Animal Instincts: The Urban Jungle

By S.L Jackson

Animal Instincts: The Urban Jungle is a collection
of creative stories based on the lives of animals in an
urban underworld jungle. The stories are focused
around a family of outlaw rabbits who are fixtures in
the criminal activities taking place in the jungle while
trying to maintain a balanced life and family structure.
Deceit and mistrust lead the rabbits down a dark
rabbit hole of revenge and murder.
There are no happily-ever-after's in these
stories. Join the Jackson rabbits as they navigate
their way through the urban jungle using their Animal
Instincts.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Mar 3, 2020
• ISBN: 9781734168907

Book preview

Jungle

Story 1:

All Sunny Days Ain’t So Bright

As the twins played farther and farther away from where their mom had told them not to, the sun was beating down on the Jackson brothers. They were from the toughest, baddest, most dangerous rabbits the jungle had ever seen. Poppa Jackson had made his bones doing whatever he could, but due to his ridiculous speed, he was a robber; no one could catch him. Mama Jackson, on the other hand, was a sneaky, yet sweet rabbit who’d do whatever to get the money. There was no telling which parent was the most ruthless.

Mama and Poppa rabbit had settled on running a speakeasy for the underworld elite called The Bunny Hop House. Out of all the times the parent rabbits had expected kids, the only ones that made it were Leaps and Jumps, and they were their parents’ pride and joy. Leaps was the eldest by only a minute. Jumps was not far behind and that normally set the tone for the rambunctious twins.

Leaps, you see that strange bird flying over there? Looks like he’s been following us the whole time. 

Well, let’s stop and see if that’s the case, replied the oldest brother.

Just as the brothers suspected, the bird had been following them. This bird wasn’t just any regular bird. He was a dove, a black dove that only spoke to a few animals, but he saw everything going on in the jungle and beyond. 

What’s up, twins? spoke the voice of the black dove. My name is Blac. I’ve been watching y’all, man, and y’all a long way from home. What y’all doing way out here? 

What you mean, you been watching us? said the twins simultaneously.

Look, I’m going to be all the way real with y’all. Your dad is a good friend of mine and I’m forever indebted to him, so I keep a close eye on y’all for him. I see everything and I’m seeing y’all way outta bounds, so what y’all doing?

We doing us, what you mean? spat Jumps in a fiery tone.

During this odd exchange of words, the twins began to playfully wrestle and stumbled upon some rainbow-colored mushrooms. 

Bro, what are those? They look like mushrooms, but they’re mad colorful. You think we should try some to see what they do? asked Leaps.

Naw, bro, you know we ain’t with the drugs. Poppa always said that will slow us down. Remember, our gift is that we are two of the fastest runners out here; can’t let nothing slow us down.

Yo, Blac, what do you think of these? Think we can get paid off these? Jumps asked, rubbing his hands together. I mean, you are down with the team. We discovered these together; we won’t cut you out. All hands on deck—well, hands and wings in this case.

Everyone burst into laughter as the sun shined on all three of them.

Boys… where are you? yelled Mama Rabbit. Poppa, I can’t find the boys. Have you seen them?

Woman, let them be! They’re boys; let them become men. You can’t keep them here forever. They have to grow up and come into their own, was his reply. I mean, you can’t expect them to sit around here all day; plus, there’s always a lot going on here, Babe. They need to see new things. Blac is always close by them. I’m sure if there is ever a problem, he’ll take care of it and definitely let me know.

I know, Babe, but it’s dangerous out there. I just want to know they are safe.

"How safe you think they’re going to be? It’s not all that safe here, Mama; this is the place where all the elite meet up every night."

This place was the Bunny Hop House. Mama and Poppa had decided to settle down once the twins were born, and this is what they’d settled on: a twenty-four-hour world of crime all in one place.

Hera and Zeus Simmons were dogs, and by dogs, I mean just that. Fighters by nature, it was natural they ran the dog-fighting ring located in the backyard of the Bunny Hop House. The boxers had met while roaming the streets years ago, had fallen in love, and been down ever since. Well, I wouldn’t say they were roaming the streets. These boxers were actually out chasing rabbits when they came across Mama and Poppa. Mama and Poppa were up to what they called the old bait-and-switch method. Mama stood out front and acted lost in the middle of the road, while Poppa stayed in the back, ready for the take. Just so happened on that day, Hera and Zeus were out looking for a romantic meal for later.

The take was some mushrooms