kelsey

The Man in the Jungle

A heavy weight was on my leg. The sun blazed harshly onto my eyes and I couldn't remember where I was. I stretched out on a hard surface, cringing in pain when my back rubbed against the hard jungle floor. I looked to see what was on top of my leg, Ren. His paw and head were draped across my legs. He was deep in sleep.

"Ren, wake up." I whisper. He didn't move and I sat up, shaking him lightly.

"Come on, move!" He still didn't move, but growled in protest so I shoved him off and shake my leg.

He finally rolled off my leg and proceeded to sleep for a while longer on his side. I get up and shake off my quilt, folding it back into my bag for later on. I stomped out the ashes, not worrying about accidentally burning myself, and pull my hair up and out of my face completely. I wasn't worried about running into anyone this deep in the jungle. Besides, if someone did find us then I wouldn't be able to understand their harsh words.

"Just so you know, I hate camping. There is no bathroom and you tigers and men have it so much easier than us girls." I finish packing up camp, picking up any stray bottles and wrappers and taking the rope in my hand. The tiger just stared. I put the rope in my bag, thinking that he would be leading me not the other way around.

"Alright Ren, where are we going today?"

He leads me through the jungle and across several small streams. Ren stopped every once in a while, somehow knowing that I needed a break. Through the trek in the jungle, I pondered why I would trust a tiger and follow him through the jungle of India. As far as I knew, he could have been leading me to my demise.

All the while, I was trying again and again to use my powers. Eventually I manage to make a light breeze blow through the jungle. Ren looked back at me and shook his head. I stop after because I was feeling lightheaded and my body hurt. Instead, I count the flying squirrels above my head and enjoy the peppery smell of the jungle. I compared the olive green jungle to the bright green forests of Oregon. We encountered many animals that sprang away when they smelled a tiger. A common tree covered in resin was all over the jungle. I bumped into one when a flock of birds took off right in front of me. I spent the next hour picking all the goo off.

We stop at a small stream and Ren drinks from the stream and I drink a bottle of water. My bag was lighter but I was worried where I would get water once my supply ran out. I ate a half an energy bar and give the rest to Ren along with another bar. I worried about the lack of calories that he was getting. I dig into the bag some more and find a compass. I found no cell phone, not even my own, and bug spray.

"Did Mr. Kadam want me to get lost?" I look at the tiger for some answers but he looked away, almost if he were guilty, "That can't be though. Why would he bring me all the way to India just to get lost in the jungle?"

After a while, I determined that Mr. Kadam was just well-prepared. Ren and I start walking again and I spray on some bug spray on Ren and myself, laughing when he sneezed. I asked Ren where we were heading but he kept going, not stopping until early afternoon.

I had already determined not to try to use my powers until we were safe in civilization, in case I happened to have an episode again. My nose bled constantly and when I ran out of tissues, I had to use an old shirt I had packed. I was trying to figure out how many miles we had traveled when Ren dived between some bushes. I follow him and see a small hut in the middle of a clearing. The hut was surrounded by some stones, creating a barrier of sorts and I climb over the barrier, hoping to find a family.

A noise startled me so badly that I nearly fell over the wall. "REN! You scared me! Make a noise first or something." I remember that he's a tiger and decide to tie him up so he wouldn't scare the people inside the hut. I lure him to a nearby tree and tie the yellow rope around his collar. At that moment, my nose started bleeding again so I clean myself up, for the fifth time that day and turn to walk to the hut.

"Is this really necessary?" I jump and turn to face a young man with caramel-colored skin. He had eyes bluer than Danel's, hair blacker than the night sky, and a chiseled jawline. His white grin could probably be spotted across the field. He wore a white shirt with buttons all skewed and white pants. He wore no shoes and was amazingly handsome. He stepped closer and showed me what he had in his hands. It was a yellow rope with a black collar, Ren's rope and collar.

"Hello Kelsey, it's me, Ren."

"What?"

******

(A/N) So I realized that the first chapters of this book are bad. Like BAD. I'm going to finish writing this first book then go back and edit. Please add this book to your library! I'm getting better at writing, luckily, but I still don't have enough time to write. Anyway! Thanks for reading! See you soon. (Hopefully)