by Olivia Myers
The interior was mostly bare with only blankets, fresh herbs, several clay pots, and scattered wooden carvings. Jebá sat down and asked, “So what has made you question your own beliefs?”
“It’s pretty hard to explain,” Felicity answered shyly. “And you’ll probably get mad at me for being so stupid. I know I still am.”
“And what did you do that would make me believe you were stupid?” he inquired, his green eyes shining with slight amusement.
“Well…” she then went on to explain how she had gotten separated from her group at the ruins and had stupidly wandered off the trail and into the jungle. She paused, scared to continue.
“It is all right, Felicidade,” Jebá said with sincerity, placing a hand over hers.
Exhaling loudly, she forced herself to revisit that awful memory. She recounted how she had stumbled across the Green Savages and her capture. She then described how the jaguar had been the one to save her life. How viciously it had killed them and how terrified she had been that she would also die. But for some reason the jaguar had decided to spare her.
Felicity hadn’t even known she was crying until she saw wet spots begin to appear on the wooden floor. “Oh, crap. S-sorry,” she said, wiping her tears away.
“There is no need to apologize. You are still trying to heal your spirit.” He handed her a cup of lukewarm herbal tea. “Have you told anyone else?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“I guess … I didn’t really want to bother anyone. And…I just wanted things to keep going the way they should.”
“Maintaining illusions is foolish,” Jebá said, sounding more matter-of-fact than scolding.
“Yeah, I think you’re right,” Felicity replied, taking a sip of the tea. The extremely bitter taste made her cringe involuntarily. Her grimace made Jebá laugh for the first time since they’d met. Nearly gagging she asked, “What is this supposed to do?”
“Nothing,” he answered with a mischievous grin. “I just wanted to see your reaction.”
“Jerk,” she said, placing the awful liquid down. “Do you live here?”
“Yes.”
“It must be nice living out in the middle of nature.”
“It is fine,” he replied, taking a sip of his own tea without a flinch. “Though I am hardly ever here.”
“Where do you go?”
“I occasionally visit relatives at the village once a month,” he said. “But I prefer to travel through the forest.”
“Aren’t you afraid of getting hurt?”
“No. I find that most others are the ones afraid of me.” While at first she thought he was being macho, his expression looked lonely.
“I’m not afraid of you,” Felicity said.
He looked at her, his face unsure. “Are you certain?”
Before she could answer, her cell phone began ringing, making them both jump. Felicity answered to Pedro’s concerned voice and explained were she was. After she ended the call, she looked at Jebá. “Sorry, I have to go.”
As he left her at the building’s parking lot, Felicity said, “Thank you for sharing your home with me, and listening to my troubles.”
“I want to show you more, if that’s all right,” he said.
Felicity nodded.
“Good.” He smiled. “Meet me tomorrow early here, and I will take you to my village.”
She was surprised, but nodded as she got into Pedro’s car. Jebá’s village had been one of the main things she had asked about during the interviews, but he had always shut down. Things were definitely different between them now. She’d shared something personal, something that made her feel vulnerable. Perhaps by doing so, she’d earned his trust.
***
Back at the house, she was greeted with an unexpected emotional outburst from Lupita.
“That girl is going to get herself killed,” the maid whispered angrily at Felicity. “I know you probably have given up on her, but please tell her not to go out tonight! I feel it in my heart that something bad will happen!”
“I-I’ll try,” Felicity said, shocked at Lupita’s fear and anger. She hadn’t known that anyone else knew about Carol and Davi.
“Please, Felicidade! I cannot bear to see another girl go missing!” She then began sobbing as she ran into the bathroom.
“Lupita…” Felicity couldn’t imagine the grief she was going through, but decided not to disturb her; she remembered Jebá’s words about the soul needing to heal.
Walking into their room, she saw Carol putting on mascara and batting her eyelashes.
“Oh there you are,” Carol said. “Hey, can you tell me if this looks good or not?” she asked, twirling a new red dress.
Felicity ignored the dress. “Lupita was telling me that you shouldn’t go out tonight.”
“Ugh, not you, too. Geez that superstitious maid wouldn’t shut up about it.”
“Come on, Carol, you know it’s not safe right now,” she said. “I don’t want to have to tell Professor Johnson.”
“Excuse me?” Carol said, her eyes now dark. “Are you threatening me? First off, it’s none of your business. Second, you and I both know that Professor Johnson would believe me over you in a second. Don’t try to deny it.” She smirked. “And I’m sure he’d be unhappy to hear about your relationship with that Jebá guy. I haven’t done much of the reading, but even I know a personal relationship with a subject is a big no-no.”
Felicity blushed at the accusation. “What? We don’t have a relationship! I just interview him!”
“Like I said… who is Professor Johnson going to believe?”
Furious, Felicity went to her room and slammed the door shut. Fine! That stupid bitch wants to get killed then whatever! I am done being her babysitter!
Despite the relatively thick walls, she could swear she hear Lupita crying as Carol walked out of the villa. Felicity’s stomach churning with guilt and confusion over her feelings about Jebá, she tried her best to study. Trying to distract herself by reading, it wasn’t long before she realized it was in vain. Even as she closed her eyes to sleep, all she could see were his green eyes and that haunting expression.
***
Felicity decided to take a cab alone to the facility early the next morning. She hadn’t bothered to check whether or not Carol had come home, as she was still fuming at the threat. Her phone had no messages. Chucking the device in her bag, she told herself that she was going to forget about everything else. Felicity had waited weeks for an opportunity to visit an actual Barasana village, and she wasn’t going to squander it on thoughts about Carol.
Although the building was closed, it wasn’t long before Jebá arrived. He seemed more restless than usual.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
“The forest is wary. The danger you faced is growing,” he replied gravelly.
“Should we do this later?”
“No,” he said. “It will be fine. My village is safe for now. Let us go quickly.”
As before, Jebá led them through a series of sharp turns and hidden trails. Felicity was sure that no person would ever be able to follow them, much less find the tribe. He suddenly took her hand and said words in a language she didn’t understand. “The guards were going to kill you if I did not tell them you were with me.”
“Guards?” Felicity could not see anyone within the thick brush.
“You would not see them unless they wanted you to,” he explained.
A short time later they arrived at a clearing. While there was nothing on the forest floor, she looked into the trees to find a vast network of tree houses and bridges. However, it all seemed empty.
He called out, speaking soothing words in Barasana. Immediately, people began to come out from the huts and from behind the trees on ropes. An old woman suddenly appeared behind them, giving Felicity a disgusted look. In a harsh voice, she spoke angrily to Jebá. He replied calmly. The woman shook her head and walked away.
“Who was that
?” Felicity asked nervously.
“Our spiritual leader.”
“She seemed angry.”
“She doesn’t like that I fraternize with outsiders.”
“Maybe I should leave. I don’t want to cause you trouble.”
Jebá shook his head. “It is no fault of yours, Felicidade.”
She wasn’t totally convinced, but decided not to press her luck. She had only one shot to complete her work, and she wasn’t going to squander it. Trying to work quickly and smoothly, Felicity asked basic questions about daily life, religion, and cultural rituals to anyone that would not run away or shun them.
To be fair, it seemed that it was only her that they disliked. Jebá was actually pretty popular as far as she could tell. He received multiple bows, gifts, and even the occasional smile from the otherwise stone-faced villagers. The young women in the camp appeared to favor him as well, giving him small trinkets before running away while giggling.
While this made Felicity slightly jealous, she was even more amused to see him blush whenever this happened. Looking closer at the charms, she noticed they had quite suggestive shapes. The realization made her start blushing as well.
As they talked to her last interviewee, two small boys placed a white flower on her lap while saying a few words. Jebá grinned and replied back, patting one on the head. The twins laughed and then went off to play.
“What did they say?” Felicity asked curiously, while sniffing the flower.
“They said you were funny looking.”
“And what did you say?”
“I said I agree.”
Scowling, she crossed her arms and turned around with a huff.
Laughing he said, “Come on. I want to show you something.”
***
They arrived at a waterfall. The sunlight over its gorgeous, cascading falls caused rainbows to form in the cool mist. As much as she wanted to take a picture, Felicity didn’t want to take the chance of ruining the moment.
Jebá motioned her to walk behind the waterfall. Her stomach suddenly fluttered, though she didn’t know why.
Once inside, she saw that it was a cavern. There were wood shavings scattered across the stone floor, and a chair and table with unfinished carvings. Felicity went to one that seemed familiar. It had a gaping mouth and sharp teeth.
“Do you want to finish that one?” he asked.
“I don’t know how to carve.”
Placing her hand in his, Jebá guided her towards the knife. Together they started to slowly free the beast from the wooden block. Felicity could feel her face get pink, but she didn’t pull away.
Suddenly Jebá spoke, his voice a deep rumble behind her. “I lied.”
“About what?”
“About what the boys said,” Jebá answered, stopping their carving. He clasped her hands slightly tighter. “They said you were beautiful. And I agreed. I think you’re beautiful, Felicidade.”
Not knowing what to say, she stayed silent and turned to face him. His eyes seemed to glow in the darkness. Before she knew what was happening, Felicity moved her lips to his. The kiss seemed to set off a chain reaction. Soon she could feel his hands tracing over her body and under her thin shirt. One of her hands felt his chiseled chest and abdomen, as the other clasped the back of his head. Her fingers wove into his dark curls.
Her shirt was off, and Jebá lowered her to the ground. Felicity felt the coolness of the cavern floor against her back. As Jebá began to mouth her breasts with teasing bites, she could feel the last of her inhibitions dissipate. She pulled off his shirt quickly, and he tore off her shorts and underwear in one motion. Felicity had never known energy like the one surging through her now. Without hesitation, she accepted him, wrapping her legs around his back. Jebá then began to mutter words in Barasana along with her name. She could barely hear him over the moans his thrusts were eliciting from her body.
Holding her face in his hands, he kissed her passionately as she felt them both start to climax. It was just one of many. By the end of it Felicity was nearly drunk with pleasure.
“I think I love you,” she heard herself mumble.
He fell silent for a second. As she cursed herself for screwing the moment up, he replied, “I think I may love you too, Felicidade.”
They began to kiss again, as she felt her hand touch a rough spot she’d skimmed her fingers over during their lovemaking. Now able to see it in the stream of light shining through the falls, she discovered it was a long scar. The image immediately triggered the image of the jaguar she’d seen, its large fangs smeared with blood.
Gasping, she moved away from him and backed up against the wall. She grabbed the knife from the table. “Do I need to be afraid of you? Why did you bring me here?”
Jebá looked confused and then saw that his scar was exposed. “I can explain, Felicidade. Please don’t be afraid.”
“You – you were the jaguar? The one that saved me? That can’t be! That doesn’t make any sense!”
“It’s true,” he said. “I am the last of the jebá-beca shaman. I am both jaguar and man.” Before she could protest again, Jebá got on all fours. His bronze skin turned to fur, and his hands to claws. The only thing that remained was his green eyes. That was the last thing she remembered as Felicity’s mind faded into blackness.
***
She awoke to find herself back at the villa in her bed, surrounded by Pedro, Maria, and Lupita.
“Thank goodness you’re awake!” Maria cried.
“What happened?” Felicity asked. Her head ached, but her legs and arms were pleasantly sore. She remembered the joyful time she’d spent with Jebá, and then…
“Jebá says you took quite the spill. You got heat stroke and passed out cold!” Pedro said. “Good thing he was there to call us.”
Felicity bit her lip as memories of his transformation returned. “Yeah. Lucky.”
Feeling awkward, she looked away from all of them, but her gaze landed on Carol’s closed bedroom door. “Wait, where’s Carol?”
Lupita wailed, “She is gone! They took her! That boyfriend of hers took her!”
“What?” Felicity shouted.
“She’s been missing ever since Lupita checked her room this morning,” Maria said, nearly in tears. “We already called the police and had them check out Davi’s club. But it’s empty. Everything is gone. The only thing they found was a broken down jeep with a logo –“
“Selvagens Verdes,” Felicity finished for her.
Pedro and Maria left to go talk more with the police, bringing Carol’s laptop in case it held any further clues. Felicity sat up and thought of what she could possibly do. There was no way that she could even stand a chance of going up against the gang, even if she found them in the jungle again.
As she glanced at the book on her desk, Felicity saw the image of the jebá-beca. The textbook she’d read said something about the jebá-beca helping people. Carol needed help. Felicity only had one option left, and she was going to take it.
***
Practically throwing her bills at the cab driver, she ran towards the back of the facility and a ways down the path Jebá had taken her. Not knowing whether or not he could even hear her, Felicity began to yell his name. She continued until her voice was hoarse. As she prepared to give up, she heard a low growl behind her. It was him.
“Jebá, I know it’s you,” Felicity said as she came closer. “The Selvagens Verdes took a girl, my roommate, Carol. I need your help. ”
He turned away with a sniff.
“I know you must be angry at me. I didn’t understand. I still don’t. But please help me find her. You’re the only one who can.”
The beast stopped but didn’t turn.
“I’ve been an idiot,” she was crying now. “I turned my back on Carol just because I was angry, even though she needed my help. And then I doubted you. I know I don’t deserve it, but please help me stop them.”
Felicity felt him suddenly embrace her as a human. “A
s you wish, my Felicidade.”
***
Despite his insistence that Felicity stay behind, she hadn’t. They had ended up investigating the site where they’d first met. He had tracked their trail deeper into the jungle and into the vicinity of an old temple. It was not of his tribe’s temple, but Jebá was still angry at its desecration. Hiding in the shadows, they had watched the men load a group of slow-moving girls into a series of vans. Carol was nowhere to be seen.
Jebá had instructed her to circle around the back and find Carol, as he created a distraction. He roared and lunged at a nearby man, attracting the attention of everyone else.
Taking the opportunity, Felicity sneaked inside the back door as a guard ran out to assist the others. Looking through the dusty, dark rooms, Felicity finally found Carol lying on a bed, half asleep.
“Felicity,” the girl mumbled. “You were right…”
“It’s okay, Carol, don’t talk. I’m going to get you out.”
“You stupid girl.” She heard a deep voice behind her say, as a gun cocked. “As if I’m going to let an ugly runt like you make a fool of me.”
At gunpoint, he man forced her outside.
“Why didn’t you take Carol?” she asked.
“That idiot Davi had used her up. Customers do not want damaged goods,” he replied coldly.
Felicity didn’t have time to dodge as the butt of his gun hit her face.
“Now I will teach you why you must respect Enzo Torres.” With an emotionless face, he grabbed Carol and threw her into the mud pit nearby where she slowly began to sink. He moved to shoot Carol in the face when an explosion suddenly blasted. Huge pieces of the temple crumbled down. One of them landed on Enzo.
Bullets whizzed past, as Jebá in jaguar form rushed around, alternately dodging and attacking the Selvagens Verdes. Felicity watched in horror as a hidden man took aim at Jebá.
“No!” Felicity shouted. “Be careful!”
The man, surprised, swung around and aimed at Felicity instead.
And now her she was - bleeding and about to die. The world around was fading to gray. Her arms struggled to hold Carol aloft.
Stubborn until the last, Enzo had managed to get up again. He hobbled towards Felicity with a machete raised. Before Enzo’s blow could land, however, he was taken down by a snarling Jebá. The man let out a final scream as the jaguar’s gaping jaws closed on his throat.