Of The Wild

Elaine chose to stride through the forest. In the midst of the bushes, she was invisible in her leopard skin.  These jungles were her home. The only thing that she'd known. The tall oak wood trees that could carry her to the clouds if she chose to climb made a home for her and almost all the other animals. In her head she was the Georgette of the Jungle. She hadn't been raised by monkeys. Her family consumed of leopards. They'd brought her up. They'd comforted when she'd been abandoned on the island by her own blood mother. That was what broke her. She’d been a fragile thirteen year old back then and had grown on this island for the past six years.

 She'd learned to care for herself. Leopards couldn't explain what a menstrual period meant. When Elaine had first bled out she had two weeks later figured how to create pads out of the strongest leaves and other materials.

  She currently sat on a fallen branch and tears fled from her eye pupils. She couldn't explain nor did she have the fondest idea of why. Maybe it was the sense of rejection that always crept up her fragile spine because of dear old Mother. Elaine had come to love her new residency but it wasn’t the civilization she had once had the joy of living. It was an unkempt heap of Hell to Elaine. A Hell that had become Heaven to her. The island wasn’t normal. It was all thanks to her. Elaine was different in the spiritual form. Her radioactive power had been her number one supporter. Her Mother had known it and had envied her. Envy led to rage and rage led to despicable events. Such as Elaine’s current lifestyle.  

 Elaine hated crying. They were a showcase of fear and weakness. She’d learned to never be weak from her leopard mother. Elaine had believed she had run out of salt water.

  The island wasn’t of huge mass and with powers like Elaine’s, it was easy to explore such lands. Elaine would just will her eyes to glow and they would. Any part of her could and all the nocturnal wild animals would be drawn to her. It was the attention or the frightful darkness. And her choice was clear. 

 Nightfall came upon the island. Elaine willed her fingers to glow. Soon enough the animals crawled, swung or walked to her. Her body shivered. The animals on this island were vicious.  She’d seen them kill each other just for a resting place. But her leopard family would protect her. Good dreams didn’t plot themselves in her head anymore. Just nightmares that caused her to scream.

 She woke up to wood clashing against each other. Using her eyes, she extended her sight and saw boats and people just like her.  Quickly scurrying her feet through the bushes to get a better look at the people, Elaine did.

“Men! Search the land for any useful resources for our short stay.”

The boy who spoke was enchanting in looks. He had enthralling lips that caught Elaine’s eyes as she watched him talk. Elaine remembered boyfriends from her time before her mother ditched her. He had brown eyes that made Elaine smile. Seeing the beautiful boy made her so glad, her palms shone with a bright light.

“There was a burst of light!” The boy screamed.

“We saw it Sir!” An older man said.

“Then find it. This island gives me insecurities I didn’t know I had until now.”

“This island isn’t right.” She heard less attractive men say amongst themselves.

The crews rushed into the forest. Large groups of them entered the trees.  They began cutting the leaves and branches with their cutlass knives. Elaine recalled the lesson of running like a leopard at amazing speed. Her light boosted her speed. She ran to the far side of the island where she lived in time.

 When she returned to her leaf and branch hammock, she saw her family. They had brought a dead wild deer. Elaine rejoiced because they would have dinner. They walked to her and toggled her down. This was an embrace for them. Elaine made sure to not let their claws accidentally mark her face. That had happened before and the mark had been miniature luckily but it left an everlasting print on her neck.

Being Elaine, she had used her radioactive body to communicate with the leopards.

“Can I cook it Maiwa?” Elaine asked her mother.

“Rawr.” It meant; “Go ahead young one.”

“Thank you Maiwa.”

With her glowing palms, Elaine roasted the dead and bleeding dear. She took the right and left front legs. They tasted succulent in her mouth. She gave the rest of the deer to Maiwa, young Tariq and Papa Logui.

“Thank the high heavens for your palms.” Papa Logui said to her.

“Thank you.”

“Would you like a ride as your reward?” Papa Logui asked. Whenever she did something worthy, Papa Logui would give Elaine a ride. The amazing thing was that as he rode Elaine on his back, she would spark his feet and the ride would be faster than the speed of light. But in the mind of Elaine and Papa they would be at normal speeds.

Elaine nodded as her answer. She kissed young newborn Tariq before she hopped on Papa’s back. She sparked his feet. She alluded him to go. Then the ride started. They continued going through the island over and over. For bystanders they were passing flashes of light. As they continuously passed the sleeping explorers, Elaine would cock her head in search of the boy who had made her light up.

 When they reached home Papa Logui said, “Release my feet of your spell.”

“Yes Papa.” With a respectful answer, she released her leopard father.

“Go to bed young Tariq and Elaine. Maiwa and I will take turns on parole.” Papa Logui said.

Elaine climbed into her hammock and cuddled with Tariq. She loved her little brother and he loved her back. She just knew it. Maiwa had said two more days before Tariq could communicate. Elaine couldn’t wait. Very soon sleep caught up with the two in the hammock. Elaine screamed in her sleep as usual. But her family had become accustomed to it.

  Morning came to fast. Tariq was running around in the hammock. He was wide and awake. Elaine lifted him and placed him on the ground.  Tariq’s gleeful approach towards everything he faced made Elaine happy.  As she wondered not too far, she eavesdropped and overheard her parents talking.

“One more day and we can communicate with Tariq through Elaine.” Maiwa said.

“I too am happy.” Papa Logui replied.

“We have two beautiful children.”

“What if Elaine finds out she is not a leopard and is but a human. We raised her against them.” Maiwa said curling her head into Papa Logui.

“We raised her strong.”

Then the conversation ended.

As Elaine quietly walked back to Tariq, she smiled of the thought that her parents thought that she didn't know what she was.

  Tariq’s was rolling in the dirt. And then as he got up he fluffed the dirt of his fur. His beauty was stunning. Elaine could tell that when he grew he would be a girl attracter.  Suddenly Elaine felt a presence, she turned around to see Maiwa and Papa Logui, standing there. It had rained and the sun’s presence made the atmosphere damp and humid. Papa Logui started to walk towards Tariq and then dropped to the ground. When Elaine walked to him, she saw an arrow in his neck. Gushing blood erected from his neck. She scanned his pulse, her father was dead.

“Papa is dead.”

“Impossible.” Maiwa said.

Another came out of the far ends of the forests and landed close to clueless Tariq. Maiwa ran and hid him under her. Fright was scattered on her face. Multiple arrows began to appear. But Maiwa’s dodging abilities seemed to be helping her. 

“Maiwa, I have to stop this. These people are my kind. Let me stop them. I have my body’s light. Please run away and keep Tariq and yourself safe. I love you. I hope I see you again.”

“I won’t let you do this.”

“Please for Tariq.”

A single tear escaped Elaine’s eyes and the tear was a light that slid down her face.

Maiwa nodded. She took hold of Tariq and gestured to her feet.

“I will spark your feet.”

 So Elaine did it and off her Maiwa and Tariq went.  Tomorrow she could’ve talked to Tariq but now her own kind had spoiled that chance.  Elaine sparked her own feet and ran towards the wooden boats. Her eyes flared with a fire for revenge. They had killed her father and she would stop at nothing to taste justice.

  There were no females that she spotted but all males. They turned to her when they noticed the light that encased her body. But when they turned, Elaine shut her light off.

“We have a survivor that didn’t come with us!” An unknown man declared.

“I will inspect.” That voice was familiar. Him.

He walked out of a tent and eyed Elaine from head to toe. He smiled as he walked towards her. Upon reaching her, he extended a hand to greet her. Elaine stretched out her hand to greet his but when their palms touched, she shocked him accidently and he pulled back immediately as he arched a brow. She smiled at him.

 “You’re different,” He leaned into her ear while saying it. Elaine was trying her best to keep her light from bursting.

“I’m Charles. You are?” He questioned her.

“Elaine.”

“Pretty name for a pretty girl.”

Elaine could feel her heart pace quicken with every beat.

“We’re back!” A bunch of men proclaimed.

They were carrying a leopard with an arrow through its neck. It wasn’t long before Elaine recognized it was her father they’d caught. They were going to eat her father and right in front of her.  Elaine told herself not to cry. They too could kill the normal humans.

 “We will have roasted leopard a la mode.” They joked about it.

“There were other leopards but they escaped and rather quick too. But they’re leopards.”

So they hadn’t seen her with her now broken family. Dead father, mother and brother on the run and herself in the midst of her father’s murderers.  Elaine saw how they devoured her father. She excused herself and returned after cooling off her anger and sadness.

When night fell, Charles ordered his men to set up a tent for Elaine.  The tent was okay but she rather preferred her hammock with Tariq at her side. But those days were gone. Elaine began to cry and when the tear hit the tent floor, it burned through it. And it made a small hole not too recognizable. Then she heard the unzipping of her tent. She almost ignited herself until she saw the face. Charles.

 “Can I sleep here with you?” He asked.

“Go ahead.” Elaine couldn’t bear to look at his perfectly sculpted face.

“I know about you.” He whispered into her ear.

“What?” Surprise was smeared on her face.

“You’re different. Could you light your hands for me?” He asked.

“You know?” She gasped.

“You’re like me.” He smiled. Smoothly, he shocked Elaine with his fingers  and being used to such thing from her own touch, it didn’t faze her.  She was amazed that of all the people in the world, he was here with her.

Sleep was her choice and she took it. But knowing he was at her side, made here okay. And for the first time Elaine didn’t have a night mare all she saw was pitch black, an improvement. She woke up with his arm draped over her. And she didn’t know what she felt about it.

“Morning sleepyhead.”

“Morning.” Elaine got up and removed herself from the tent to find everyone packing up.

“About yesterday, no one knows about me. Your secret is mine only, I promise.” His voice was enough persuasion. She nodded. 

“We are heading on board today. Our ships have been fixed and are ready to set sail.” A man on the boat said.

Elaine became faced with the fact that she would have the choice of leaving with them back to normal civilization or staying on the island and searching for the remainder of her family. Noting was right anymore. The men seemed skilled, their hands were moving rather fast and the packing was done in no time.

  Every man had boarded the boats except Charles and Elaine.

“Are you coming?” Sincerely, he asked.

Revenge had been her purpose of making contact with her kind but she wasn’t based on that anymore. She had gotten over it. She would forever have the flame in her heart that hated the hunters for devouring her father. Yet the flame was dying.

“I don’t know. Things are currently complicated for me. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Bet you I would.” Smiling he extended his arm like the first time they’d met.

“If you shock me and want me to see a memory or to understand your complicating times, you could.” Charles suggested.

“Really?” Curiously, she asked.

“Yes.”

 Elaine’s pupils tuned out and instead of the normal hazel, they became a flaming red. The shock was high and Charles’ body faced a brief seizure. When it was done, he leaned into her and hugged her. She’d shoed him everything.

“Your mother left you here and my men ate the leopard that raised you.”

“Yes?” The answer was low.

“No wonder you looked off and that scar on your neck.”

“It was a long time ago.”

“I saw that memory too.” 

Elaine so badly wanted to cry.  Noticing that Elaine was about to cry, Charles did the only he could to make feel better. When his lips crashed into hers and her hands intertwined into his, they started to shine. So brightly that Elaine heard the animals they were attracting. Luckily all the men were on the inside deck and not the outside.

 Elaine finally had her first kiss and it wasn’t wasted. She could hear her heart beat as if it was going to jump out of her chest and into Charles’ hands. Everything was almost in place until she remembered Maiwa and Tariq. But they would have to learn to live without her. And her without them. Charles was just like her and it seemed he liked her as much as she liked him.

“I’ll go with you.” Elaine said to Charles.

“I’m glad. Can I hold your hand?” Needing to ensure that she was his, he asked.

“What if the light returns or what if I shock you?”

“Then I will endure the pain and besides I can try to control your effects on me.” His answer ensured her doubt away.

They laced their fingers and perfectly were how they fit. Hand in hand they walked onto the boat.

“Start your steering and row the oars men!”  Charles yelled.

 The boat began to move. Silently, Elaine said a goodbye to her second home. She was on her way to her original home. Charles’ hand was still hooked with hers and the warmth kept her from changing her mind.

  Then the weather became a beast, two minutes into the voyage. Rains were cast down unto the seas and it became harder to see through the storm. Charles let go of her as he ran to maintain and check the boat. The upper deck was filled with water. On his way to another maintenance check, Charles slipped and off the boat he fell while screaming.

 “Charles!” Everyone screamed out his name.

He was struggling against the harsh waves of the sea. His swimming was cut short when the water splashed onto his face. Elaine was scared for him. What could she do? The water just kept roaring at the boat and Charles as he tried to swim. Then an idea emerged at the back of her head.

 Elaine conjured up a magical force field that strengthened Charles and willed his muscles greater power to swim. She quietly struggled to keep the force field up. Charles felt the invisible help and he swam and made it to the boat against all odds. He knew he owed it to Elaine. Then when he was close enough, he was pulled back up into the deck.

Right then and there he knew he owed Elaine his life and he kissed her. The kiss seemed unreal to Elaine. She was lost yet not lost enough to submerge her light.

“Thanks.” Charles gave her fingers a small squeeze.

But Elaine had something to say.

“I want to- I need to go back.”

“What?”

“I can’t face normal civilization. I grew up with the leopards and the jungle and that is my new home.” Elaine professed her feelings.

“Then I’m coming with you.”

“No you’re not.” Elaine didn’t want to scatter her beautiful boy’s life.

“But I am and I am serious.” Charles smiled.

“Why?” She asked amused, no one had ever done such an amazing thing for her.

“Consider it a payback for saving my life,” Then he kissed her.  And when their mouths separated he said, “Besides civilization is boring.”