An Animal Story: The Jungle Of Darkness

Bismillah, 

A long time ago, up from the mountains and in the deepest valley, was a dark and dangerous jungle, The jungle of darkness. People living nearby had made myths that black ghosts and witches lived in their. Because whenever anybody went inside, they never ever came out. And even on very rare events, if they came out. They used to say one thing "A black thing, could not see it clearly because of the darkness" The jungle was always dark because it was in a valley. And so, people named the jungle, Darkness, nicknamed the house of ghosts. 

Although there was nothing like ghosts, witches or spirits. If one were to go there without knowing the nearby people's myths about the jungle, they would 99.9% would come out. The jungle's name was actually the Panther's Jungle because that jungle was home to thousands of black panthers. The nearby villagers thought that the panthers were ghosts. And as for the people who never came back. They were eaten by panthers, but people said they were eaten by ghosts. 

And in that jungle, was a beautiful and fierce pantheress named Baghia. Her partner was a panther named Bagheera. They both lived very deep in the wilderness, so they never encountered any human beings. Baghia had heard stories about human beings from her father, how they had snatched away her mother from her. And Bagheera, who was fearless of human beings, wanted to kill one of them for revenge of Baghia's mother. But she always refused to let him go, saying "Bagh, please don't go to the edge of the jungle, I've lost my mother, and I don't want to lose you" Bagh was a nickname for Bagheera. 

But, staying deep in the jungle didn't help them for a long time. The people had started cutting trees at the edge of the jungle, and so, slowly slowly, the edge of the jungle was completed. So when the edge was done. The animals deeper started coming deeper. And most of them getting eaten by panthers because they didn't know the jungle from the deeper side.

The jungle was getting finished up, and human bulldozers were coming deeper into the jungle, to cut trees and catch animals. Baghia woke up with a start. She wouldn't let her jungle just be finished by human beings, if they dared to kill her panthers, she would dare to kill them. 

"Bagheera?" Baghia says. 

"Yup, what's up" Bagh replies. 

"Bagheera, are you thinking of leaving the jungle? " Baghi says. 

Bagheera hesitates, he did want to leave the jungle, but he knows Baghia won't approve of it. 

"Uh, so you found out. Yes, I do want to migrate" he answers. 

Baghia stood up, her blue eyes glaring at him, She said, "I won't go, We should call the remaining panthers, and tell them that we'll fight together against the human beings" 

Bagheera thinks about it for a moment, and then says "Hmm, well you are right, We should all get together tonight, and all the panthers will make a plan". 

That night, all the Panthers gathered, and Baghia gave a speech: 

"We should fight! Those silly humans don't know our feelings, they are cutting down our homes and territories. Panthers! They are eating our food, while we are dying of hunger. Oh! Panthers! They are capturing our partners and friends! Panthers! They are taking out homes, and soon! The jungle will be finished soon if we don't do something. We must fight! " 

The Panthers said all together "We will fight!! Fight! " 

Then Bahgeera gave a speech on his plan: 

"So, the wounded, very young and very old or weak panthers won't be allowed, anybody who wants to come must be a strong one. After two hours some humans will come, but it'll still be dark at that time. Because the humans will be in small numbers and the panthers in bigger numbers, we are all going to finish those humans, and in the morning, when more people will come, they'll get a little frightened because they'll see that the people who had gone their earlier have not come back.............. " he provided some more details and then made a backup plan.

"But remember! Don't attack in the morning, attack in twilight in the evening or at night"

So, as Bagheera had predicted, a small group of humans came early, and they all prepared to attack, talking in urgent whispers: 

"Uh, do you think we'll come alive? "

"Oh you, this is very easy, just jump at them and rip their...... "

"Huh, not as easy as you describe".

"They have guns".

"They'll rip off our necks".

"Guys" Baghia finally said. 

"We should be brave, the humans are coming closer, Bagheera, become the leader. And tell us when we can attack" Baghia had chosen Bagheera as their leader because he was a good one. 

The humans were coming closer, unaware of the dangers that awaited them. 

"1!"

"2!"

"3!"

They prepared to attack, 

"And gooooooo! "

The panthers leapt on the humans, and the humans screamed. There was a sound of guns firing, but it didn't do any harm to the panthers, because the panthers had finished all of them already. 

"Wow, great work! " Says Bagheera. 

 "Yup, now we'll attack in the evening," someone says. 

"We should have a spy, who could keep a close eye on the human's actions," Another panther says. 

Nobody said anything, becoming a spy and keeping an eye on humans was very dangerous work. 

"Maybe…. Err.. I mean, can I become one? " Said Baghia. 

Nobody had any doubt about Baghia's bravery, and now if they had, it must have been washed off by this line. 

"Bravo! "

"amazing"

"You are so brave! "

"Are you sure? "

"Guys"

"You should stop saying these things," Bagheera says. 

Then Baghia gives a little speech : 

"The thing is, this is for the sake of the jungle. It doesn't matter to me if I die or not, this is for the sake of so many animals and panthers, and most of all, this is the last jungle in which the panthers roam freely"

Then, Baghia proceeded to the direction in which the humans were hunting and cutting trees. 

Baghia ran and hid behind a bush. Some human beings were talking, and one of them had trapped a deer. And one had killed a rabbit. Furthermore, many of them were shooting their guns and killing small and innocent animals like rabbits, deer, birds and bucks. She couldn't believe that humans could be so rude , but she said to herself: there are good human beings too, and these ones are bad. She heard some human beings talking to each other: 

"I saw that our companions who went early had been killed"

"Shall we hunt in the evening? "

"Sure, and we'll hunt panthers"

The last sentence ran up a chill to her throat, they'll hunt panthers? In the evening? I should tell my friends about it, so they can prepare themselves. 

"look! Baghia's coming" Bagheera spots baghia and says happily. 

"Bagheera! Hunting…. People will hunt us today" Baghia says. 

"....What!?..... "

"Oh no".

"My dear".

"These humans".

"We will hunt them if they want to hunt us," Says Baghia confidently. 

              Three days later,

After fights, claws, guns and deaths, the Panthers won because of their bravery and steadfast and unity, while humans didn't had any of these things, when the panthers had attacked the humans in the evening. Some humans wanted to run while some wanted to hide while some wanted to fight while some wanted to hunt while some wanted to do that or that, so instead of attacking the panthers, they started fighting with each other, and so taking the advantage of the moment, the panthers had attacked. 

Now because the panthers had managed to scare away the humans, the jungle was theirs, and they were victorious, no panther had died, except one who wasn't a really good panther. But most of the panthers had got hurt, like Bagheera who had gotten a bullet wound on his back, and Baghia who had gotten a wound on her paw, many other panthers had wounds, but they knew they'd heal quickly. 

"Wow, we did a great thing".

"We are victorious! "

"it's good nobody died".

"yup".

The Panthers were chattering happily, while Baghia and bagheera, after bath, were in their cave, resting. 

"Uh, now would you migrate? " Baghia joked. 

"No no, I'll die but won't migrate" Replies bagheera, smilingly. 

"Well, you are right, now the humans won't come because they are scared now" Baghi declares. 

"Hmm, and then they'll say that in this jungle, ghosts lives"

"Yeah!"

Baghia goes in a nearby clif, with Bagheera following her and then they both say togather loudly : 

"This jungle will be panther's ever and always" for they knew it. 

Your loving explorer, 

Sidra khan