Chapter 15

Crumbling across the short path on the side of the cliff, still and hard making it easy to walk along but harder while not looking down upon the clashing riptides of the river. Kitty was keeping her balance well and steady, she already carried Rikki, the tired mongoose resting on her arms. Instead of going up back on the ground level, Kitty wanted to walk downwards to the river in case she could see Mowgli nearby. Before, Kitty did try to race down as fast as she could, keeping up with the cage with Mowgli in but the tide was too fast and so she lost of sight of him.

The rest of the train carriages were dropped hard into the river, a few were pulled in the rapids while others sank down to the bottom and were stuck down in the mud and rocks. Kitty finally reached down on the ground level, at the edge of the river Kitty still couldn't see the cage. she carefully placed Rikki laying on the soft ground and began racing down river trying to find the cage in the rapids. However, the rapids were still too fast for Kitty to catch up with the cage, but she couldn't stop now not all from Mowgli has done for her. Sadly, her legs couldn't hold up a great speed like what the other jungle animals do, Kitty suddenly slow down and began to tremble down on her knees. Breathing in and out fast while Kitty laid her cool hand on her boiling head. Kitty felt so hopeless, so disappointed with herself, she couldn't keep it with the cage and now Mowgli is trapped in it under water.

"Kitty!" Rikki shouted, he rushed up then slowed down walking behind Kitty. He stopped by her side, looking down upon her as Kitty had a depress look on her face. "Are you alright?"

Kitty didn't respond as her eyes were gazing at the fast rapids clashing around in the river. She was shaking her head a little side to side while a few tears started to float out from the bottom of her eyes and slide down on her red checks. "I sorry… I couldn't catch up… I lost him…" Kitty's words were broken and cracked but was clear for Bagheera to understand.

"Hey, look at me, Kitty" Rikki asked for Kitty, she quickly wipe the water off her eyes and slowly looked up at Rikki. "Mowgli has probably been through these kind of life-experience, so he could make it out" Rikki said in a positive tone, but Kitty still looked depress. Then Rikki finished it with in a gentle advice, "Just don't blame yourself."

Breathing in deep and out as Kitty was beginning to calm down, she smiled a little. Kitty rubbed Rikki on the back, but he secretly smiled to himself, "Yeah, I love you too. Come on we should meet the others."

"They're at the top" Kitty pointed.

Rikki is an excellent climber when coming to the highest tree to the highest cliff, but Kitty could climb well as him and they won't risk it. Unexpected, Kitty found her small, brown rucksack on the edge of the river, it had light green and blue leaves decorated on the bag. Thinking that that bag must have fallen out from one of the train carriages, but it wasn't pulled far in by the rapids as it was stuck in between three big, hard, wet rocks. Surprised, Kitty picked it up and looked inside only to just realised that it was water proof and not all her stuff inside weren't wet; her phone, her torch, her small camera, her sunglasses, and her small, creamy purse. She didn't care her bag was fully wet at the bottom and on the sides, Kitty swing it over laying it against on her back as she slide her right arm through the right shoulder strap.

Suddenly, an eerily clicked sound was made from behind Kitty, she froze like a cold statue. Kitty caught a deep chilly feeling in her body, she slowly turned around and saw Buldeo with his small point aiming at her. Rikki secretly climb up on Kitty and jumped through in Kitty's bag fast as he was hiding from Buldeo. Kitty raised her hands as a sign that she's innocent, that she hasn't got anything as defence.

Buldeo asked, "Where's that jungle brat?"

Kitty held a straight face with a rage look towards Buldeo, she answered with grace and hope, "He's down river."

Buldeo grow a creepy smile while two more men walked out from behind; Riswan and the deaf man had survived through the train crash. Back in a second, Buldeo remembered something that he came here, "Now that we are all here, let's go out for a treasure hurt."

"I don't know how to get there" Kitty answered.

"But we must be close since it is in the north" Buldeo added.

"I don't know" Kitty repeated her answer.

Buldeo didn't had time for useless answered, he forced Kitty to come with them and lead them the way to where the treasure lays. Before, Rikki could quickly try to get out from her bag as he needed to warn Mowgli and the others about this. The mongoose rushed out and hidden himself behind some small, wet rocks with long green grass on the side. Rikki briefly noticed that his right foot caught something out from the bag, it was long, silver neckless with a small locket in a shape of a circle. Rikki only hoped for the best that Mowgli would probably be alive somewhere and pray for the other's safety.

After hours and hours later, there were small, sleepy eyes which had slept through till the sun has fallen creating a bright organ horizon. In the misty part of the jungle was all very quiet and still, hearing sounds of calming waves rushing against the side of the land from the river, mixing with the sounds of the wind blowing the tree branches above. Large, green leaves spread out wide like a bush, veins from the tree tops reached nearly torching the jungle floor. Dull and colourless was all around where there are less brightly flowers blooming out, and lots of misty tree branches that were cover your sight on seeing the sky.

Nothing was happening at first, hear nothing but deep silence, or see nothing but darkness. Mowgli was just starting to open the eyes up slowly from the first blurry sight till they became wider enough to make the sight more visual. Once they caught a perfect picture, Mowgli could see the still jungle with the calm river pasting by. Although his wet hair was mostly in his sight he could still see clearly now, however Mowgli felt confused about where he is now. His mouth took small air to breathe but instead he started off coughing and it keeps on getting worst whenever he breathes in. There isn't much sun light shining through the tree branches Mowgli's body is still wet from nearly drowned in the river. He could feel the cold breeze brushing against his bruised skin and breathing through his mouth.

After his body has been resting for hours and breathing in some small, cold air, Mowgli began raising his right hand up and flatted the palm of his hand to start lifting his chest with his head, then using his left hand for extra help. Mowgli slowly twisted the top part of his body to the side and then laying carefully on his back. Next, Mowgli twisted his legs around in the right way but after his felt his entire body has been attacked painfully by a thousand stings from wild black bees. He landed his hands down while resting his head back trying to get rid of the nasty headaches and catching in some more air to breathe like he has never rested or slept for a long time.

The water from his black hair slides down to the sides of his head and on the tip of his eyebrows. The water even slides down in the sides of Mowgli's eyes making his eyes to go wet blurry. After rubbing off the water from his eyes by his right hand, he slowly lowing himself down as his weak, left arm couldn't hold himself much long. He fallen back a bit with his elbows holding himself up, while taking in more air to breathe Mowgli was remembering back to the train instance. The sudden earthquake, the train collapsing down into the river, and what Buldeo said confessing about what he did to him and his father. All the troubled aches hitting around in his head is trying to get Mowgli to close his eyes and rest peacefully, so he could get rid most of the aches.

On the side of his eye, Mowgli noticed his blade wasn't in its cover on the side of his waist. Mowgli check if he was sitting on it but it was there, he scanned around the river bank but there was nothing. The quiet, grey, misty area he is in gives a creepy feeling, Mowgli felt like he has been here before. But no time to waste, he slowly rises himself up to bending knees then carefully balance on his feet. Walking step by step towards the first tree he sees at the edge of the jungle, so he doesn't have to walk far to test how well he can walk. Mowgli stopped when he got to the tree and was breathing hard as he was still feeling dizzy and tired. He soon started walking again but slowly up river soon he could meet up his friends; Baloo, Bagheera, Kitty and Rikki. Then his thoughts suddenly changed to thinking about Buldeo, Mowgli tucked his fingers inside and squeezed them tight into a hard fist. He stopped and laid his back on the side of a tree, feeling exhausted as though his body was like a dead branch starting to break down.

Standing on a huge rock next to Mowgli was a familiar small creature he has meet before, the creature's and the man-cub's eyes meet but it was in a pleasure welcome for the man-cub. Mowgli's face was becoming hard and looked angry, for these may look soft and cute but then transforms into harmless thieves who stool food from the man-cub once. "What do you want?" Mowgli asked, but he still doesn't know what language they speak so the creature just sat there still and calm. "I got nothing" Mowgli added, but the word cut through hard into his mind to his soul reflecting all the destruction of his family, the deaths of those he loved dearly. "You hear me? I got nothing" he repeated, all of his rage and anger suddenly splashed out, he grabbed a stone and threw it at the creature and again, and again, and again, but keeps missing it and the small creature was still and calm. "I got nothing! What else do you want from me!" Mowgli shouted and finally stopped as he fell to his knees while breathing heavily. Looking down at the ground like everything around him is gone, faded away like a shadow at night. Slowly looking back up at the creature in the same position, the creature turned around and jumped off the rock and away into the bushes.

Mowgli soon calmed down his breathing while closing his eyes, when he opens them he realised that he's kneeing on something strange. Suspiciously, Mowgli looked at where his feet were and saw straight line marks tracking towards behind a few big, green bushes where that small creature jumped to. Mowgli stood up slowly and walked off towards the bushes, he followed the strange tracks; some were going straight, then wiggled off side to side. His hands pushed the bushes to the side to see where the tracks end at. Till he reached his end, his eyes filled fully with shaken trauma. There was the same wooden cage laying there laying on the side of a tree, but it wasn't at one piece. The door of the cage had six big bars, three from each side were pulled together, like something coiled them around and squeezed it hard to bend them, it created a huge, wide hole in the median of the door. Two bars were bended and snapped apart near; one at the bottom and one at the top. Mowgli walked over and kneed down his curiously transforms into deep confusion. He scanned the bars on how there bended together and broken ones, he couldn't understand how this would happen. Also, he couldn't remember how this happened, after all he was drowning and was unconscious.

Rubbing his fingers on the bended metal bars, feeling how strength it must have taken to pull them together. Mowgli stares in the wide hole in the middle of the bar door and guested that this was he way out of the cage. The only question Mowgli can't answer; is who save him? His first idea was it could a crocodile from the river but realised that it would have tried to eat him instead of saving him, and it couldn't have broken through the bars and squeezed them together.

His thoughts were very puzzled from looking at the wooden cage with the bended bars, but Mowgli told himself that it doesn't matter now. Mowgli's out of the cage, and he needed to find the others before anything what have happened to them, he stood up straight and began walking up the river. Although, Mowgli made a last looked back at the cage hoping he could find something that will solve that strange mystery. He started to get a strange, wield feeling that he has been here before. Even when he scanned around his surroundings; the misty air, the cold breeze, the greyish dark shadows. He still couldn't quite remember when, but his mind was more puzzled from before.

Mowgli continued walking on as his balance was getting better for his legs to walk properly. He looked up watching as the night sky was just about set upon the jungle, getting darker by the minute Mowgli knew that he had to stop somewhere and rest till morning. Mowgli didn't have his blade with him or anything to protect him, so he quickly made the red flower on a stick for him to see through the darkness and protect him from dangers. He passed by a slimy swamp where crocodiles sometimes stay, especially Jacala the worst of the worst in these rivers. Mowgli believed it would the best idea to stay in a tree for tonight away from the deadly jungle animals below. Threw the stick with the red flower first for it was hard to climb up while carrying it especially when it could burn you. Then Mowgli climbed up for himself, but his arms and legs were still sure and tired from what happened at the river. Before he could go to rest Mowgli quickly made a small spear for a back-up, snapping off a hard twig and wrapping a sharp rock at the top by a long, think, strong vein.

As the night goes by you could see that sky was clear as the river and the stars were out shinning out. However, where Mowgli was resting on a large branch the leaves on eth small branches was covering his whole sight on the sky. The red flower was the only light he has in sight, the hot, colour flames flicked up into the air in smashing clicking sounds. His eyes focus on the flames dancing around as it was making Mowgli feeling dreaming. He rested his head on the side while his eyes still focus on the organ flames, blinking from the red flower bright light and he was feeling tired. A torch of another light sparked his left eye and then again, Mowgli flicked his eyes open waken from his rest and there was the sparkle in his eyes again. Scanning his surroundings to find what was that sparkle and saw something shinny up in the small branches above. Mowgli stood and turned his head in a different angle to see what it was without it sparkling in his eyes. It was something small, with a shiny curve and had a sharp, pointy edge, it his blade shiny from a little touch of the star light through a small hole in the tree tops. A small grin grew on Mowgli's face as he began to climb up the large branches to get his blade. Pulling himself up by the veins and gripping tight on the branches, he could see his blade much clear in the star light. There was one thing he could get in his mind; how did his blade get up in those high branches?

Mowgli quickly noticed that the red flower below was shrinking in a small size and soon be losing it's light. He moved his hands fast to get himself closer to his blade and higher off from the ground. Mowgli was climbing fast and far high up from the ground, his foot pushed himself huge twist branches. However, the blade was far from Mowgli to grab it as he twisted his left hand around a vein to hold his balance while reaching his right hand out to get the blade. Leaning far out wide the tip of his fingers were an inch away from torching the blade, he whispers to himself, "Almost got it."

Back down on the ground floor, a quick mongoose jumped out over large roots of the large trees and was right underneath the man-cub. Mowgli looked down and noticed the mongoose, "Rikki?" but loses his focus on his grip on the veins. His fingers were suddenly slipping from the green fabrics of the vein, Mowgli's eyes dropped down from the blade to looking down at the ground. At the tip of his finger pushed the side of the blade nearly slipped off from the branches. The blade slipped from the branches, it was falling fast, and the pointy, sharp end landed right infront of Rikki. The side of the blade was in line in between the half of his face, making Rikki collapsed from the sharpest shock of his life. Mowgli could see the whole sight of the ground far below him as he was yelling while falling from the side of the branch. The cool air spanned Mowgli around just as what he wanted so he could grab a vein to stop him from falling.

Suddenly, Mowgli landed on something wide and hard and felt a sour painful feeling throughout his entire back side. Mowgli moaned out in grief from the unexpected landing, he took his time to rest so his back can recover fast. "Thank goodness I landed on this branch than on the ground" Mowgli whispered to himself as he rubbed his fingers on his forehead.

Rikki was laying on the ground still in shock from the blade, he opened his eyes a little and saw what Mowgli landed on. The red flower was finally out but Rikki could still see things as clear without light. Unfortunately, what Rikki answered wasn't exactly what Mowgli wanted to answer, "Un, man-cub, that's not a branch."

Those words shivered through Mowgli's bones, he opens his eyes wide while patting his hand on what he landed on. His fingers could feel that the skin wasn't as hard and rough as what a tree branch would have be, but instead it felt so smooth to touch. The skin had scales of patterns like coils, then Mowgli started to get an eerily feeling, "Oh no" he thought.

Mowgli pushed himself up and tried to push himself off to fall back down to the ground, but the coils toss him backwards and wrapped around his legs tight. He heard a soft hissing sound above which gave a deadly feeling making his blood very cold for he recognised that sound. He yelled out in fear as he was looking upside down, he tried to a branch and a vein to pull himself out form the coils, but he couldn't on the coils were pulling him higher than before. Mowgli was scanning around scanning around till a head of a python slithered down from the high tree branches.

"Well, well, what do we have here" Kaa hissed.

Mowgli was in dead position; he had nothing to protect him, no red flower, no blade. He doesn't know how to get out of this one, from the last time Mowgli was luckily away from Kaa, he just needed to talk himself out of it now. Mowgli replied while trying not to look directly at Kaa's eyes, "Look Kaa, I'm looking for any trouble."

"Oh, there'sss no trouble man-cub" Kaa was slithering around Mowgli even up around the branches above him, making Mowgli confused to know where she is.

Mowgli was struggling to get himself out from this tight situation, he could feel Kaa's coils wrapping around his legs tighter knowing that he probably wouldn't escape without a fight. "Okay so let me go" Mowgli tried to push his legs apart so there will be a gap for him to get out from the loops of coils and could fallen back down to the ground. However, Kaa's coils squeezed Mowgli's legs back together and making it tighter. "Now, now, isss thisss any way to sssay thank you."

Mowgli stopped struggling from what Kaa said, "Thank you?" he whispered to himself, he didn't know what she meant by that and for what exactly. He could see Kaa till he heard the movement of her coils slithering over branches along with her soft hissing sound whenever her fork tongue comes out. Mowgli was alright seeing everything upside down, but he couldn't twist his whole body around to see behind him. Mowgli could feel the cold breeze like from the ground floor but more cooler up in the high trees. He spotted Rikki back down on the ground with his blade near him, hoping that Rikki could quickly get his blade or distract Kaa while Mowgli could try to escape.

Mowgli still have that curious thought about what Kaa said, he shouted to Kaa, "For what?!"

An eerily silence was the first answer Mowgli received as the coils wrapped around his legs were getting tighter. With all of the strength he had in his arms Mowgli was trying push the coils off from his waist and his legs. Unknowing, Kaa slithered down quietly behind Mowgli giving him a shock as he moved his arms away.

"Don't you remember?" Kaa hissed, her seductive voice chilled Mowgli coldly, "Oh, you poor, sssweet thing."

"Remember what?!" that's what Mowgli is shouting at in his mind, Kaa was filled with riddles and questions that Mowgli couldn't understand or answered. Until, he remembered this morning, "The cage?" he asked himself; it was pulled out from the river easily and the bars were squeezed broken. Mowgli soon got the theory to solving the mystery case of the cage, but that creeped him out even more.

Mowgli got his arms up infront to protect himself, as Kaa's head was slithering closer to the helpless man-cub. "But don't worry, I have my waysss to explain thessse occasionsss" her fork tongue slides out from the hissings and wiped up and down fast on Mowgli's face.

"Hold it, Kaa!" Bagheera roared out from the dark shadow hanging in the high tree tops. He leaped at Kaa's face and knocking her head to the side, Kaa lost her attention on the man-cub and so unknowing dropping him down from her coils to the ground.

Mowgli nearly landed on Rikki but luckily the mongoose quickly jumped out from the way, he shouted, "Why does everything from the sky is trying to kill me?!"

Shaking her head from the unexpected attack, Kaa's attention was focus on the black panther now. Bagheera jumped on another huge branch and turn to face Kaa with a growling look towards the great python. His claws were out as much as roaring with his white shape teeth, ready for attack that may come to him or the man-cub.

"You just made a big missstake Bagheera" Kaa hissed angerly.

"I'm not the one who made a mistake" Bagheera growled, "When you come across with the wrong…"

Bagheera stopped as a loud huffing sound was rising from the edge of the tree were Bagheera got up from the top. Baloo was climbing up slowly paw by paw he finally reached to the top. Bagheera and Kaa stare at the tired bear breathing

"This is a big one from last time" Baloo said breathlessly as he finally reached to the top.

Bagheera crawled slowly towards Kaa ready for any attacks the snake will give Bagheera was prepared. "Leave the boy alone" Bagheera warned.

"Isss that a threat?" Kaa asked as she was slithering closer but slowly.

"Well, we wouldn't want to get your scales messy now do we?" Baloo teased with a cheeky grin.

Angered, Kaa hissed at Baloo as she remembered from when he attacked her for nearly eating that man-cub. Kaa push her coils so she could slither closer, Bagheera and Baloo growled louder as a warning for Kaa for not coming any closer. Mowgli risen up back on his feet, took his blade off from the ground and placed Rikki on his shoulder for him to ride on. He rushed up to the other side of the tree and climb up, so he doesn't come up with Kaa above. Mowgli reached to the top of the tree and ran up infront of them and shouted, "Wait! Wait! Hold on a second"

"Yeah, at least let me join in the fun" Rikki added after.

Everyone ignored Rikki's comment as Baloo walked aside Mowgli, he said, "You are right kid, hissing should what happens when she gets too close to you."

"Every creature needs to eat" Kaa answered back as she slithered closer.

"You could eat soon" Mowgli said.

Confusion and shocked, everyone was surprised from what Mowgli just said, Rikki commented, "Hey, you know man-cub there are much better ways to move one to another life you know."

Kaa eyed at Rikki, she replied, "I can deal with you now weasssel."

Annoyed and angry, Rikki hated when someone calls him a weasel as Kaa giggled from his little reaction. But Rikki came back, "Funny, that's some pretty big talk for such a big worm."

Mowgli noticed Bagheera was making eye contact with him saying, "What are you doing, man-cub?" But Mowgli came up with an idea for later on.

Mowgli continued, "Yes, I will pay you back helping me. Um, a meal from the monkey city."

"For what?" Baloo asked behind Mowgli as he made a face expression to tell Baloo to trust him on this one. Mowgli came up with a plan quickly to get themselves out of here. Bagheera looked even more confused when Baloo asked Mowgli and the man-cub didn't quit answer back, but Bagheera still kept his eyes on Kaa in case she makes one little, suspicious move.

Kaa stares at the face expression from Mowgli and Baloo, she could sense that there wasn't one lie that spoken out from Mowgli's mouth. Kaa softly laughed at Mowgli, "Alright, I'll agree to your deal" she slithered around them as they were feeling even more scared from what Kaa is planning. "And I'll be waiting" Kaa said staring at Mowgli, her charming, intense voice sweeten Mowgli, but he was straight and strong standing unafraid of her close appearance he won't even move his hand close to his blade. Kaa slithered slowly away back into the tree tops, the others watched as the huge python soon disappeared into the dark shadows above.

Mowgli and the other climbed down the tree, after walking away from the tree Mowgli felt something small and thin like vein but cold metal torching his skin. He looked down at the side of his waist where his blade was hanging but noticed that a silver chain neckless was tangled up around the back the blade. Carefully unknotting the neckless while Rikki was riding on his left shoulder, Rikki explained about Buldeo taking Kitty and was looking for somewhere with treasure. That is exactly what Mowgli was expecting soon or later, Buldoe could know where he is going but Kitty knew a bit of where to go. Mowgli worn the neckless around his neck, so he doesn't loss it for Kitty, while thinking of Kitty he prayed that she won't be hurt.

Hey, sorry if I took so long, I needed to think a lot about how to write this chapter. Hoped you guys will like this chapter, please leaves some comments, what do you think Mowgli is going to do, will he stop Buldoe or will it be too late?

See you later…