Rayna's Jungle Adventure

*Chapter 17: Kaa Returns*

Rayna had been walking aimlessly in the jungle for a long time. She walked by the waterfall and throw some stones in the water. Rayna took off the flower crown and tear it piece by piece as the flowers fall behind her. Rayna sniffed and wiped her tears away. She couldn't believe her father is dead. Shere Khan will be killing her friends and family if she didn't surrender herself to him, but she won't give up without a fight. Rayna needs to find a way to stop him. She thought about the Red Flower. It is the answer to defeat that murderous tiger, but Bagheera made her promise not to get near it and bring it to the jungle.

"What am I going to do? Shere Khan will kill someone else. It's my fault father is gone." Rayna said to herself. "Father...I'm sorry. Please forgive me. If only I was there for you and the pack..." She continues to walk through the jungle.
Rayna approached the tree and stood next to it. She sighed and sat down. She rests her arms on her knees as she tried to think of something to do.
Above the tree, Kaa had picked up a familiar scent while flicking his tongue and heard the familiar voice below him. Could it be? He looked down and see Rayna right there under his tree, all alone.

'The girl-cub! Rayna!' He thought with excitement, delighted to see her again, but he could tell she is upset. She could use a friendly coil. Quietly, he slithered his tail down towards her, looped around her lap and pulled her up toward him, the familiar feel of her warm flesh on his scales making him smack his lips in anticipation. Rayna felt herself being lifted as she opened her eyes to see the ground is getting smaller. She looks around and notice the familiar coils around her lap and waist. As she was reached up in the tree, she sees a familiar face.

"Kaa!" She gasped. "It's you!" The snake smiled warmly at her.

"Yesss, Rayna!" He responded eagerly as he brought his guest up to his level. "Sssso niccce to ssssee you again! Tssssss!" He hissed barely containing his excitement about having the intriguing young human in his coils again. His tail just couldn't help but loop around her waist as she sat in a seat of his coils. Rayna made a look and tried to punch him, but Kaa easily avoided her, giggling at her actions. "My, sssomeone is feisssty!"

"Leave me alone, Kaa!" Rayna said, getting his tail off her waist. "I don't have time for games."

"Gamesss?" Kaa asked as his tail simply looped around her waist again, eager to keep her close. "I have no intention of playing gamesss with you or let you be on your own when you are clearly in dissstressssss." He said as he gave her an endearing look. Rayna pushed him away.

"You tried to eat me the other night!" She grabbed his tail to get it off her once more as Kaa tried to act innocent. Perhaps he could calm her down and try to make her talk.

"Eat you?" Kaa said in mock surprise as he slithered around to her other side. "Isss that what Bagheera told you? I wasss ssssimply trying to help you relaxxx assss I am doing now. Tell me ssssweet Rayna, what'sss troubling you?" He said tilting his head to her.

"It's nothing." Rayna replied as she got off the seat of coils.

"Ssssurely it had ssomething to do with your father." Kaa spoke as his tail wrapped around her ankle keeping her from leaving. Rayna paused for a moment. "A little birdie told the whole jungle about how Ssshere Khan killed your father."

"Yes. He did. But it was none of your business." Rayna said, getting his tail off her ankle.

"Are you ssssure?" Kaa asked suddenly appearing behind her flicking his tongue at her back. Rayna spun around quickly to see him. "Sssuch a terrible thing to happen." He said slithering around her but not touching her. "Talking about thessse thingsss doesss help, you know. And I'm a very good lissstener." By this point he had completed his loop in the air around her and was now looking at her at her eye level. Rayna close one eye in case he tried to hypnotize her again.