• Black darkness, sheer cold, I can't move; nothing.

    I can feel the hot air brushing against my cheek. For a moment, I am content, then the smell hits me; A smell far worse then any I could have imagined. A smell of rotting flesh and hardened blood. A smell that made my nose cringe, my skin crawl, my eyes burn, my stomach churn.
    Feeling as though I were to be sick, I jolt, trying to sit up before I'm thrown back down by a large amount of dead weight.

    A sharp pain swells up on my skin right above my stomach but lower then my chest cavity. My eyes shoot open like rockets, my breath sticks in my throat. The sun burns as my pupils try to dilate, my eyes watering, and finally I can see.

    What I see is something that would scare most of humanity. A feline of dusty yellow fur, about 7ft. long from nose to tail tip and close to 600lbs., that would normally stand about 4ft. tall, that is, if it were awake.
    The pain begins to seethe through once more as the shock of my situation wears off. Cautiously I look away from the lions sleeping, and oddly peaceful face, and down at my body. The felines monstrous 5lb. paw lay sprawled about my body, it's 4in. claws slightly digging into my flesh, threatening to tear right through the thin fabric of my shirt.

    I take a few deep breaths to settle my nerves, as much as they would be settled that is. A moment of thought and my nimble body has gone to work. Slowly with shaky hands, I begin to pry until all five claws are loose. Slowly, extremely slow, agonizingly slow, I bring the massive paw up off of me, slowly lowering it back to the earth.

    As I stand, I wait for a moment or two, so as not to awaken the sleeping beast. 10 minutes later, I've made my way to the end of the grassy opening and to the beginning of a dense forest. Almost safe!, I'm thinking to myself as I bring my foot into the forest.

    And then I hear it. The horrible sound of twigs breaking and leaves crunching under the weight of anything that should pass over it. I cringe, my eyes shutting tight. Turning back around, I slowly open my eyes. A massive build of muscles stands facing me, a quiet and steady growl emanating from it's chest, ready to pounce as soon as I move.

    Adrenaline moves me as the lion lunges forwards, running towards me at full speed. I'm darting through the forest, weaving in and out of trees, trying to throw the feline off it's pace. I hear him pounding behind me through the rubble. I spot a rather large pine tree; throwing my arms in the air, I grasp the lowest branch and jolt up the tree as far as is necessary to mask my sent.

    Moments later I see him following the sent of my hot blood and flesh, no doubt mouth-watering at the thought of an easy meal. As he stops to pad around my hideout, I begin to panic. Will I die today? No! I refuse to have my life taken by an ignorant brute!

    Grabbing a loose branch beside me I hold my breath as to not talk myself out of it, and lunge, branch in hand, screaming, out of the tree. I land on the beasts chest piercing the cavity as I fall.
    I hear him screech and feel him drop under me. I'm panting and crying and thanking the lord for my life.

    Hours later, after a fire, cooked meat, and a full stomach, I stumble back to the village to recall the story of Moriko, the Wild Child.



    I hope you enjoyed my little story! There is a link to my works (unpublished and unfinished) in my journal, but! I will be posting more here I suppose! smile