Painted Flowers

Chapter 15 - Apprehension

Hidden safely in the grass, glowing orange against the setting sun sat two tiny cheetah cubs, almost four moon cycles old. Once again, their mother was forced to leave them in her endless search for sustenance, and was nowhere to be seen along the continuous stretch of savanna. Mama Cheetah had concealed her children nestled among a fallen and hollowed-out acacia tree, with plenty of space for the two little ones to fit inside.

Curiosity got the better of the little male, and he left his sister while she was taking her nap. His rumbling belly left him restless, and he tiptoed away from the log, following his nose. His golden fur and dark spots camouflaged him among the blades, and he glided through them effortlessly, bounding around in his youthful merriment.

A bit of movement caught his sharp eye: a grasshopper. Not quite antelope meat, but...maybe it would taste good? The male licked his lips and stalked forward, putting one paw in front of the other delicately, just as his mother taught him.

The female cub twitched an ear, realizing suddenly that she was alone. Stay put, their mother had told them; so where was her brother? She lifted her head from her paws, nervously scanning the grassland. The log was safe--the grass was not.

The male cub pounced, missing the grasshopper by a whisker's length. He growled in frustration and tried again, leaping into the air and crashing a little too noisily among the foliage. After a few more failed attempts, he lost sight of the insect, and his belly protested against the meager scrap it was missing. He frowned, but something else caught his attention right away: another rustle in the grass...this time much, much larger.

The little girl spotted her brother when he raised his head and let out a warning chirp. Something didn't feel right, and she knew he would be much safer if he returned to the log. Why couldn't he just follow directions? She gave him another chirp.

Yet another rustle. Coming closer. For whatever reason his paws would not work, but his eyes darted around anxiously. He could hear his sister in the distance calling for him to return, but something kept him rooted to the spot. Was it fascination, or terror?

A pair of eyes as orange and sinister as the setting sun was the only thing that could be seen among the limitless grassland.

When the eyes had a voice, a deep rumbling growl that shook the very hearts of the two cubs, the little girl let out a cry and scrambled immediately for the safety of the acacia. Her brother was not so fortunate, and without further warning was face-to-face with a massive lioness.

This lioness, skinny and lonesome, was ravenous, and would do whatever it took to satisfy her need for blood. Her most distinct feature, aside from her piercing stare, were the scars scored across her sunken cheekbone. She belonged to no pride, and had no family to rely on. She was desperate, and would even kill another feline such as this innocent cub who was shaking and frozen with pure fright. With a mighty roar, she struck.

This roar echoed so powerfully that even from several yards away, Mama Cheetah was alerted, and she realized instantly that her family was in danger. Her fur bristled with horror and she dropped the hare that she had managed to catch on her hunt, sprinting at a cheetah's full speed towards the location of her children.

But it was too late.

The beast lifted her head from the ground, her muzzle caked entirely with crimson gore. She rumbled in satisfaction, licking her chops greedily. Mama watched in sheer ferocity as the lioness took one threatening step closer, doubling her in stride by lunging at full force.

The two felines battled, swiping and ripping the other's fur out. The remaining cub, safe and undetected beside the log, covered her face with her paws in a vain attempt to block out the dreadful experience. The fight raged on and on, until one strike totally obliterated the balance.