The White Cheetah

Chapter One

Sauda woke up. She stood up and stretched out her legs. Every one else was awake. She yawned and glared at her brother, Jake. He was trying to catch a moth that was fluttering through the air. He clamped it to the ground with his paw and giggled.

Sauda smiled and walked up to him. Her brother gazed at her and rolled his eyes. He grimaced at her and growled with disgust.

"What's wrong with your face?" Sauda asked him.

Jake hissed, "What's wrong with your fur?"

Jasiri stood up and walked up to his son. "Don't be rude," He chirped. "She's just albino. It's normal for most animals."

Jake spat, "It doesn't look normal. Cheetahs shouldn't have white fur. It looks weird."

"I'm not weird," Sauda chirped. She gazed at her spotted, white pelt. "I'm perfectly normal."

Jasiri smiled. "Well, I'm the one that's not normal!" He let out a laugh. "I'm a bit different from the other cheetahs."

Kamaria walked up to her mate and purred, "We don't have to be the same, you know. If the world was filled with cheetahs who were just like you, now that would be weird."

Sauda smilled and brushed her cheek againts her mother's. She purred, "Yeah. I guess that would be a little strange."

Jasiri nodded. "Yep. Now, it has come to that time when you little ones get to go out and explore Savariana!"

Jake and Sauda both smiled and leaped with joy.

Kamaria nodded. "Indeed. Now, don't run far and stay close to the lake, little ones!"

Jake squeaked, "We will, mother!"

The cheetah cubs leaped away from their parrents and bounded up to the lake's shore. Sauda found a frog sitting on a water lily and hop onto the shore. She chased it and tried to catch it. When it sprung into the lake, she did too. She splashed in, soaking her white fur.

Jake was attempting to catch a fish. He splashed into the water and tried to swim after it, but it was too swift for him.

"I wish I had fins like a fish," He chirped to his sister. "Then I would be able to swim in this lake like one."

Sauda laughed. "Whatever. Hey, watch this!" She leaped out of the lake, took a few steps back, and then leaped into the water. Water splashed up and landed on Jake.

"Jerk!" Jake spat, jumping out of the lake. He shook the water off his pelt and laid down on the shore. "Don't do that."

"I can do whatever I want to do!" Sauda hissed. She leaped out of the water and sat down on a rock. She saw a bird fluttering through the sky. She chirped, "I wish I had wings like a bird. I could fly through the air and be free."

"That's so stupid," Jake muttered. "You'll crash into a tree."

"Oh, and having fins is not dumber?"

Jake rolled his eyes. "True. But we have a lake here so it would be smart to have fins."

Sauda chirped, "Okay, so I guess it's smart to have fins. But what will you eat?'

"Fish, duh!" Jake squeaked. "I've never tried one before. They look good to eat."

Sauda looked at the lake and saw a small fish swimming in it. She grimaced and said, "Why would you want to eat that? It looks nasty."

"Who cares!" Her brother said. He leaped back into the water and tried to catch one. "It probably will taste good!" He dove down and searched for one. He found one, sunk his teeth into it, and then carried it up to the shore. He dropped it on his paws and said, "Got one!"

His sister rolled her eyes. "Okay. Now, eat it."

Jake looked at it. It was wet and slimey. It wriggled around a bit. He glared at his sister and said, "Um, now I don't feel hungry."

Sauda hissed, "You caught it, you eat it!"

Jake grimaced and took a bite out of it. It was very bitter, wet, and sour. He spat it out in disgust and squeaked, "What was I thinking? That was gross!"

The albino cub laughed. "Told you it was stupid!"

Jake smiled. "Okay, you were right."

Jasiri walked up to his cubs. He chirped, "Okay, it's time to go back to your mother. The sun is going down."

The cubs followed their father back to Kamaria. They then curled up next to each other and fell asleep.