The Blue Eyed Leopard

Forest Ranger Encounter

I go inside and change into a sports bra and yoga pants. I grab my skateboard and a leather jacket from my closet along with a change of clothes.

I slip the clothes into my messenger bag and slip on the leather jacket. I hear Andrew come in downstairs, "Carrie, I'm home!" he says. I go to the foyer balcony and wave to him, he uses his nickname for me. (her full name is Ashley Caroline Grace Rivers) I slip on my converse and grab a beanie from my desk. I go down the stairs two at a time, "Where are you off to?" Andrew asks. "Chill, I'm just going for a trail run." I say. Andrew nods before going upstairs to take a shower. He owns a Rivers Auto Mechanics Inc, the top ranking auto shop across the country.

I go out the door and step onto my skateboard. I skate down the road to a secluded trail head. My acute hearing tells me no one is near me. I put my skateboard and bag in a hole by the roots of a tree. I cover the hole with tree limbs to look like a bush, I put my leather jacket in the hole as well. I then walk down the trail I little ways before stopping at an opening. I sit down in the grass a few feet from the trail. I cross my legs and relax my breathing, pretty soon I feel my bones reforming. I stand to my paws and stretch out.

I circle a few times before bounding off into the trees, I explore every nook and cranny. I hear the sound of rushing water and follow it to a small brook. I lower my head to the water's surface to drink. I hear a gasp and my head snaps up to find two girls from my school dressed in workout clothes hiding in a bush by the trail. One has a cellphone out and is filming me while the other is watching with an open mouth. I make a purring sound in the back of my throat. I cautiously approach the two girls, they cower back the closer I get.

One trips over the root of a nearby tree, "Amanda!" the girl with the camera yelps to her fallen friend who is desperately trying to get away from me. I approach her and she closes her eyes tightly and puts her hands in front of her face. I get close enough that if she reached out she could touch me. She opens her eyes slowly, they grow wide when she sees me standing there. I nudge her hand with my head, it rests between my ears. She starts to stand, using me as support.

She limps over to the girl with the camera, they hug tightly. I slink back into the trees while they're distracted. I leave 'Ash' etched into the dirt with a stick I held in my mouth. The scent of deer hits me and I crouch low to the ground, following the scent until I find the eight point buck. My mouth waters with anticipation, my muscles coil readying themselves to spring into action. I stalk the deer until I'm a few feet away. I spring into action just as the deer starts to walk away. I sink my claws into its hindquarters.

It makes a startled bleating noise that turns into a gurgle as I rip into its stomach, I crush its throat I'm my mouth. The warm liquid fills my mouth as I rip into the now silenced animal's flesh. I finish off the deer, leaving the carcass to another animal. I trot to a nearby river, submerging my fur up to my shoulders in the icy cold water. I wade out of the water and use my paws to clean my face until I'm one hundred percent sure I'm clean. I stand and shake my fur, I trot off into the forest to find the den I made for myself.

I approach and see three forest rangers inspecting my den, I emit a low menacing growl. They freeze, "Isn't she a beauty." one says. Another one takes out a walkie-talkie, "We found the snow leopard, I repeat we have found the snow leopard." he says. I growl, my tail twitches back and forth. The third one approaches me with a tranquilizer gun, "Hey girl, we're just going to observe you. No need to be scared." he says soothingly. Scared?! He thinks I'm afraid of a puny human such as himself?! I think.

I notice he's gotten closer to me, I back up until my back legs touch a tree. I crouch into a defense position, "David, you're threatening her. You need to stand down, back away slowly." the one who called me a beauty says warningly. The guy called David ignores the warning, "Relax Alex, I got a tranquilizer gun if she comes after me." David says. I crouch lower so that the fur on my stomach brushes the blades of grass, I unsheathe my claws. Baring my teeth I spring towards this David character.

He aims the tranquilizer gun at me and fires, I dodge the dart and swipe at David's chest. He screams out in pain and his two friends rush to help him. I use my hind legs to launch myself out of the clearing, I dig my hind claws into the tree's bark and launch off of it. I shoot out of the clearing as fast as I can. The ground below me a blur as well as the trees surrounding me, I dodge the trees all the way back to my bag. I get my bag out of the hole and drag it behind some bushes and trees.

I shift and change into the spare outfit in my bag, I put my ripped clothes in my messenger bag and slip the beanie back on along with the leather jacket, I use my skateboard to get home. As soon as I walk in Andrew bombards me with questions, "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Where were you?" he babbles. "I'm fine Drew, I was on the trail. Why?" I reply. "Some forest rangers found a leopard's den about ten miles from here, they were inspecting it when the leopard came back. One of them got hurt really bad," he babbles.

"I was worried since the trail is close to the den. I didn't want you to get hurt by the leopard." Andrew says. "Not a scratch on my body, see." I motion down my slender frame, Andrew nods and releases me. "How about after I take my shower we can watch a movie." I suggest. Andrew nods, "Good." I say. I go upstairs to my bedroom and take a pair of pajama pants and a shirt. I take a quick shower before grabbing my cellphone off my desk and going back downstairs. "Popcorn!" Andrew yells from the kitchen.

I sit on the couch and pull a blanket over myself while I wait for Andrew to come sit down, he comes a minute later holding to bowls of freshly popped popcorn. He knows I don't like sharing my popcorn. "What movie?" I ask grabbing the remote. Andrew shrugs while putting a piece of popcorn in his mouth. I pick 'Fate of the Furious', Andrew rolls his eyes. "Of course you pick the one that has illegal street racing in it." he comments. I turn the volume up so I can't hear him and stick my tongue out.

We watch the movie, when I look over to Andrew he's fast asleep. I smile to myself before pulling a blanket over him, I go upstairs and get into my bed. I go to sleep with my mind set on the forest rangers...