Into the Jungle

Chapter 4

**Bold print = Ape Language**

I awoke to sunshine raining through the branches above me. It warmed my face as I stretched my back, arms, and legs, then collapsed back down on the mossy branch. I could already hear the grunts and laughs of other apes awakening. I vaguely heard the mother's playing with their young below. I wanted to get up, to contribute, truly; however, I was really tired and needed just a little more sleep...I yawned and rolled onto my stomach falling into a peaceful slumber...until Zulu. 

"Lili! Wake! It is time to wake!" the little ape exclaimed as I felt her tiny frame jump on my back. I grunted, trying to lie in peace for a little longer. It was all in vain, however, for the little one was now playfully tugging at my hair and sniffing my face...ugh...I guess it was time to get up. Zulu played with my cheeks, poking them with her fingers. It tickled leading me to laugh. I growled playfully, grabbing her by the ankle and throwing her in my arms as I sat up. She nuzzled her fuzzy head into my neck, as I looked up into the eyes of Mother. She smiled down at her daughters, proud to see their affection towards each other. I handed my sister back to mother carefully, Zulu swiftly climbing and latching on to her mother's shoulders. Her young grunts and strained wails alerted us that she was ready to leave the tree. We then descended our home by vine.

The apes all gathered for breakfast; some banana leaves, plant stems, mangoes were in the meal today. We ate, grunting contently among one another. All were fed, that was the rule. No one, not the old or sick or weak, would be treated unfairly. The Jungle already took care of that. We all ate our fill, and as the nursing mothers reclined in the morning sun with their young, and the males took their place to guard the territory, I knew it was my time to leave. To go hunting for our dinner tonight. There were rare fruits on the other side of the island, and I was the only one who was fast enough to go and collect them before nightfall.

With a nod to Father and a smile to my Mother and sister, I grabbed my bag and began running.

~~~3 hours later~~~

My legs felt painfully numb as I slowed my pace, gazing up into the canopy of leaves high above my head. I was here. I smiled in relief, catching my breath, while I looked for a way to climb the tree. Ascending a low hanging vine,  I wrapped my legs around the lowest branch, arched my back and finally lifted myself up with my arms. Squatting on the balls of my feet, I scanned for any danger. Nothing caught my eye. Digging my fingers into the bark, I climbed a couple more feet to the desired branch. I found myself surrounded by mangoes when I steadied my footing. I laughed and, plucking a fruit from the stem, began feasting on its juicy fresh. The sticky fruit was amazing. I lost myself in the taste, the texture, not hearing the increasing growls around me. Little did I know my life was about to change.

I looked up from my meal to see the ugly creature sitting in front of me on the branch. The blue and fed face. The grey fur. Baboons. The fruit was instantly dropped, my meal forgotten as I fearfully backed up against the trunk. I looked around only to find that I was surrounded. Great. I must not panic, I must not panic, I must not panic. The one in front of you must be the alpha, my mind whispered to me. The Great baboon was staring, unblinking, at my small figure, and I knew he was studying me, judging whether I was a threat. Friend or foe. Should he kill me or not. My face and hands were sticky from the mango, and it did not feel pleasant as I gripped the moss at my sides. I couldn't move or show fear, it would set them off.

Suddenly, the baboon lunged forward, stopping just as it reached my face. It sniffed wildly, and I gulped. It's foul breath had reached my nose and I almost gagged, shuddering. It growled then looked up to it's troop, laughing in short grunts that reminded me of a wailing baby mixed with the shrieks of a hyena. It was soon joined by the others and I realized I was being mocked.

"The mighty daughter of the apes...shaking like a leaf. How pathetic!" It snarled in my ear as angry tears filled my eyes. I would not  be made into a laughing stock.  Before I, or even the baboons, could register what I was doing, I had tackled the Great baboon and began clawing his face repeatedly. It fought back but did not prevail. I was stronger than I looked. I was in fact, raised by the strongest of the apes.  With my fingers dripping with blood and the King baboon laying dead at my feet, I glanced up at the confounded troop's faces.

It went from confusion and fear to anger and fury within a moment, and I found myself leaping off the branch and swinging from vines away from the angry attackers. The shrieks and wails of the pursuing baboons kept me leaping as fast as I could. Grab. Swing. Arch your back. Release. Those were the steps to swinging from the vines. Those were the rules to live by as an ape. Sadly, the baboons knew this rule as well. They followed close behind. The hot noon wind was hard to breath in, and I found I grew tired very quickly. I did not know just how much my pace had slowed...until I was thrown from my vine and plummeted towards the ground.

It all happened in slow motion. The laughing baboon that had hit me. The pleasure and wails of the others watching me fall to my death. The beautiful rays of sunshine cascading toward my final resting place. The lush green of the bushes and vines and branches and trees...and the huge shadow that was coming towards me...and caught me before my head could hit the ground.

I was flying again; however I was in someone's arms. The last images I saw were the most breathtaking eyes I had ever seen. The last sound I heard were the angry wails of the baboons in the distance and the deep breathing of my savior. The last feeling I felt was the peaceful tranquility that came over me. Then my nerves finally consumed me, and I fell unconscious.

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Thank you so much for reading! I wonder who Lili's savior is......hmmm ;) Please comment what you think, and I will update as quickly as I can :)