Boom boom
Lightning struck violently across the vast, seemingly endless expanse of the turbulent sea with tremendous and overwhelming force. Large, powerful sea waves crashed against each other and moved about violently in chaotic patterns, while dark, ominous clouds grew more numerous, dense, and threatening in the sky high above them.
Today was proving to be an exceptionally dangerous and potentially fatal day for John Clayton and his beloved wife, Alice Clayton. They were experienced and well-seasoned adventurers who had courageously set out to sea in search of yet another exciting discovery and thrilling exploration opportunity in their long careers.
But they had unfortunately failed to realize and had not fully considered or properly planned for the fact that they were pregnant with their first child. If that was not the most pressing and immediate concern weighing heavily on their minds, there was also a huge, violent, and unrelenting thunderstorm raging intensely and furiously on the sea all around them, threatening their very survival.
Their large wooden ship rocked back and forth continuously with alarming and terrifying intensity, creaking and groaning under the pressure. Alice could potentially give birth at any moment now, but the dangers surrounding them were also extremely high, severe, and genuinely life-threatening to both mother and unborn child.
"My dear, we must jump onto the lifeboat immediately without any delay," John said urgently and insistently, pointing with a trembling hand to the small boat hanging precariously from the side of their larger ship.
Their large ship was already about to capsize and overturn on itself completely, taking on water rapidly. They were left with absolutely no other choice or alternative but to abandon ship immediately if they wanted any chance of survival.
Alice pursed her lips together tightly, knowing full well in her heart that this was the only option available to them at this critical moment. Though it was incredibly dangerous and risky, especially in her current pregnant condition, it still gave them at least a fighting chance to live and survive this harrowing ordeal.
John carefully and protectively carried Alice into his strong, muscular arms and then jumped courageously into the churning, violent sea below them. The fall through the air was particularly dangerous and potentially catastrophic for a pregnant woman in her delicate condition, but the gods seemed to be watching over them and on their side as they miraculously sustained no significant damage, serious harm, or injury upon impact with the water.
They then quickly covered themselves completely in a large, heavy blanket for protection and prayed desperately and fervently for a divine miracle to save them from this nightmare. The small boat shook violently and moved erratically, tossing and turning as if it was about to capsize and overturn at any moment, but somehow, against all odds and expectations, it didn't overturn or sink beneath the waves.
This terrifying and nightmarish situation went on for many long, agonizing hours that felt like an eternity until the boat eventually and finally left the large, destructive storm behind them. The two of them, hearing the deafening thunder and loud crashing waves gradually disappearing and growing quieter and more distant, slowly and cautiously removed their protective blankets only to see a beautiful, clear, peaceful sky stretching endlessly above them.
The warm sun shone brightly and warmly upon their faces, and as far ahead as they could possibly see with their weary eyes, there was solid land clearly visible on the distant horizon. John hugged his exhausted wife tightly with profound relief and overwhelming gratitude.
"Alice," he said with emotion, smiled warmly at her, and kissed her softly and tenderly on the forehead in a gesture of love.
They had somehow managed to make it out alive and in one piece, and miraculously they didn't have any serious injuries or life-threatening wounds either. This was truly an extraordinary miracle and blessing to say the very least, given what they had just endured.
Alice smiled to herself contentedly and peacefully, gently rubbing her large, swollen stomach softly and protectively with both hands. She and her precious, unborn baby would be able to live and have a bright future together after all.
John began rowing steadily and determinedly toward the distant shore with renewed purpose. His hopes were bright and optimistic about their survival, though his hands and arms began to tire and ache severely from the strenuous effort and exertion, he didn't stop, slow down, or take a break. His wife was on the verge of giving birth at any time and he couldn't afford to waste any precious time or delay their arrival.
Eventually, after much sustained effort and physical exertion, the small boat finally reached the shore safely and intact. John got off the boat carefully and cautiously, and then gently carried his exhausted wife off the boat as well, making absolutely sure not to jostle, bump, or disturb her in any way.
Walking together side by side on unsteady legs, they entered a large, dense, and mysterious forested jungle. Huge, towering trees lined across the expansive land as far as the eye could possibly see in every direction. The place was full of lush, vibrant greenery and hanging vines dangling from above. Their excitement and profound sense of wonder ignited and came alive seeing so many different, exotic species of trees and exotic, colorful fruits they had never encountered before.
It was a truly magnificent and breathtaking sight to behold with their own eyes. Soon they found and discovered a particularly large and sturdy tree and both of them got the exact same idea simultaneously and instinctively. They smiled knowingly to each other in mutual understanding and John began to run around energetically and enthusiastically in search of useful materials and resources.
Finding the strong, thick vines hanging from the trees, he began to carefully and methodically intertwine them together with practiced skill to make a strong and powerful rope that could reliably support significant weight. This was just the beginning of what they had planned to do and accomplish in building their new shelter.
After a while of working diligently and tirelessly, his stomach began to growl loudly and persistently with intense hunger. He stood up from his focused work and planned to go search for some edible fruit to satisfy their hunger, remembering suddenly with concern that his pregnant wife had also not eaten anything at all since before the storm hit.
He looked over to where she had been resting and saw to his surprise that she already had a varied assortment of fruits gathered in her hands. He ran over to her quickly in sudden worry and deep concern for her wellbeing. He didn't even know or realize that she had left his side and wandered off since he was so deeply focused and absorbed in his crafting work.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt in any way?" He asked anxiously and urgently, searching her body carefully and thoroughly for any scratches, cuts, or injuries that might need attention.
She smiled gently and reassuringly at him, touched by his concern.
"What are you so worried about, my dear? Don't you see all the abundant fruits growing all around us everywhere?" She said with a gentle sigh and soft laugh at his constant overprotectiveness and excessive worrying.
Looking around more carefully and attentively at their surroundings, he scratched his head sheepishly and embarrassedly, realizing he had been worrying unnecessarily for nothing at all. There were practically mountains and an abundance of fruits all around them, all hanging conveniently and accessibly on the tree branches within easy reach of their hands.
There were even colorful berries of various types in multiple bushes scattered liberally throughout the entire area. She shook her head affectionately and lovingly at his protective antics and behavior, and kissed him lightly and sweetly on the cheek in appreciation.
"Let's eat first and regain our strength and energy," she said wisely as they prepared to sit down together for their meal.
John sat down on the soft ground first, but then noticing his pregnant wife about to sit directly on the hard ground, he frowned with immediate concern and protective instinct. There might be some sharp rocks or dangerous objects that he couldn't see clearly in the undergrowth, and he didn't want anything bad to happen to her or their unborn baby, so he stood up quickly and grabbed a bunch of large, soft leaves and placed them down carefully and methodically to create a cushion, and then quickly ran back to the boat to grab and retrieve the large blanket from before for additional comfort.
Reaching the shore again after a short jog, he realized with pleasant surprise and delight that there were many more useful items that had washed ashore from their unfortunate shipwreck. Blankets, pieces of wood and lumber, weapons for protection, and various tools were scattered liberally along the sandy beach.
He smiled to himself at this fortunate and lucky discovery that would aid their survival, and grabbed the useful tools as well as a sharp spear just in case of an emergency situation or dangerous encounter with wild animals.
After he grabbed everything he could possibly carry in his arms at once, he ran back quickly into the forest where Alice was patiently waiting for his return. Alice began carefully peeling some of the fruits with her hands and placed them neatly and attractively on large leaves to serve as makeshift plates. As she did that important task with care, she felt her baby kick actively and energetically inside her womb.
She patted her stomach lovingly and soothingly with gentle hands.
"Calm down baby, mommy is here and everything is going to be alright and safe," she smiled warmly and reassuringly as she continued preparing their modest meal with care.
After a while of patient waiting, John finally returned carrying his findings and discoveries in his arms. Alice, seeing all the various things clutched tightly in his hands, raised a curious brow questioningly and with interest.
"Where did you manage to get and find all of that?" She asked with genuine interest and curiosity.
He smiled proudly and with satisfaction, and put the items down carefully beside them on the ground.
"There are many more things that have washed ashore from our ship, but I couldn't carry them all at once in a single trip. I'll go back for the rest of it tomorrow morning when I have more energy," he said, sitting down next to her comfortably and with relief.
She nodded in understanding and agreement as they began to eat their simple but nourishing meal together in companionable silence. After they finished eating and felt satisfied and full, John made a makeshift tent using the salvaged wood and blankets for shelter and protection from the elements.
When he was finally done constructing it to his satisfaction, he smiled to himself with pride and satisfaction. He had done this multiple times before in his long career since he was an experienced, skilled explorer and adventurer with years of practical experience.
He and Alice walked inside their new temporary shelter before cuddling close together intimately and slowly falling asleep peacefully in each other's warm arms. Though the traumatic and harrowing events of the day would have taken a severe toll on any normal person's mental state, they were seasoned, resilient explorers and more than that, they had each other for support, comfort, and strength.
The next morning they awoke refreshed and the first thing John did was head towards the beach to get more useful things that had washed up ashore during the night.
Walking around carefully and systematically, he searched for specific things and particular items. Fabric and tools especially. They would be extremely useful and valuable for when he began to build their more permanent home structure.
His luck seemed to have never ended as he found even more of what he was specifically looking for. Taking everything he could manage, he headed back to the makeshift camp and began to build an elevated treehouse from the wood and boards that had washed up from their ship's wreckage ashore.
Though he could easily build it on the ground which would be simpler, he knew that in a forested jungle environment there was bound to be dangerous predators roaming about, and he didn't know if he could be able to adequately protect his vulnerable wife and unborn child from such threats on ground level.
With the treehouse elevated high above, there would be significantly less of a chance to get attacked by ground predators. He first made the roof which was relatively easy since he just tied strong ropes onto the tree branches, then tied the blankets securely onto the ropes making a quick but functional roof for protection.
It was an easy and simple process that didn't require advanced skills, but it would work adequately for now since the baby could be born any day now and they needed immediate shelter.
After that initial step, he focused his efforts on constructing the deck and platform. It would take a long time and considerable effort to completely finish, but he only planned to finish a part of it initially, and that limited space would be sufficient for sleeping and basic activities.
After he was finally done with the day's work, he realized with some surprise that he had been working diligently and without break for almost the whole day without realizing the passage of time.
The sun had already begun to set beautifully in the western sky. Looking up at the unfinished treehouse with satisfaction, he smiled to himself contentedly. He could clearly see the vision of what he wanted this structure to eventually become when completed.
He then released and lowered his makeshift ladder and headed down carefully to the ground. Seeing Alice waiting patiently for him below, he lifted her gently into a warm, loving hug.
"Sorry for the wait my dear, I got carried away with the work," he said sweetly and apologetically.
"John, be careful with me," she scolded lightly though she too was smiling happily and appreciatively.
He gently held her securely and carefully began to climb the ladder slowly up into the elevated treehouse, being extra cautious with each step. After reaching up there safely, he put her down gently on the makeshift bed he had constructed.
Laying down next to her comfortably, he pulled a rope mechanism and the blanket that was being used as a roof moved smoothly to the side revealing the beautiful stars twinkling above.
Alice's eyes widened with wonder and amazement. A smile etching slowly across her delighted face.
"Truly a wonderful and magnificent sight to see," she said with a genuine smile of appreciation.
The stars shone brightly and beautifully on them from above as they began to drift off peacefully to sleep in each other's arms, but then suddenly and unexpectedly.
"Darling, I think my water just broke," she said urgently as amniotic fluid poured out from her body.
John immediately focused his attention completely and got up quickly into action mode. He began to help her carefully into the proper position based on the research and knowledge he had previously studied. This was the first time he was personally experiencing child birth in person firsthand.
He gulped nervously with anxiety but he remained focused determinedly on his crucial task and responsibility.
"Ahhh," she screamed out loudly in intense pain and agony.
John peeked over cautiously and seeing the baby's head slowly coming out, smiled encouragingly at her.
"Darling, keep going and pushing, you're almost there and doing great," he said with a supportive smile and reassuring tone.
This agonizing process went on for many long, exhausting hours. The silent jungle seemed to be whispering quietly in anticipation at the birth of the new child entering the world.
"Ahhh," she screamed for the final time before their baby finally arrived completely into the world.
She breathed heavily and rapidly, sweaty all over her entire body from the intense exertion. John carefully carried the newborn baby tenderly in his arms with reverence.
"It's a boy, we have a son," he said with a joyous, elated smile and began to clean the boy gently and carefully with a soft cloth.
After he was done cleaning the newborn thoroughly, he wrapped the baby protectively in another clean cloth and laid him down gently next to Alice for her to see. Seeing the baby for the first time, she weakly but lovingly rubbed her face against the baby's soft skin in an intimate bonding moment.
"My precious baby boy," she said warmly and affectionately, her voice weak and exhausted from the ordeal of childbirth.
Several months had passed since that fateful night
The sky above the jungle was clear and bright, with a refreshingly cool breeze flowing gently through the air. Alice and John had managed to adjust to their new life surprisingly quickly, and after many weeks of hard work and dedication, they had finally completed the construction of their home. It was an impressively large and sturdy treehouse nestled high among the branches in the heart of the jungle.
They were uncertain whether they would remain stranded in this remote location forever, but they were determined and resolved to ensure that they would not perish prematurely or unnecessarily.
Their young child was continuing to grow and develop with each passing day, and they both wanted desperately to be present and available for him throughout his formative years. Alice busied herself moving about the treehouse and prepared food for John, who had ventured out into the jungle to hunt for their sustenance.
Their daily life and routine had not proven to be particularly difficult or overwhelming since they both understood clearly what tasks needed to be accomplished and completed. Taking hold of the large piece of boar meat that she had carefully cut up and prepared, she proceeded to cook it slowly over the crackling fire.
They did not possess a pot or any other proper cooking vessels or equipment like that, so they had no choice but to cook all of their food directly over an open fire. As the meat cooked and sizzled, releasing its savory aroma, she walked carefully towards the makeshift crib that she and John had constructed together with their own hands.
Little John, seeing his mother approaching and coming his way, cooed happily and contentedly. The young child had been given the name John Clayton the second, named directly after his father in the family tradition.
She reached down and picked him up tenderly with a gentle, loving smile spreading across her face.
"My precious baby," she hummed softly and melodiously.
Little John laughed with pure joy and delight, his complete innocence and happiness utterly contagious to anyone who witnessed it.
"John Clayton the second, you are the rightful and only heir to the entire Clayton fortune and legacy. Make absolutely sure you remember this important fact," she said with a warm, affectionate smile.
She wasn't entirely certain if he could understand her words since he was still only a babe and an infant. But nevertheless, she felt strongly that she had to tell him this crucial information, as if something deep within her was warning her and urging her to do so.
The baby cooed innocently and sweetly, though somewhere deep within his developing mind he was engraving and ingraining these important words into his memory, because these particular words had been spoken to him every single day since the moment he was born into this world.
They were the words and phrases he was most familiar with and accustomed to hearing. As she rocked him gently back and forth in her arms, she suddenly heard the distinct sound of wood clattering and moving from below.
She turned her head with an immediate smile of recognition. That familiar and welcome sound brought her immense warmth and comfort.
"John," she smiled brightly with relief and happiness.
John began climbing up from below, using the sturdy ladder they had constructed. Pulling himself up onto the treehouse platform, he smiled brightly and enthusiastically at his wife.
"My dear, look what I managed to find out there," he said with an excited smile while extending his hand forward towards her.
Held carefully in his outstretched hand was a flower. A strikingly beautiful and vibrant flower. Her eyes shone brightly with delight and wonder as she carefully and delicately took it from his hand.
She brought the flower close to her face and took in the sweet, pleasant scent, and her smile brightened even more with genuine appreciation.
"It's absolutely wonderful and lovely," she said warmly, embracing him in a heartfelt hug. Little John, still cradled securely in her arms, cooed excitedly and tried repeatedly to grab and reach for the colorful flowers.
John, seeing this adorable attempt, smiled warmly and knelt down carefully, gently grabbing his son's tiny little hands. The baby wrapped his small fingers tightly around his father's thumb and cooed with contentment.
He smiled broadly, feeling his heart rate increasing with overwhelming emotion. Tears of joy and love began to fall freely from his eyes.
"My boy John, he is so incredibly precious and perfect, hic," he cried with emotion overflowing.
Alice giggled softly and affectionately at his touching antics and emotional display. Suddenly remembering that the meat was still cooking over the fire, she carefully handed the baby over to John and walked quickly back to the fire pit.
She cautiously and carefully took out the fully cooked meat and placed it thoughtfully on large, broad leaves, then moved everything to the table they had constructed.
She added a variety of vegetables and fresh fruits as well to properly balance out their diet and ensure proper nutrition. They sat down together at the table, and little John was carefully placed into a special seat that had been specifically made and designed for him.
Alice reached over and took out a small wooden bowl with smooth apple sauce inside. She had made and prepared this earlier in the day. Since Tarzan couldn't yet eat solid meat or whole fruit pieces, she had been required to grind the apples up into a smooth paste.
As she began to eat her own portion of food, she simultaneously fed him small spoonfuls. John, observing this tender scene, decided to join in and participate as well, feeding him small, careful spoons of the apple sauce.
As they ate their meal peacefully together, suddenly and unexpectedly they heard strange, unsettling sounds coming from somewhere below them. They both paused immediately and froze in place; only the baby remained eating, completely unaware of the potentially dangerous situation developing around them.
Something was scratching against the tree bark and the disturbing sound was steadily getting closer and closer to them. Alice quickly grabbed little John protectively and held him close, while John ran swiftly to where he kept his weapon and grabbed it firmly before silently and cautiously walking towards the source of the mysterious sound.
He carefully looked down over the edge and saw a large, powerful leopard actively climbing up the tree trunk towards them. His eyes widened dramatically with alarm and fear, and he immediately turned to his wife and urgently signaled her to leave quickly and move to safety.
She nodded in understanding and quietly moved herself and the baby to a safer, more protected location while gently playing with little John, making absolutely sure he remained calm and at ease.
When the leopard had climbed close enough and was within striking distance, John attacked swiftly and decisively, but the predator was far too fast and agile, and it jumped skillfully into another nearby tree and kept climbing relentlessly until it managed to get itself into the treehouse proper.
The treehouse was quite huge and expansive, built securely on a massive tree and connected strategically to other smaller surrounding trees. This gave the dangerous leopard significantly more space and room to move around and maneuver.
The leopard moved with deadly grace and suddenly rushed directly at John with predatory intent. John jabbed forward forcefully with his spear and attempted desperately to plunge his weapon deep into the leopard's body, but a feline's natural reaction time was far too fast and superior.
The leopard dodged the attack effortlessly and then clawed viciously at John's leg before quickly running back to reassess. The cunning animal was being cautious and measured since it had never before fought or encountered a creature quite like John.
It didn't know or understand if John represented a new species entirely, but it wasn't willing or prepared to risk its life unnecessarily to arrogance or overconfidence. John, on the other hand, winced sharply from the pain but nevertheless stood tall and defiant. Behind him was his beloved wife and precious child—he absolutely couldn't afford to lose them under any circumstances.
The leopard rushed forward again with renewed aggression, and this time it aimed specifically at the weak spot and injury that it had created in John's leg. John reacted quickly and attacked with a wide, sweeping swing of his weapon. He knew that a precise jab would be too difficult and hard to land since the feline was considerably faster than him, so instead he used a wider, more encompassing swing to scare and intimidate it while having a bigger and better chance to successfully land an attack on it.
The leopard reacted just in time and stopped its advance before the dangerous attack could make contact and hit its target.
"Tch," John clicked his tongue in frustration and disappointment. John knew with certainty that this animal was remarkably smart and intelligent. The leopard attempted repeatedly to move around John and find an opening, but John blocked and prevented every single attempt.
The leopard narrowed its eyes with calculation and focus. Normally, wild animals would circle around each other warily in an attempt to find a weakness or vulnerability in their opponent. But John was deliberately not doing that at all.
The animal sniffed carefully at the scent in the air and paused suddenly, realizing with predatory instinct that John wasn't the only one present here. At this critical moment, the leopard understood the situation completely.
There were three different scents and presences. Most likely a female and a small cub. The leopard revealed its sharp, deadly teeth in what seemed to be a cruel, knowing smile.
The leopard leaped quickly and unexpectedly past John and ran swiftly into the home structure. John's eyes widened with absolute horror and terror, and he immediately reacted without hesitation. He dashed back desperately and chased after the dangerous animal with everything he had.
He roared a desperate, primal scream and chased the beast relentlessly, his eyes completely bloodshot from the overwhelming despair and paralyzing fear of the very real chance of losing his entire family.
His body heat began to increase dramatically, his body working overtime and pushing beyond its normal limits. The leopard, entering the home and seeing Alice protectively holding a small baby, knew immediately it was right about there being others. It attempted to attack the two vulnerable targets, but suddenly it felt imminent danger approaching rapidly from behind it.
It quickly dodged to the side with lightning reflexes and barely managed to dodge a spear that was about to plunge deep into its back and spine.
Looking back with alarm, it saw John, whose eyes were completely bloodshot and wild with rage. His breathing was heavy and labored, though distinctly animalistic in nature. John had never felt such overwhelming power and consuming anger in his entire life.
He rushed at the animal with nothing but his mortal body and raw determination. The leopard jumped directly at John and bit down hard onto his shoulder with crushing force. John fell backwards onto his back with the leopard positioned on top of him in a dominant position.
John roared loudly in excruciating pain but somehow pushed through it with sheer willpower. His roar of pain transformed and turned into a roar of pure anger and fury as he moved his hand up and plunged his thumb violently into the leopard's eye socket.
The animal roared in terrible pain and jumped back immediately to escape. Slowly and painfully, John stood up once more and looked straight and unflinchingly into the leopard's remaining good eye.
The animal looked straight back at him intently, and in that moment it realized something profound. John knew deep down that he was going to die from his injuries. But if he was going to die anyway, he wanted desperately to take the animal down with him to protect his family.
The leopard roared with fury and attempted to attack the mother and child again, seeing them as easier prey, but John, still standing despite his grievous injuries, rushed headfirst with reckless abandon and tackled the beast forcefully into the ground.
The animal, surprised and caught off guard at the new and unexpected turn of events, attempted desperately to get back up, but John was absolutely relentless and unyielding. He began to slam both his fists repeatedly into the beast's head with brutal, unrelenting force.
Claws scraped frantically against the floor, but it did nothing but leave superficial marks and scratches. John's malice, anger, and protective fury was too powerful and overwhelming to be stopped.
The baby had gone completely quiet and still, and had watched everything unfold with wide eyes, instinctively engraving this traumatic moment into his earliest memory. Alice covered her mouth in shock and horror as tears fell down her eyes freely, knowing with heartbreaking certainty that her husband wouldn't survive these terrible injuries.
John's face had already turned deathly pale from the severe and extensive blood loss, but he didn't stop for even a single moment. He had to make absolutely sure his wife and child would survive this encounter.
With his last remaining amount of strength and energy, he roared one final time and raised both his fists high into the air and slammed them down with all his might into the beast's skull.
The leopard stopped moving entirely and lay still in death, and John sat exhausted on top of the beast's lifeless body, his breathing labored and shallow. His eyes began to close slowly and heavily as the adrenaline that had been sustaining him finally wore off completely.
His body began to fall forward limply, but he was caught gently and set carefully on Alice's lap. Looking up weakly, he could see his wife crying uncontrollably above him.
"Hic, hic," she cried with devastating grief.
He slowly and with great effort moved his hand up and caressed her face gently and lovingly one last time.
"Alice, please survive," he said as his voice stopped making sound. He wanted desperately to say more as his hands slumped down limply.
No, I don't want to die yet, I love you Alice with all my heart, I want to spend so much more time with you. I want to see our son grow up….
His eyes closed for the very last time as the clouds above turned dark and ominous, and rain began to fall from the sky. The heavy rain muffled and concealed the heartbroken sobs coming from Alice as she held her husband's body.
The next morning, Alice buried her beloved husband with great difficulty, her heart unbearably heavy with grief and loss. With little John held securely in her hand, she hugged him tightly to her chest.
"My baby," she cried with overwhelming sorrow.
Now she only had her newborn child left in this world.
Several more months passed by
In a densely forested jungle, a huge female ape could be seen grieving deeply and mournfully. Just a few days ago, she had tragically lost her own child to a leopard attack.
Her mate Kerchak had attempted repeatedly to comfort her in her time of mourning. Though he was also hurt and pained from the loss of their offspring, he knew that Kala was the most deeply affected by this tragedy.
But still, he did not show too much sadness or weakness since he was not only her mate and partner, but he was also the strong leader of their entire group of apes, and he had responsibilities to maintain.
This was one of the many long days since she had been grieving and mourning. She walked around the jungle alone and isolated when she suddenly heard faint cooing sounds in the distance. Though the sound didn't resemble a child of her own species, her deep instincts as a mother kicked in immediately and powerfully as she moved towards the sound with purpose.
As she walked around searching, she paused in confusion when she reached where the sound seemed to originate from, but nothing was visible here at ground level. Then she looked up curiously and saw a huge, unusual treehouse structure high above her.
She had never seen anything like this strange construction before in her life, and she began to climb the tree trunk with determination. Eventually, she reached the top platform and looked around carefully and curiously. The cooing sound returned once more, and she moved steadily towards the source of the sound.
Entering the home cautiously, she looked around the interior and saw Alice lying motionless. She moved closer with concern and realized with sadness that Alice had died.
Alice had died from an illness that had weakened her already fragile state. Hearing the cooing sound again, she moved towards it and saw a piece of cloth moving slightly.
She tilted her large head in curiosity and slowly removed the cloth carefully, and to her complete shock and surprise, there was a baby inside. It looked somewhat like an ape, but with no hair covering its body.
She extended her large finger tentatively, and the baby wrapped his little tiny fingers around it with surprising strength. She blinked a few times in wonder, feeling the warm, familiar warmth of love rising powerfully within her chest.
Tears gently fell down her eyes with emotion as she picked up the baby carefully and gently rocked it in her massive arms. Knowing that its mother had died and it was now alone, she decided immediately to adopt it as her own.
Looking at the deceased woman one more time with respect and sadness, she then walked away purposefully back to her group. Returning to the others, the other gorillas saw the strange baby cradled in Kala's arms and they grew curious and intrigued, but kept a respectful distance away since they knew the leader would probably be displeased and mad.
Kerchak, seeing the commotion and disturbance, walked forwards authoritatively, and seeing the strange child, he huffed with displeasure and suspicion.
"What is that creature?" he asked in a deep, commanding voice.
"This is my child now," she said softly but firmly.
He frowned with disapproval and concern.
"Its parents have died, so I decided to adopt it and raise it as my own," she said in a motherly, protective tone as she played gently with the baby.
"No, absolutely not. The child could be dangerous and unpredictable. Return it back to where you found it immediately," he said with full authority and finality.
She looked up at him with clear defiance and determination in her eyes.
"It is only a helpless babe and infant, it will surely die if I return it to that place," she said firmly.
He growled with growing anger and frustration.
"That babe is not a part of our group and does not belong—"
"If the baby leaves and is forced away, then I leave too," she said with absolute finality and unwavering resolve.
He grimaced with frustration and roared loudly in anger and displeasure, but ultimately huffed in resignation when he saw her complete defiance and determination. He turned around and walked away in defeat. The entire group knew clearly who had won this confrontation.
A young baby gorilla walked forward with innocent curiosity.
"It has no hair on its body at all," the young gorilla observed with fascination.
Kala smiled warmly and patiently.
"Of course it doesn't have hair like us, we aren't the same species at all, Terk," Kala replied gently and informatively.
Terk looked surprised and amazed at this revelation and extended her small finger forward. When the human child wrapped his tiny fingers around her finger with a gentle grip, her eyes widened dramatically with wonder as she looked up at Kala with excitement.
"I like him very much, what's his name?" Terk asked with genuine interest and affection.
Kala paused thoughtfully, forgetting for a moment that she needed to name the baby, but then a perfect name came to her mind.
"His name is Tarzan," Kala said with a proud, loving smile spreading across her face