Wild

Michael had gotten lost from his tour group out in the midst of the Amazon rainforests, having fallen off of their buggy when the tire slipped on a patch of unexpected mud. He knew he should have been wearing his seatbelt, but somehow he had decided it would be a good way of showing how manly and unafraid he was to Samantha by not doing so. Clearly it had not been his wisest decision. Not only did it surely not do anything of the sort, but now he was lost, covered in mud, and he thought his left ankle might be broken from how badly it hurt. He was afraid to take off his boot to check, however. He seemed to recall that it was best to leave a broken foot or ankle in the boot until it could be seen by medical experts, because the boot could be helping hold the break in place.

He wasn't sure how long it had been since he had fallen off the buggy. His wristwatch had broken in the fall as well, though it wouldn't have been that helpful anyway - he had no idea what time it had been when he'd fallen off. He just knew that the tour itself had started at noon. And he didn't know if the hunger he felt was because it had been so long since lunch, or if it was just because of the trauma. Either way, his stomach had started audibly growling some time prior, and it was only getting louder. Every time it roared, it nearly scared the literal crap out of him. He had been lucky enough not to run into any wild animals yet, but he knew they were there. And he could only imagine what they might do to him.

It was only when the sun began to set that the panic truly began to set in. The green forest was beginning to take a distinctly orange and yellow hue to it, and he was beginning to fear that they had forgone searching for him. And only as the panic took hold of his heart did he finally hear the low, grumbling growl of a wild beast coming up behind him.

He slowly turned his head to see a jaguar stalking towards him, head low to the ground, eyes piercing him as if already seeing the meat that he was to become. He couldn't so much as speak, afraid that any noise he might make would only cause the animal to leap upon him and start its feast sooner. He didn't want to die. Though he may not have been consciously thinking it, anything he might do to prolong his life...

But then there was another figure behind it. He tried to focus his eyes on it instead, hoping it would somehow be better than the jaguar in front of him. And he found himself staring at the form of a woman with long, messy brown hair that extended all the way down her back, and a lean and muscular form completely uninhibited by clothing. She had a look in her eyes that said she was watching him, both in curiosity, and in much the same way the leopard was. He didn't know how to respond to her. He felt embarrassed, staring at this beautiful and wild naked woman, and yet he couldn't take his eyes away from her. She could either be his doom or his saving grace.

With the leopard only a dozen feet away, easily within pouncing distance, she suddenly clicked her tongue and let out a low growl. Immediately, like a trained dog, the leopard came to a halt, stood up tall, and sat on its haunches. Michael could barely believe his eyes. He must have been dreaming. This must all be a mad dream. The woman approached him, moving silently across the muddy ground, face inches away. He could smell her, she was so close. Though he didn't want to. She had clearly not bathed in a very long time. If ever.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice low and gravelly. "Why are you here?" Her english, while correct, sounded almost broken, and untrained.

"I... I'm Michael," he responded, feeling weak. "I fell off of my tour buggy. I think I broke my ankle. I'm lost. I don't know where or what to do." Realizing the truth in his words, just how terribly doomed he was, his legs began to wobble and he fell to his knees. The girl looked him up and down, as if judging him.

"You with other man?" she asked. He had to take a moment to comprehend her question. Another man? Had she found someone else? But the way she asked it, and the way she looked, it was clearly after thinking about it that she meant other humans.

"Y-yes. Or, I was. I'm alone now."

She hummed, thinking, and looked at his ankle. Even still in the boot, it was clearly not quite right. Even she could recognize that.

"I take you back," she said, decisively. "But you never tell about me."

The moment she agreed to help him, nothing else mattered. "Never," he muttered. Then she was lifting him in her arms and throwing him over his shoulder, and then it was black.