bound | jake sully

CHAPTER 003 : definitely run

Looking down from my spot in the helicopter I see multiple Ikran soaring through the sky.

I feel a hand tap my thigh and I look up to see Jake pointing to a flock of Tetrapteron, or as the Na'vi call them, Fkio.

One turns it's head to us and shrieks.

"Set her down here!" I shout to Trudy through the comms. I watch as animals that resemble deer scamper away and hide in the thick bushes.

Jake jumps out of the helicopter first and helps me get down. I put my hands on his muscular shoulders, and he puts his hands on my waist. In one swift motion he lifts me down.

Mum tells Trudy to turn the helicopter engine off, since we'll be staying a while.

"You, stay with the ship." She points to Lyle. "One idiot with a gun is enough." I laugh and Jake elbows me.

I whip him with my tail playfully. He grabs it and tugs on it. I hiss quietly at him. We both laugh.

Even with my short tan shorts and crop top I still sweat in the humid heat of the rain forest.

I use the back of my palm to wipe the sweat off my brow.

Jake flinches at the sound of an animal swinging through the trees.

It has four arms and a monkey-like face. I immediately identify it. Wildlife biology is what I studied, after all.

Although I think they look more like a squirrel.

I put my hand on Jakes gun, pushing it down.

"Prolemuris, they're not aggressive." He nods, trusting me and we continue trekking through the bushes. "Relax Jake, your making me nervous."

We walk through thick grass and leaves for what felt like hours.

Eventually I find myself standing in front of the very school that I nearly died in. I pull up the bottom hem of my shirt and delicately trace my fingers over the circular bullet scar. It never truly went away.

"So, how will they know we're here?" Norm asks.

"I'm sure they're watching us right now." I reply.

We all make our way into the now abandoned school.

"This was our school. Now it's just storage." Mum informs Jake and Norm.

"I used to teach here every day. And Lexi used to learn alongside the Na'vi." I smile sadly.

I nearly trip over on some letter blocks. And I come across my favourite book. The Lorax. I used to read it to Neytiri to practice my Na'vi.

"The kids were so bright, so eager to learn, they picked up English faster than I could teach it."

I frown deeply when I see the bullet holes embedded into the wooden door.

I can't be in here anymore. It's too much.

Without another word I leave the school-now-storage hut. I sit down on the front steps and hold my head in my hands.

I feel a presence behind me. Jake sits down next to me.

"What happened here?" He says. Referring to the bullet holes.

"What do you think happened here?" I continue staring at the green grass beneath my feet.

"Grace said the 'Omaticaya learned as much as they needed to about us'. So, I assumed they just left and never came back. But, I just saw bullet punctures in the wood, so I'm guessing that wasn't the case."

I shake my head. "I'll have to explain it you you another time Jake." He nods in understanding and once mum and Norm exit the hut, we all keep walking.

After a while we apparently reach our destination.

Norm and mum are conversing about the energy of the roots and I was just joking around with Jake... again.

"Hey! You two idiots! Don't wander far." Mum warns.

I roll my eyes. "We're adults mum we'll be fine."

"Not in those bodies your not." She grumbles.

Jake and I come across a field of Loreyu, Jake doesn't know but when you touch them they shrink down into themselves as a defence mechanism.

His tail accidentally taps one and it curls down into itself. Causing Jake to get startled.

I laugh. "These plants are names Loreyu, they are known for their defensive traits." I explain. I brush my finger against one and it curls back.

Jake starts rapidly flicking and hitting all the Loreyu and then they all shrink like a Mexican wave.

A monstrous roar captures my attention very quickly.

My ears flatten against my head and I crouch down to the earthy ground.

"Jake!" I hiss when he holds his gun towards the Titanotheris hammercephalis - hammerhead titanothere. "Don't shoot. Don't shoot, you'll piss him off." I instruct.

"It's already pissed off."

"Jake, that armour is too thick, trust me." I grab his arm with a shaky hand and he lowers his gun."It's a territorial threat display, do not run or he'll charge."

"So what do we do? Dance with it?" I shouldn't laugh.

"Just hold your ground." Mum says. The hammerhead stomps and smashes into the trees around it.

I gasp when it starts to charge at us. Stupidly, Jake runs forward as screams at it.

But I know for a fact that Jake didn't scare it away. Not to be that person but...whatever did is standing right behind me isn't it.

I spin around and stare face to face with a Thanator. My stomach drops an my eyes widen.

I can hear Jake making a fool of himself behind me. Without taking my eyes off the Thanator I take steps backwards towards Jake.

"Yeah! That's what I'm talking about bitch." I can hear the smirk in his voice.

I bump into his back and slap him.

"Ow, what was that for-" I know he saw the Thanator because he went completely quiet.

It snarls at us and jumps over our heads. It bares its teeth and scrapes it's many legs against the dirt.

"What about this one? Run? Don't run?" Jake shouts.

"Run definitely run!" I scream. I grab Jakes hand and we sprint for our lives deep into the forest.