The Jungle Boy

Chapter 1: Washed Up on Shore

Side Note: I thought you guys would enjoy this song. It's one of my favorites (by the way, I'm kind of an 80's pop addict, so I just added this for that reason), we'll enjoy the story!:)

Jack laid on a branch, resting in the shade of the jungle trees he had separated himself from his pack for awhile to go and explore the jungle. He looked up into the leaves of the tree, the light of the sun sneaking through the crevices of the branches and leaves. He hadn't grown bored of the jungle, he'd always explored it whenever he and his family had to move to a more open area for nesting. But he hadn't had much time for himself to go off by himself and venture through nature. His father and mother had warned him not to go off on his own, for they worried that he'd run into a lack of jaguars.

The day had been unusually peaceful in the jungle, and Jack had mostly been climbing trees alongside the lemurs. However, Jack hadn't ventured out as far as the jungle edge where the beach's shore was. He slowly got up from his spot in the shady tree and grabbed a vine. He swiftly swung through the trees on the vine, heading in the direction of the beach.

Meanwhile young woman, Anna Winston, stood at the edge of the ship, looking out at the wide sea. She closed her eyes as the breeze blew past her. She had decided to take a trip across the seas and was already experiencing much during her time on the ship. She walked away from the edge of the ship's rail to return to her cabin until she was stopped by a panicking crew member. "I'm sorry miss, but you must hurry and leave the ship immediately."

"I beg your pardon?" She asked, astonished. "What is the matter?"

"The ship's captain has reported a leak in the boat's lower cabins. You must grab your things and exit with the others into the nearest lifeboat!" The member then ran off before Anna could process the information she had obtained. She hurried back to her cabin and grabbed her suitcases and ran down the boat and headed toward one of the lifeboats. But she was too late. The others had headed off and there were only a few lifeboats left. She quickly got into the nearest lifeboat and threw her suitcases in. The boat was then lowered into the water as the ship began to flood. As her boat drifted away, she watched the ship sink into the dark blue sea. All had gone wrong in such a short amount of time. Now she was stuck in a small boat, and would have to paddle her way to safety.

Jack soon made it to the beach in time for the sunset. He watched the bright sun disappear in the distance along with it warm sky colors. He decided to lay in a tree and rest. Everything was serene, it was so peaceful. Besides, he didn't have to hurry back, he knew where his pack would be. Although, his parents would be frustrated with his decision and would need an explanation for his long absence. He didn't care at the moment as he drifted off into a deep slumber as the sky blackened into night.

It soon broke into morning, waking the jungle with a bright light covering the tree tops. Jack slowly awoke, letting out a soft yawn. He wiped the tiredness from his eyes as he sat up on the branch. He looked out onto the beach, taking in his surroundings. He stopped his gaze when he noticed a what seemed to be a wreckage of a small boat on shore. He quickly climbed down the tree to further investigate the strange scene. He moved toward the wreck on his feet and knuckles, hunching over in a squatting position. He inspected the collapsed pile of wood, and found two leather suitcases laying on the sand. He paused at the sound of a soft groan. He peered over the wreckage to find a body laying on it's side, slightly covered by the wet sand. He hesitantly approached it, watching it for any movement. He reached out, poking the slender form. It stirred slightly at his touch, but soon fell back into it's lazy position. Jack leaned over the figure, taking in it's features: long brown hair draped over the sand, pale complexion, torn pale pink dress, a slender frame defined by the unconscious woman's body. He looked her over before carefully scooping her up and slinging her over his shoulder. He retreated back to the tree and laid her on a branch. He looked at the young woman with a silent interest before getting closer to her, taking a gentle hold of her ankle. He examined it, slowly skimming his hand up the girl's limp leg. Suddenly Anna woke, blinking her eyes, before rubbing them drowsily. She stopped, her eyes widening as she felt the sensation of someone sliding their hand up to her knee, still stroking. She looked down to see a young man, clothed only in a loin cloth, holding her leg in his firm hands. She let out a terrified scream before jerking herself back away from the man, but only succeeded in moving back an inch, due to the man's strong grasp on her thigh. She swooned, again passing out on the spot.