His body dropped by the water with a thud and a grunt. The water jumped up at him, crystalline and blue, and touched his face. The reflection on its surface danced and swayed. There was nothing he could do but stare at the water before him, hopeless. He startles as a bird shot out of the trees. It was getting dark.

"Pa... pa?"

But his voice fell into the nothingness and the dark of the jungle. There was no one there, not a sound or a movement save the birds that shot every now and then from the trees, yelling as they escaped the earth. No one could hear him at all.
Rolling into a ball, he slid down into the ground. It was getting horrible cold. He clasped his semi naked body with his hands, and closed his eyes.

"Ma... ma..."

"Down there, I tell you."

"All the way down there? Looks awful way down there."

Terk half closed her eyes with a grin as she looked down at the bottomless view. A huge waterfall created gigantic clouds of fog and hood the ground. Huge rocks outlined a dark area where only bushes and grey mist were seen. She looked at her friend, smiling. He was still looking down at the fall.

"Looks way too awful down thereish to me," he said.

"That's the point," Terk said. "If it were up here, we wouldn't be facing a challenge. It would be just up here and not down there."

"Oh."

The young gorilla clambered on top of her friend, taking him by the hair and pulling him out of his sitting position. She pushed at him playfully, but he wasn't paying much attention to her. Just the mere suggestion of jumping down at the grey mist made him scared. So what if nobody ever had ever gone down there, and it was an adventure no one had ever lived? There was a reason, no?, for not being lived by any one?

"We should jump right now," Terk said. "Before it gets too dark." The gorilla clambered to the edge of the tree, about ready to plunge into the fog. "We see what's down there, then we come back up..."

"Now...?"

"Why am I repeating myself so much today?"

The boy blushed, but he kicked at his friend. He sounded afraid, he knew so. The rest of the apes wouldn't be afraid. But, then again, none of them had Terk asking them to jump to their deaths. He was about to lift his chest and reply loudly that they should jump now, when he heard the trees behind them rustle.

"Tarzan!"

Terk groaned, but her friend turned around more than relieved. The dark shape of his mother appeared on the branches of the trees. Glad to be put out of his misery, he skittered off, climbing the trees with swift agility. Behind him he heard Terk sigh. She looked so disappointed. He almost felt a bit of regret for not going on with his friend's plan.

"Come on you two," Kala said. She waited until her son dropped from the branches. He crawled up through her arms to her powerful back.

"Mama!" Tarzan said. "It's so good to see you."

He could see Terk roll her eyes, knowing she knew he had been saved. The grey gorilla jumped slowly towards them.

"You're awfully glad this evening," Kala said with a laugh.

"You arrived just in time," Terk said. Tarzan shot her an angry look. The gorilla smiled slyly, but sat down beside them.

"I want you to come back to the nests with me now," Kala said.

Terk climbed up to play with Tarzan's hair, slightly mocking him for being such a baby. Tarzan gave her another angry look, but she smiled at him. Hearing Kala's news, she stopped, shoving Tarzan's head aside.

"What? You've got to be kidding. Now? It's not dark."

"Mother..."

Kala pulled them sideways with her huge shoulders and began to head back to the gorilla home. She narrowed her eyes, knowing that, as usual, the children would beg to left to play some more. But, not this time.

"Kerchak has warned us all of tonight's danger," she said quietly. "A bunch of great cats have been rumoured around. It's not safe for us to be wandering about alone."

"Cats, mother?" Tarzan leaned into the big head of his mother. "I've never seen one of those." Terk scoffed.

"They seldom hunt near these parts," Kala said. "They stay in the most lowest parts of the jungle. It is rare that they should be here at all, but the elephants have reported several kills not so far from here."

"Go figure," Terk said. "The elephants."

Kala looked back to the huge drop that lead into the rocks and mist. She had caught both of them staring down at it with longing. She knew what that meant, specially with these two. The rocks below echoed with savage madness, like a hissing. She leapt to the other tree.

"Kerchak wouldn't want you to go near that drop," she said quietly. Above her, she felt Tarzan stiffen, knowing he had been about to get into danger. "It's the kind of risk you should avoid."

Terk was about to protest when her mother reached down and pulled her off from Kala's back. Tarzan laughed as she complained, but he was glad to be left alone with his mother. He felt sorry as he watched Terk's eyes still looking at him, wishing her mother wasn't so over protective.

"Tarzan...?" The boy blushed, not aware his mother had been calling him. Kala frowned as he finally noticed her. The boy climbed down from her head, nudging his head on her furry arms. The gorilla caressed his head tenderly. "Promise me you'll not play by that drop, Tarzan? I know Terk has some wild ideas. But, few have even been back from that fall."

Tarzan's body became still, his small heart beating wildly on his chest, but he dared to look up at his mother. She was looking at him sternly, but there was kindness in her eyes. The young boy lowered his eyes, but soon raised them again, and grinned.

"I won't, mother!"

Kala laughed as he darted from her side and up the branches, jumping like a firecracker up through the vines and leaves. The other mother gorillas laughed as he sped by them, but some groaned as he bumped on their heads.

"Hey, guys! I'm back! We all have to stay here! You hear? We all have to stay here-on the trees. Heeeeeere-"

"That's enough."

Tarzan's body stopped where he was as he heard the booming voice. He turned around, feeling his body shrink into itself. Kerchak stood on the highest branch of the trees, his dark body imposing, his eyes looking sternly down at his group. Tarzan stared up at him, daring to give him a weak smile. The black gorilla didn't return it, but he sat down quietly, knowing all of his responsibility were now within his reach.

"Go to sleep, my son," Kala said, nudging Tarzan's back with her head. He looked at her and swung down a few branches to where a few other kids played. But, he didn't want to play with them. From up where she sat, begrudgedly having to go to sleep, he saw Terk staring down at him. He didn't want to be with any of them. Kala narrowed her eyes sadly as he swung off to a tree of his own. From where she sat, she saw Kerchak's body shift and stare at the young boy, but then the gorilla leaned back into his tree and closed his eyes.

The cold of the night bit at his bones. The sound of a cry woke him, banging at the sides of his head. He gritted his teeth as the cold made his body shatter. He couldn't see anything anymore. A thick fog had circled him and covered all of the area. The river didn't even seem to be near him. He heard the sound of the cry again, louder. His eyes widened in fear, his heart leaping out of his chest. The noise was coming closer- and he couldn't see anything, couldn't see up through the trees where he had come from.
The great cats. He ran his fingers over his head, not knowing what to do. He was sure it was them, but he could hardly move.

"Papa, is that you?"

But his voice fell into the mouth of the thick fog and became lost. Instead, the low growl of whatever was out there answered. Tarzan felt his body grow numb, the cry of the animal multiplying into three, then four... then five...

"I don't know where he went... I don't know..."

"It's dark out there, Kerchak," Kala said, knowing the child couldn't say anymore. But her plea went unheard. Kala's eyes fell to the ground as her words fell with it. The black gorilla turned his back to her. She could feel her heart break into pieces, a thousand pieces he was tearing with his hands.

"Terk" When did you last see him?"

Kala looked away. The other gorilla mother sounded as worried as she did, but she did not allow her eyes to meet Kala's. Terk's small body trembled as she looked up at her sire. He didn't turn to look at her. Her mother looked at her, asking her to try to remember.

"We got separated near the waterfall. He must have thought we were together all the way. It's hard to tell... we were playing..."

"I told you all to stay in these trees, together."

Kala felt her body stiffen as the gorilla spoke, his voice so low and still and cold. He didn't turn to face any of them, but moved quietly away. Not a word, not a gesture.

"Mother! The predators only come out at night, no?"

Kala ignored her son's whining and continued to knot the vines she was using to build a nest with her feet. Tarzan frowned and slumped down angrily. She didn't laugh, but she wanted to. He looked so funny with this morning's restlessness so vivid in his face. Beside him, looking equally exasperated, sat Terk.

"We can't even play anymore," she whined. "This is starting to feel like some sort of punishment."

"But we didn't do anything!" Kala laughed at their readiness to defend themselves from accusations. She pulled at the vines.

"You can play," she said. "Just don't make too much noise."

Terk and Tarzan stared at each other and groaned. It was no fun to play in silence. They looked down a few branches at a pair of gorilla kids playing without words, and at a few more fast asleep. Probably bored witless. It didn't look like fun. Terk rolled her eyes. Both of them swung off from the branch, wondering what they'd do in silence. Kala looked at them sadly, but knew that in her own time, such things had happened as well.

"Be careful," she said.

"Careful with what?" Terk asked her friend as they landed on a branch several trees away. "Not like there's anything going on up here."

"Come on," Tarzan said, determined not to let it get him down. "We can swing over these trees as fast as we can. Race you!" He looked back at the quiet ape nests. "But we can't make noise. We can't laugh."

Terk gave him a questioning look. "Right? Like I can help that."

"Who ever laughs first, looses." He beamed at her proudly.

"Is that so? A new rule for this game?" She set herself ready. Tarzan gripped the branch under his feet tightly.

"Go!"

Both of them leapt off with a smile on their faces, already feeling the burst of laughter in their chests. But they kept it inside as they swung from one branch to the next, feeling the breeze tickle their bodies and leaving, little by little, their home behind them.

"Let's make the drop by the waterfall our finishing point!"

Tarzan looked sideways at Terk, who was almost about to beat him, as she yelled at him. She grinned, catching her breath in seconds. He didn't like that idea. He had promised his mom not to play by the bottomless drop, but Terk was looking at him, waiting for his reply. "Then we'll head back," she called out as she sped up. Tarzan thought that idea was just the same as his promise- they weren't going to play there at all. He leapt higher, chasing after his friend.

"Okay! But I'm going to win!"

Terk smiled, tempted to laugh as the rush of their game built into her, but she swung higher instead. Behind her, she could feel her friend catch on. The drop was only a few trees away. Tarzan saw her slip as she exchanged branches and he saw his opportunity. Like a bird, he shot through the sky and over the leaves, his powerful little arms gliding him across. He was going to win. The drop was only a branch away.

"Oh, no you don't!"

Terk groaned and pulled her body powerfully across, watching as the speed of her launch carried her over Tarzan's body- both of them equally fast, their destinations so close. Seeing her above him in such a determined flow of motion, Tarzan could not help but smile, feeling so happy to be alive, to be her friend. The race was almost over. He leapt for the last branch, both of them equally close.

He laughed-

and missed.

Landing with a hard thud, Terk whirled around to yell out her victory.

"Oh, ho, Tarzan!" she yelled, expecting her friend to land as well. "You laughed, you laughed. I heard you!" But the kid didn't land. Behind her, the branches bounced where they had been swinging. "Tarzan?"

Her eyes grew wide as she realized something must have gone wrong. He had been right beneath her, almost beating her. "Tarzan?" She swung back a few branches. That's when she noticed one of the branches swinging wildly, its length cut in half and hanging downwards barely attached to the tree by a few broken vines. She felt her breath leave her body.

"Tarzan!"

He cried out in pain as he tried to stand up. One of his legs had been hurt as he hit the ground. The blinding pain shot up through his head. But he had to run away. He could feel the predators coming closer, could almost see them through the fog. He gritted his teeth as he found himself inside the water he could not see, and he dashed across it. He could feel tears in his eyes, fear taking over his senses. he opened his arms to grip a tree to make his way up again. Terk must be up there, his mother, his father. But the tree trunk was covered with slimy moss created by the humidity from the waterfall, and he couldn't grip it. He could hear laughter, and the low growl of the animals. Beneath him, his legs felt useless. They were so close now, so close. He shut his eyes and felt his tears rush down his cheeks. And felt the wind get knocked out of his body.

With a groan, he landed on the rocky terrain. He felt his head become dizzy as he tried to predict where the attacker was. He couldn't move fast enough. The great black cat swung at him again. He felt his body hit the water again. He couldn't see anything. The darkness had swallowed the cat. He looked up at the darkness of the trees, but the fog from the waterfall didn't let him. He gripped his arm and felt blood.

"Help!" he cried out, closing his eyes. He had wanted to be brave, this he knew; to rush out beyond the border Kerchak had decreed, just because he wanted to prove there was nothing to fear. Terk hadn't had to convince him long enough, he had wanted this danger. He wished he could see in the dark like the cat could, but he wasn't an ape in that aspect. He had been an idiot.

Frowning deeply, he crouched on the ground, his arms before him. He wasn't going to let the whatever was out there kill him easily. There was something in him that refused to die lying down, but he couldn't stop his body from shaking.

"Help me," he whispered.

He didn't know what possessed him, but when the cat leapt at him again, he sprung, kicking with his hind legs. He must be crazy, he though. He reached the moss trees again and once again he couldn't climb. The cat's claws encrusted themselves into the trunk and pinned him. Tarzan screamed as he felt himself being suffocated, but he dodged from under the cat's body. He felt his tiny heart booming in his chest. He wrapped his arms on the nearest trunk again and willed his body up the tree. His arms slid down as soon as he reached up to grip it. He screamed again as the great black cat slashed him, tearing the skin on his shoulder.

"No!" he screamed in agony.

"Get away from those trees!"

Tarzan looked up, startled, as a gigantic body landed before him. He rolled over and tried to look at his face, but the huge silver back gorilla didn't let him see. With its hind legs he kicked at the boy to get up, trying to move him aside. Tarzan shook his head and gasped as the cat leapt at the gorilla. Kerchak groaned and allowed the cat to smash itself into him, guarding Tarzan's body. The boy watched as the gorilla pushed the huge cat with his powerful arms.

"I said, get away from the trees!"

"Where do I-"

Tarzan felt the wind knocked out of his body again as Kerchak kicked him out of the way. In one single movement, Kerchak leapt across the water, smashing the cat with his legs and pulling Tarzan in his arms. The gorilla's body was covering him, looming massively above him. The boy looked up, his eyes wide, and he caught site of the face of his father. Stern, determined, and angry- but the gorilla wasn't looking down at him. He bared his teeth at their attacker. Tarzan felt his body full of rage, feeling the strength in those giant black arms come into him. He bared his teeth as well. He wouldn't let himself just shake with fear.

"No." The booming voice of his father froze him in place. He looked up at his face. The silver back gorilla was looking down at him, his narrowed, deep eyes penetrating his own. Tarzan wanted to talk, to tell him that he couldn't let him get hurt on his own, but he couldn't talk. Behind them, he could sense the predator getting ready to attack again.

"On the rocks," Kerchak said.

"But..."

"It's our only chance, a split second. Get to the rocks, to your left."
Tarzan screamed as he felt the cat smash into his father's back, the eyes of the great gorilla widening with anger and pain. He saw those eyes ask him to do as he said, and he felt so useless. He could do nothing but watch as the powerful body of the gorilla received the smashing body of the predator, and follow his order. Kerchak howled as the cat bit into his shoulder.

"Tarzan!"

The scream of the mighty gorilla shook all of his body and he heard his own scream. Everything was darkness and in that darkness he felt the whip of lighting and fire. He felt the sharp rocks on the soles of his feet and his body weightless, still and slow in time. In that still second of motionless darkness, he felt Kerchak's mouth grip him. He couldn't speak or scream as he felt his body fly through the rock, the edges of the trees and unto to the branches. Beneath them, the great cat screamed and snarled unable to follow.

Kerchak landed on the branch and pulled himself up to the top of the trees. Once out of the drop, the black gorilla released the boy out of his mouth's grip. Tarzan rolled out into the massive branch, his eyes still closed. He could feel Kerchak's body breathing heavily. He winced as the pain of his torn skin hit him. He closed his eyes tight, knowing that soon the gorilla would be furious, and punish him. Soon, he would rather be down there with the wild cat. He could hear it snarling.

"Only two have ever survived that drop."

Tarzan opened his eyes, hearing the low voice of his father. Kerchak was not looking at the drop. He stood breathing slowly, leaning against the trunk of the tree. The boy looked up a his serene face. The gorilla could feel the body looking at him.

"Me," he said, "and you."

Quiet, composed and serene, Kerchak turned and headed back to their home. He didn't look back at the boy, but he moved slowly as if waiting for him. Tarzan lifted his head and braced his body, and turned to follow the great gorilla.
 
 
 

Author's Note

This story was written on May 24, 1999 and I did it because I wanted to write a story with Terk in it and Kerchak. I love the gorilla's voice, and I really like all the scenes I've seen on little Tarzan. Now when I re-read it I guess the story is rather silly, but what can I do? I love writing, specially these kinds of stories.
 

 

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