Julie of the Jungle

Julie the Jungle Girl

She had once wondered if this was a good idea.

Now she wishes she was born this way.

As she stood on the top branch of one of the highest trees of Greystroke Island, Julie Vidic could not be happier that she had chosen her new life as a jungle girl. Two years ago, the 24-year-old arrived as part of a scientific expedition to this once-lost island the size of Hawaii's Big Island. Now she was part of the jungle itself, spurred on by her romance with the Tarzan clone Kaitan and the adoption by the native Polynesian Teo Tribe.

No, she had seen the research team in the time since then, it's just that she was no longer a part of it. She worked with them, but other than that, her attention was focused on becoming a real-life Jane Porter.

A warm breeze swept through the tops of the trees, blowing in her face and her disheveled brown hair, making her brush it out of her face. She got goosebumps on much of her light-colored, but slightly-tanned and freckled skin. Her friends would tell her that's because she'd forgone clothes, instead wearing the bare minimum of what she called a "standard-issue" jungle girl outfit of an animal skin bikini and loincloth/skirt. Well, if she's gonna be a jungle girl, she might as well look the part!

Of course, she was thinking about tossing those aside at some point down the road and truly become a wild human.

She heard another sound off in the distance. Her eyes rolled, realizing it was going to put an end to her little alone time. "For goodness sake," she said to herself. She backed up her slender, but fit frame on the branch and then ran forward, jumping off into the canopy.

The vine she grabbed tightened and slackened as she swung with force and precision. She reached out and grabbed another one, swinging her bare feet to the left where the sound came from. Vaulting off the vine, she grabbed onto the branch and swung like a gymnast before letting go and reaching for a lower branch on another tree.

She repeated this several times before landing on a thick branch in a bent and primal position. He trained her ears to listen for any sound that did not belong in the jungle. The noise came again from the south. She jumped down onto the ground, handling her knife—probably one of the few weapons she still used—as if to prepare. Then she took off running to the south.

She ran and hurdled over dead trees and plants that covered the forest floor. Smaller animals scurried out of the way.

She was getting closer, she could tell. There were fresh tracks leading away from her. There was some tall grass up ahead and the tracks led right into them. Julie got down on her hands and crawled through the grass.

Predatory skills kicked in as she silently crawled through the grass. Her quarry was just beyond this and she could see them moving through the tall blades. She was all animal now; whatever traces of Julie Vidic of Santa Barbara, California were gone, at least for now. She sat and waited, watching her target fiddle about.

Now was the time to strike.

She reached for her knife and waited. The target's back was turned. NOW!

Leaping out of the tall grass, she let out an animalistic cry that the entire jungle must've heard. Her target also cried out as they hit the ground with a thud. Julie stood over her prey, raised up her knife and—

"Julie?"

"Gina?"

Julie jumped right off the woman on the ground. Her name was Gina Brown, one of the leaders of the research team. "What were you doing?" the Kiwi woman asked, pushing her spectacles back up her nose.

"I thought you were a poacher," she said, "I heard you shouting and I thought something was going on."

"Well you didn't have to go all feral on me!" Gina replied.

"Excuse me for letting instinct take over," Julie replied, "You have to be more careful!"

"Yeah, I know, but... I saw a fantastic-looking animal and I wanted to get a better look at it," said Gina.

"What did it look like?" Julie asked.

"Like one of the cats," said Gina, "Except it was... bigger and meaner looking."

"Oh, that's Old Hobb," Julie laughed, "He's the grumpy old cat of the island."

"Oh," said Gina, "Is he—"

"No, he's just a grouch," Julie laughed, "He'll probably just run away if you try to get near him."

"Well, that's a relief," said Gina.

"Look, I gotta go, Gina," said Julie, "The jungle calls!" Julie ran off back into the jungle, leaving Gina to wonder why she had to be so dramatic with those declarations.