of the cliff, Mowgli was holding on tight for himself and Rikki during this rough ride. Laying at bottom of the carriage, Mowgli climbed up reaching up to the large door as it was facing the cliff, and Mowgli aw that they were near the cliff meaning it's great chance to escape. Mowgli carefully placed tired Rikki on a big flat edge enough for Mowgli to stand on and start to climb. Inappropriately, a hand reached out and pulled Mowgli back in the carriage fallen back at the bottom, Budleo had that deadly look on his face with killing eyes like Shere Khan used to have.

"How many times would it take to kill a jungle brat like you" Buldeo asked eerily.

Mowgli got up and sarcastically answered, "I don't know, how many leaves does it take to grow on a tree?"

Buldeo raged out to grip the man-cub but Mowgli was too quick and dodge out then he took out his blade. Buldeo picked up a long blade and began insanely slicing it at Mowgli but always misses. Then Mowgli's blade hit Buldeo's blade and it flew off in the yellow straws. Suddenly, the train was starting to slip down with the rest of the train. Mowgli nearly tripped but never expected Buldeo grabbed him and pushed Mowgli into a cage. Mowgli rushed to get out and Buldeo already locked it.

"I should have done this a long time ago" Buldeo whispered to him.

"I'm surprised you didn't" Mowgli commented.

"Oh, but I did but later" Buldeo answered. Confused, Mowgli looked at Buldeo and doesn't remembered him before or any time. Buldoe thought that since this could the last time to see Mowgli again, he explained, "I asked that stupid man" Mowgli thinks he's explaining his brother, meaning Mowgli's real-man father. Buldeo continued, "He came with along with you, I told we could go on a family trip, but I had other plans."

"Trying to his will" Mowgli guested, "I know, but it should have gone to Sahana."

"But she was traveling, she doesn't understand how to use it, like mother like son" Buldeo joked, "But new plans happened, when that tiger showed up."

The world was suddenly still and cold, Mowgli eyes were widened from confusion to become very tremored. Mowgli remember when Shere Khan attacked his father, but now he knows that Buldeo se this whole thing; why they there in the jungle in the first place. Budleo was supposed to meet with them but didn't came later, of course he didn't know that Shere Khan was coming, but Buldeo knew what he was planning to. Mowgli raged out, shaking the cage widely, roaring out like a deadly animal.

The whole train is about to fall off to the river, Budleo jumped out and landed on an easy spot of the cliff for him to stand. The carriages behind the one Mowgli was in lost their attachments and all fell down into the river. Mowgli tried to get of the cage, but when the train was trembling down, the cage sliding down to the open walking door. The cage was fitting through the door nearly getting out, Mowgli tried to reach out to grab something to hold himself up or to stop the cage from sliding through. One last trembled of the train make the cage finally slide out, Baloo, Bagheera and Kitty heard Mowgli's cry as he was falling down as Mowgli reached his hand out through the bars. "Mowgli!" they shouted gazing upon the fall, but Kitty had a better view as she kneed down while praying.

Mowgli could feel no air rushing by on his back but the air passing eth wooden cage, around and then meeting the finger tips around the bars. Watching as the rest of eth train above was getting smaller, and smaller, and smaller, with the sun light shining form the edge of the side of eth jungle blurring at the side of his eyes. Hearing more the fats rapid below splashing and crashing against the sides of the cliffs, knowing that Mowgli will splash down soon. And it finally happened, it was hard splashed for Mowgli when he was holding on tight on the bars his legs were leaning down then banged himself against the bars but hard enough with his face and parts of his body. Mowgli let go and rested his body from banging against the metal bars, drifting away as this box is from eth rapid tide in eth river. Unknowing that were a few holes in the wooden box filling inside with water, but much worst when more water is pouring in the box. Mowgli was up again with a few energies left inside him to start banging the bar door hard to get himself, while the box was filling up as the river was covering all over the box. The water filling up to Mowgli's neck, as the man-cub used the blade to cut through the lock but when the box is nearly flooded with water, so he placed it back in it's case. The box was right under the edge of eth surface of the river, twisting and turning in the rapid tides. Mowgli tried pushing the box up above the surface to catch more air to breath, however it was doing the opposite way. The sight was very blurry underwater, but Mowgli did tell that he was drowning slowly from the fresh above. Feeling the air inside is already bobbly away back to the surface while his energy was pouring all out from him and floating into the rapid. Mowgli open his eyes one last time and there was something bright, something standing at the edge of the land facing down upon the surface, gazing at the man-cub. It was big, bold, slender grey wolf and Mowgli could almost recognise its face.

"Akela?" Mowgli thought. He reached out his right hand out slowly through the metal bars, hoping that maybe it was miracle to help him get out. But nothing happened, and soon Mowgli felt his arm lowing down slowly, trying to keep it out but he could keep himself or the box up. The clear water was like gravity, the box was falling slowly drowning Mowgli as he was shutting his eyes seeing only darkness and so the box down to eth bottom of the river.

So sorry if it took long time but to be honest it took me a very long time to think and write about this chapter. I know there's a lot to read and to catch up, but hopefully you will manage it. I know it's huge twist at the end, but I always wondered why Mowgli and his father were out in the jungle at night.

I also added a small Disney Easter Egg in one of carriages.

This is a scene link to the train scene from The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli and Baloo. I don't own this this.

Please leaves some comments about what you think?