A Darker Leopard

Chapter three: Guns and dogs

My sister is a phcyco. Not gonna lie. I'm not limping anymore now that my snake bite has healed, thank goodness. I'm still constantly on the watch to make sure my sister doesn't attempt anything. She's always trying to kill me. What did I do wrong??

Mumma finally took us hunting. This meant I didn't have to watch my back for my sister, although, I am still constantly alert.

We walked untill my siblings and I grew tired and could walk no more. We had never walked this far before. We turned back heading for home, Mumma carrying each of us in turn. There was no prey around. There was only this new cattle farm, we used that as a last resort. Mumma said she had been to one of these once before, and once was enough to tell her not to go back again.

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It was getting increasingly late and the cattle were well guarded. Dogs barked at our direction and the hairless monkeys had sticks that explode! Mumma explained, her voice less than a whisper "Those monkeys are called 'humans' and the sticks, I believe are called guns. Don't catch the humans' attention, they'll shoot you with the guns."

Mumma stalked a cattle then pounced. Our night vision made this easy. Making as little noize as possible, we dragged the kill away.

BANG

My heart skipped a beat as gunshots rang out and I could feel the air around me shatter. Mumma's legs collapsed beneath her and her side was bleeding heavily, her breathing getting shallower and shallower. I froze in fear unsure of what to do. Then, they sent the dogs after us.

I ran.

I ran fast and far.

I could hear a dog hot on my tail. My siblings were nowhere to be seen. My sister burst out of the bushes, flanked by a dog. The beast took her down and I could only watch in horror at the mess of flying fur and unsheathed claws. Part of me was saying "Good riddance!" Whilst the other was screaming. I raced into the dense forest with the dog following struggling to keep up in this terrain.

I began to tire. No one can help me now. I could hear my heart thumping in my ears.

In one final effort, I darted for the closest tree that I was certain the dog couldn't follow me up. It ripped off the fur at the tip of my tail before I could climb to safety. I scrambled my way up the precarious trunk. I was saved. I found a stable spot on which I could rest. My chest hurt, my paws ached and my tail was tattered. I hadn't noticed the blood tricking from my ear, must've caught it on something. I was twitchy as always, but more so since the adrenaline was still pumping its way through my tiny body.

I heared my brothers painful screeches in the disdance. The dog at the bottom of the tree must of heared it as well; it sped away to finish my brother off. I was still shaking in the tree.

I spent the rest of the night incredibly hungry. Nightmares filled my sleep.

Author's note: Quite the dramatic chapter this was! -There are more to come...