The Jungle Book: Chapter 7
By: jungleboy69
Chapter 7: First Meeting
Mowgli snuck quietly along to the river. As he approached, he could hear the girls' voices and the sounds of splashing. Hoping to get a clear view, he climbed up a tree and looked down over the river on an overhanging branch.
Below them, he saw the girls in the river, and he froze. Their figures were slim and beautiful, and their hair was long and silky. They were the most beautiful creatures he had ever seen. He observed each of them carefully.
The first girl had dark skin, which reminded Mowgli of the brown earth. Her hair trailed behind her in a long braid and her eyes were a rich brown. She had a strange red dot on her forehead which Mowgli found it strange.
The second girl had fairer skin with her hair red as a flower in the spring. Her eyes were as blue as the sky and her voice sounded strange. It reminded Mowgli of the song of a bird or the wind blowing through the reeds.
Finally, there was the third girl. She had brown glistening hair and fair skin like the second girl. However, she was different the rest of the girls. She had a more athletic build than the others and her eyes were green, like the jungle...
What caught Mowgli's attention was her spirit. One of the lessons Mowgli learnt from Bagheera was that every living creature has a spirit; the birds, the frogs, the deer, all creatures great and small had a spirit.
This girl's spirit was wild, free and adventurous; it reminded him so much like himself. A strange warm feeling spread inside of him. "What is...this...?" He thought. "Why do I feel this way...?" He leaned close to see the girls and he could hear them talking
(Meanwhile...)
The girls laughed as they splashed about the water, enjoying the cool water and the little fishes swimming around them. Frogs croaked and a flock of storks fished nearby. "Isn't this the life...?" Shanti asked as she floated in the river.
"You're really lucky to be visiting India..." She told Cassie and Lindy as they swam nearby. "I can teach you how to dance as good as me!" Lindy blushed. "Thanks...maybe I can teach you some ballroom dancing or ballet..."
"What about you, Cassie?" Shanti asked, turning to the American girl. Cassie shrugged. "No thanks...I'm not a dancer...I'm more of an animal person..." She replied. Shanti giggled. "So...what is America like?" She asked.
Cassie sighed. "Oh...it's okay...but the hustle and bustle can really be a nuisance." She replied. "When Uncle Alex invited my family to move to India, I jumped at the chance..." She smiled. "I've heard stories about India and it's cultures."
Shanti smiled. "Well, I'm glad..." She replied. "Once we get to the village, I can show you and Lindy around!" "Do you really think they'll accept us?" Lindy asked. "Your village hasn't had many foreigners visiting..." She pointed out.
"Well, we are an isolated village..." Shanti pointed out. "Most of them never met foreigners before...except British folk" Lindy looked up nonchalantly in the sky as she swam. "Do you believe it...the rumor of the Jungle Ghost?" She asked.
Shanti shrugged. "No...and you shouldn't." She replied. "There's no such thing as ghosts..." "I know that..." Lindy replied, looking around a bit nervously. "It's just...sometimes I get the feeling that we are being watched..."
"Probably just some birds or monkeys..." Shanti replied. "There's nothing to be worry about." Cassie sighed as she floated in the river. "To be honest, I don't care if the Jungle Ghost is real or not..." She pointed. "I came here looking for adventure..."
"Well, I'm heading back." Lindy replied as she got out of the river to dry off. "You coming?" "You girls go ahead." Cassie replied. "I want to swim a bit more." "Sure thing..." Shanti replied as she came out. "Don't stay too long."
"Don't worry...I can take care of myself." As Lindy and Shanti went off to change, Cassie floated quietly in the river. She heard the gentle lapping of waves, the sound of birds calling and the breeze blowing through the trees.
For some strange reason, she couldn't stop thinking about the Jungle Ghost story. Ever since she and her family arrived in India, she had been hearing stories or rumors of the strange creature known as the Jungle Ghost that dwelled in the Indian jungles.
It was said that the Jungle Ghost could move like a shadow and had power over the birds and the animals of the jungle. Some villagers claim to have seen a glimpse of the it but many believe it is not even real.
Her uncle was one of those people who believed in the rumors and wanted to prove them true. Her parents were a bit skeptical but they figured they would stick around since it was their vacation. In her opinion, she wasn't too sure whether to believe in the stories or not.
*Rustle...*
She froze when she heard something rustling in the branches overhanging the river. She stood up, looking at the branches. "Who's there?" She called out. She peered closer and she could have sworn she saw something huge in the branches.
"Is someone there?" She called out again. Silence followed then a slow rustle of leaves as if something was moving amongst them. Suddenly, a loud cry was heard and something fell out of the branch, landing in the water with a loud *SPLASH!* in front of her
Cassie gasped as she backed away a bit. A moment later, it resurfaced and it coughed out, spluttering before it faced her. What Cassie saw made her eyes grow wide and her jaw drop. In front was a boy! A boy who was just about her age.
He had long wild black hair that trailed down his shoulders. He had fair skin just like she had and his eyes were as blue as the sky. His body was lean and slightly muscular and all he wore was a loincloth made out of animal hide. He stared at her, unblinking.
Cassie's heartbeat like crazy and her cheeks blushed. Was this the Jungle Ghost she had been hearing so much about? Who was he? Where did he come from? And why did he looked so handsome?
She swallowed hard as the boy continued to stare at her. What should she do? Was the boy friendly? Was he dangerous? Should she scream or run away? All these questions were swimming in her head.
With a deep breath, she decided to introduce herself. "H-Hello..." The boy didn't say anything, he just continued to stare at her. "M-My name is...Cassie...Cassie Andrews..." She replied. Silence followed, which made the latter more nervous.
"Do...Do you have a name?" She asked the boy. The boy cocked his head, a look of confusion. "Your name...?" She asked again. The boy just stared at her blankly. Then, slowly, he opened his mouth and uttered one word. "Mowgli..."
Cassie was shocked. "What...What did you say...?" She asked. "Mowgli..." The boy replied again as he continued to stare at her. For a while, they didn't say a word. Then, without warning, the boy turned and leapt out of the river.
"No! Wait!" Cassie cried. "Don't go!" The boy didn't answer as he leapt to the trees and swung away as agile as a monkey. Cassie looked on in amazement as she stared at the jungle boy swinging away. "Who was he...?" She wondered.
(Back with Mowgli...)
Mowgli swung as fast as he could, not caring how far he was going. After a while, he slid down the tree and leaned against the trunk. His heart was beating so fast that it would seem to burst out from his chest. His face was burning even hotter than before.
"Mowgli!" The latter turned to see Bagheera bounding over to him. "Little Brother...are you alright?" The Panther asked, concerned. "She...She saw me..." Mowgli replied, breathlessly. "The girl-cub...saw me..."
"Did she hurt you?" Bagheera asked. Mowgli shook his head. "No...she didn't...she just...stared at me..." He replied. "She...was...nothing like I've seen..." The Panther sighed in relief and nuzzled against Mowgli.
"Come, the Pack will need to know about this..." Bagheera replied. The Man-Cub nodded as he climbed onto the Panther's back and they bounded away. His mind was also racing about the strange, and beautiful creature he saw at the river. Would he meet her again? And who were those other girl-cubs with her?