Welcome to the Jungle

“She’s real beautiful,” said the soft feminine voice.

“She’s also deadly.”

“Deadly?”

“Yeah- that freakish thing managed to half kill a guard the other day.”

“Let me guess: Thompson.”

“How’d you know?”

“Because he borderline brutalizes anything he comes across that isn’t human. I’m surprised more of the exhibits haven’t gone after him yet.”

“You don’t like him much, do you?”

“Does anyone?”

“You've got a point.”

The guards were looking at the steel and reinforced bulletproof glass enclosure, designed to mimic a quarter-acre of deep jungle. Within it stalked what any anime fan would gladly term a ‘cat girl.’ Pacing on all fours, she was easy four feet tall; standing, she’d be just over seven feet. There was mild muscle definition all over her body, she might have been sleek and slender, but there was definitely power behind those limbs. Thompson had raised bruises and a pair of welts on her before the cat girl had finally had enough and pounced on him, landing blows hard and fast before a second guard could run in with a cattle prod. Even that had almost not worked. She limped now, slightly, though the limp was fading with the bruises. She had a pelt the color of snow, and eyes like lightning-toned gemstones that hinted at intelligence equal to anyone that watched her. She was hiding in the ‘jungle’ now, near a small cave, blue eyes peering out from among the foliage.

The guards, Samuel and Dana, were watching the pen carefully, Sam with feigned interest, Dana with the real thing. Both had second jobs; Sam worked as a bartender at night, and Dana was a surrogate mother. Dana was well into her ninth month and due to birth twins in two weeks. She looked radiant.

“Someone’s got to go on there and collect the scraps from that thing’s dinner,” Sam said.

Dana, though curious about this strange deviation from what was normally accepted as ‘nature’, shook her head, “No way.”

“I did it earlier, so it’s your turn now.”

“Flip you for it.”

“Deal, call it in the air.” Sam produced a coin from his pocket and held it out. After a moment, he flicked it, the tiny disc of metal spinning rapidly.

“Heads,” Dana said. The coin landed a moment later, and Sam peered at it, and then held it out for inspection.

“Tails, I win. Grab a bucket and hope that thing’s not hungry.”

“Lazy men, making a pregnant girl do all the work.”

“Dana, quit stalling and get in there!”

Sam swatted Dana’s rear as she waddled into the enclosure, the door closing and latching behind her. She headed into the trees, stopping a moment later. Crickets chirped, birds sang and fluttered from tree to tree.

She tripped on a root and fell down, yelping inadvertently in pain. There was a sense of something moving impossibly fast, and then she heard the door open.

“Dana! Are you all right?!”

‘Oh, sure,’ she thought, ‘NOW he cares what the hell happens to me. I saw the way this… thing was eyeing Thompson. It wanted HIM for breakfast, not the steaks he was bringing in. I probably look extra delicious, being as big as I am.’

“I’m all right, Sam, I just tripped.” She called out, rolling onto her side and getting to her feet slowly.

“If you’re all right now, you might not be. That thing’s right behind you!”

Dana froze, and slowly turned her head to look behind her. Standing on a boulder on all fours, its eyes level with her own was the cat girl, lightning colored gaze evenly meeting Dana’s own.

“LOOK OUT!” Dana flinched, that was Thompson yelling. He’d just shoved his way through the door and was making his sweaty way to where Dana was as fast as his legs would carry him. The cat girl’s eyes focused on Thompson and it snarled, the cry sounding almost human. With a speed that belied its size, the cat girl was suddenly between Thompson and Dana, growling and licking its lips. Thompson stopped.

“What did you do to it, Dana?”

“Nothing, all I did was trip!”

“Bullshit, it’s protecting you!”

‘Protecting me?’ She thought.

~Yes.~ came a voice remarkably like her own, echoing softly in her head. She blinked, startled.

~I'd think you'd have more friendly people designed to watch over your little 'zoo' here.~ The voice continued, cultured, though contempt soured its tone at the mention of the 'Zoo.' It sat down on its haunches watching the other guard while it kept Thompson pinned. ~If this one tries to harm me again, it will be the last thing he does.~ The cat girl got up, her overlarge breasts swaying as it strode away on all fours, disappearing into the foliage.

"Thompson... did you hear that?" Dana asked him as she stood up.

"Hear what?"

She looked to him quizzically and then just shook her head, "Umm, Nothing... just a bird."

"A bird?! Woman you need to get out of there and stop listening to the birds!" he shouted at her.

"Thompson, shut the door already. I still have a job to do and you don’t want that 'thing' as you call it to get out and tear you a new asshole." she said bitterly, hoping that the cat girl would hear and understand her dislike of the man who had hurt her yesterday.

She took her tray and picked up scraps of food, trying to put out a mental image of her petting the big cat and she had filled her head with questions, hoping they could get answered. 'How did you do that? Did you even do that or did I imagine it?' She found herself softly whispering "here kitty, kitty, kitty" as she bent down. All she wanted was another magical confrontation with the beautiful cat.

~If you keep "Here, kitty-ing” me, I'm going to die from holding in laugher, girl. You don't even have to talk out loud, just think a question. I'm right here, even if you don’t see me.~

The cultured voice rang with suppressed laughter, and an image of a cute, chibi version of the cat girl clutching its digigrade paws to its chest and laughing uproariously filled Dana's head and made her smile a little.

'Fine, I guess I will have to stop with my antics. Do you mind if I sit?' she took her seat without even waiting for an answer. 'I have a question, what should I call you? I think it's degrading to call you cat-girl or your scientific name which is quite long.' she thought.

~We call ourselves Nekomimi, and to be honest, I'm surprised that you people haven't found out something interesting about us yet. You dissected another one of my people; I could hear the scientists gloating from three miles away. Ugh. No mental control at all, honestly.~

'Humans aren’t well known for any form of control. And I find it so disgusting what scientists do to animals. Would you mind showing yourself to me? I love your beautiful, round b-pelt! Yes, you are so pretty.'

She chuckled mentally.

Dana blushed red, 'Please' she pleaded and even filled her mind with the image of herself with the classic 'pouty lips'

~Your surface thoughts are like an open book to me, girl- I know what you were going to say. What should I call you?~

'You can call me Dana. That was the name I was given when I was born'

~And you can call me Sarah.~ There was a silent pause and then: ~Dana what sort of food is available here? I can’t live on meat and grass alone. And I need to HUNT.~

'Like hunt something alive?!'

~If it's dead, it doesn’t try to escape. Ergo, it isn't hunting when some strange thing drops a raw steak at your feet.~

She sighed. 'I don’t know how I could bring a live animal in or find some way to get you-' She sat there, trying to mask her thoughts. 'with a proper collar or harness...' and she trailed off.

~While using something along the lines of leash might get me out, for whatever reason, it wouldn’t let me hunt. No dice, so don't bother. I appreciate the thought but it won’t work. That guard, however. Surely no one would miss him if he vanished...~

'You want to kill Thompson? Well he does have a wife but whatever frustrations he can’t take out on the animals, he takes out on her. Ohhhhhh' she whimpered and looked worried.

"Thompson! Can you get in here! I need some help"

'Don’t hurt my friend... the big dark man, Sam, but you may have Thompson'

Thomson ran in, cattle prod at the ready. "What, what is it?"

"The thing, it tried to hurt me!"

Thompson grinned rather cruelly- a chance to cause pain, perfect. *CLANG!!* The door slammed shut behind Thompson, accompanied by a growl. The burly man blanched, his perpetually sweaty face going pale in fear at the noise, and started to seat more than usual, turning to face the cat morph behind him. She moved, knocking him down cuffing him a few times to get him mad and bounded off into the underbrush- leaving a trail, Dana noted- whereas before the cat morph had simply vanished into the 'jungle', leaving no signs that the vast 'cage' was even occupied. Thompson spluttered, got to his feet and charged into the underbrush.

Dana curled up in a little ball and covered her ears, hoping not to hear any screams or have to see any of what this Nekomimi could do

There was a surprised shout that was muffled after a quarter-second, and then a very, very eerie silence.

~Not as satisfying as a real hunt, but it’s the first good meal I've had in months.~ There was a sense of contentment and well being coming into Dana's mind with that voice. ~If you had some idea of me being one of those rabid 'cannibals' you people enjoy watching on your TV’s I fear you're mistaken. Feel free to follow the trail the fool blundered into my home and you'll find nothing but the bones from my steaks I was brought this morning.~

She got up and steadied herself, rubbing her tummy and she followed the trail of footprints and the like, into a bit of denser jungle. She looked around in the dark of the trees and her eyes adjusted to the dimness. 'Where are you?'

~Listen,~ there was the sound of purring a deep, vibrant purr, like that of a leopard or tiger, and it was easy to follow.

She smiled softly and followed the purring, being filled with a feeling of contentment. Like when your cat sits on your lap and purrs away and all you can feel is happy. She groped around in the dark, the purring getting louder

She could see the cat girl now, purring contentedly, laying on her side, eyes closed. Her breasts, huge as they had been, were dwarfed by a belly that was gigantic, big enough to hold… well... Thompson.

~He was far too greasy, but he WAS filling. I'm not even giving him the benefit of knocking him out before I swallowed. Ahhh, delicious.~

She looked at the cat girl, quite shocked at it all. She began stroking her own belly, imagining the space taken up by the twins wasn’t in her womb but in her stomach and she visibly shuddered. She sat down, again without permission and stared at the cat, letting her eyes roam over the fully belly and the abundant breasts.

~It's something similar to pregnancy, yes, but it's not the way I would want to bear my young. A good meal is a good meal, but having cubs is just as well.~ She smiled slightly. ~I'm sorry if I put you ill at ease.~

I just expected you to eat him like a lion would a zebra. This is actually better because now I don’t have to see his bloody carcass.' She looked deep into the cat girl’s eyes, loving there beautiful color and how they expressed her emotions so well. 'Are you at least happier with your meal than with the usual steaks?'

She smiled. ~MUCH happier. I think the departed idiot is still conscious and trying to move, though he can’t do much. It's been AGES since I felt this good. Thank you.~

Dana smiled slightly; glad she could make her day and offer her a bit of food she was more used to. This cat will always be a predator, nothing would change that. She stared at the woman until she noticed a faint aroma... the aroma of a woman's sex. She quickly turned from sitting Indian style to more of a kneeling, claiming her legs needed to be stretched. But nothing could cover the scent of her arousal. She hoped that it would not drift to the cat and belie her true feelings. She was horny and turned on by this big breasted, full tummied, cat girl!

~I didn’t even need to smell it to know it.~ Again, a faint mental chuckle. ~I'm flattered.~

She blushed bright red and felt her hot cheeks. Then she made to stand up 'I should be leaving, I will be back though'

~Embarrassed?~

'Ummmmm... no, not at all. Sam will jut be getting worried'

The cat girl grunted and slowly got to her feet, barely able to move due to size of her distended stomach. She reached out with one paw to help the pregnant zookeeper to her feet. The keeper went to the sliding steel door and knocked softly. Sam opened it up, worried sick.

“Thompson won’t be coming back,” she said without any remorse. Sam just shrugged.

‘I will be back Sarah’