Chapter 1: LIFE IN THE JUNGLE

My name is Artie. I lived with my family, mom and my dad, in the jungle. We had no neighbors but only listening to the sweet melodious voices of the singing birds from the jungle. I grew up from the house and never moved out.

My parents used to tell me I was the only reason for their happiness so I made sure to keep them smiling.

I was a type of girl who liked watching fantasies so I always wished to make the impossible possible.

One day on my birthday, dad asked me to make a wish. I just told them I wanted a tattoo on my thigh instead. My mom scolded me for asking such a stupid thing on my day but it's what I wanted.

Few weeks after my birthday, I was twenty four years by then. My mom had gone to visit her parents and my father too wasn't at home so I decided to break the promise I made to them to not move out of the house. Slowly but steadily, I broke out of our house and entered the thick Forest. It was very dark in there but I was so excited as it was my first time to step out of the house. I liked adventure though I wasn't able to leave the house before.

I was so happy but a little scared when I saw many wild animals in there. "Wow! It's so beautiful and cool here!" I breathed. The animals seemed friendly as they didn't try to feed on me. I was scared of them at first but later I realized they were not interested in feeding on me. I then relaxed. After walking a long way, I decided to rest under the big tree for fresh air.

As I was laying down there, a bat came from nowhere and appeared before me. It sounded so sweet that I only wished it not to end.

It was singing a "hi hi hi" song and I liked it for some reasons.

After having enough rest, I went back home. Still my parents were not there yet. I decided to sleep for a while.

The moment I closed my eyes, I started recalling how the bat sang for me a nice song in the sweetest voice I have ever heard all my life.

I wished to go back but I knew my parents would come back home anytime then I stayed.

My mother didn't come back home, only dad returned and then went back the next morning. It was a great opportunity for me to go back to the jungle. I made my house chores and went. This time I went directly to the big tree but unfortunately my friend Bat was not there. Maybe it had gone somewhere else. I started looking for it in the dark Forest but never found it. I then relaxed under the fig tree, started crying for wasting my time in looking for it.

While I was still crying, I felt like someone was nearby. I moved my eyes around but never seen anyone. I got scared but had no where to run to. I prepared myself for whatever comes to me. I started shivering in fear.

A strong wind blew suddenly and just like that, my friend Bat appeared from nowhere. She was still singing the same song "hi hi hi".

I got to know that it was also aware that I liked its way of singing.

Strangely, all my fear disappeared and I felt safe with him around me.

I kept visiting the jungle to meet my friend Bat there. We became friends and that's when I told him about my life.

From then, I started walking in the jungle freely not fearing anything because I knew my friend would be there to save me in case of any danger in there.

I started to feel some connection with the bat. Maybe I was going crazy but I didn't care. Whatever it was, I liked it because I had found a friend to talk and share my thoughts with. I liked my friend so much.

Some months later, I told my friend about my wish to have a tattoo on my thigh and he told me not to worry about it so much. That every wish of mine would be fulfilled with him by my side.

Laying down on my pillow without feeling any pain, I fell in a deep sleep. The very deep sleep that seemed like forever. On waking up, I felt much pain in my back. Something felt like a huge wound on my back, I rushed to the mirror to check what it was that was paining me so much. To find out, it was a bat tattoo. I didn't cry instead I felt so happy.

I ran into the jungle to share the good news with my friend. Unfortunately he wasn't there. I felt nothing but disappointmentat the moment before I went back home to find my mom still asleep. Heaving a sigh of relief,I tiptoed not to wake her up little did I know she was already up, she was even in my room.

Fortunately she didn't see the pool of blood that was on my bed.

"Where were you this early morning?" Mom asked.

"I was just outside walking in the dew." I lied

"Don't complain to me when you get cold."she was good at scolding me.

"I promise I won't complain." I smiled and left her in the living room, I was feeling uncomfortable because of the pain on my back.

I went to my room and started talking alone like a crazy girl.

I wondered why my friend didn't come to meet me in the jungle. I cried for some time and then went out to start a new day.

Life seemed normal during the day but things changed at night.

When I entered my room to sleep in the evening, I felt like someone else was in my room. I could feel someone's presence, his breathe and a male fragrance. "Someone is in here."I thought inwardly.

Fear covered me up and I feared to move out and call mother.

Dad was not at home yet. I checked around my room and even checked under the bed but I saw nothing, then I decided to sleep with the lights on.

That night, I met my friend Bat in my dreams. He told me he is the one who put that tattoo on my back. He told me it's not a mere tattoo. It's a magical one that it will control me and sometimes it will make decisions for me.

I woke up shivering and found my mom sitting next to me on my bed. I thought maybe she has heard my conversation with my friend Bat about the tattoo on my back. I stared at her with my eyes widely open waiting for her to say something about the tattoo but she showed me she didn't know anything about it. Meaning she hasn't heard anything.

Hiding a big wound is something not easy. I could fake a smile yet I was burning in my back.