We’ve already rehearsed a few hunting techniques that we have used the other millions of times we’ve hunted. All of us start padding toward a heard of gazelle, detected kwa our smell and sight, about 2 miles away.
I drift to the front while Beck moves to my left and fawn zaidi behind to my right in a pembetatu formation. Rockelle pads behind me as a backup while DJ takes up the rear. Demi is the youngest, so she’s stuck in the middle of our diamond-shaped formation of big, hungry cats.
All of us approach the herd with zipping speed and cleanly attack. I take down the leader’s mate, biting into her neck. Beck pounces and takes down the largest male. fawn is behind me biting into the other male. DJ has already killed the smallest female. Finally, Rockelle swiftly takes down the last female with a clean break of the neck. Wait a second. Where’s Demi!? Stunned, I whip my head back and forth to find the little cub to no avail. Something’s wrong here.
“Guys! Stop! Demi’s gone!” I yell.
Shit. Shit. Double shit! Not sweet little Demi. All of us leave our kill behind, not caring, and sprint over the open moor, calling her name. Nothing responds. Not even a faint yelp. I hope nothing ate her! She could never defend herself out there. For god’s sake, she’s only six!
But what have we Lost her to? Another pack? This has never happened before so I don’t know! I’m screaming, sorry. Still, I won’t stop trying.
“Demi! Demetria the wereleopard!” Now that was stupid. All of Africa can probably hear us! But I won’t stop trying. Never stop trying.
We searched and searched and searched. Nothing. We checked all the dead trees, all the tall grasses, all the ditches and behind all the rocks. Demi’s gone.
Why didn’t I watch her! Oh my god, I’m going to kill myself. Well, not literally. I just can’t believe this. I pad up to Beck’s side and change to my human form and hug him. Then I start to sob au should I say weep. After I few dakika of crying and stroking him, everyone turns into their human form too. Beck shivers into his human part and hugs me back. We just sit there, and cry because we Lost one of our own. Beck moves his hand in circles around my back and kisses my hair like every 5 sekunde and whispers, “Everything’s alright. Everything will be alright. We’ll find her Tash and won’t give up.” It sounded like he was mostly trying to convince himself.
We were out so long that the sky was already a dark, golden-orange color with the enormous sun half inaonyesha over the horizon. It was time to go back home. Wait—we couldn’t leave our food! The thought of chakula made my stomach growl with hunger. I change back to a cheetah and run back to our catch spot. It was all gone. Right then, I hear a laughing howl in the distance and feel a surge of anger. Freaking hyenas. Argh. Well, I guess we can make a stop at taco Bell. I know what you’re thinking. A taco kengele in the middle of Africa? This may sound crazy, but we travel all the way to southern Africa in approximately 30 dakika and order from the taco kengele there. Ya, we can do that.
I can feel the wind blowing through my pelt from going about 74 miles per hour. All the others are trailing behind me at about 60 au 65. Ha. It’s great being a fast runner.
***
I wake up in the middle of the night, panting hard. I had a horrible nightmare about Demi and hyenas and oh, God it was real! Shocked, I get up and go down the hall to Beck’s room. He wakes up.
“What’s wrong?” he asks groggily.
I suddenly start crying, so unlike me. He gets up and pulls me into him. I wipe the stupid tears and snot all over his shati but he doesn’t care. We kiss and without really thinking, we get onto the bed.
wewe know where that leads...
I drift to the front while Beck moves to my left and fawn zaidi behind to my right in a pembetatu formation. Rockelle pads behind me as a backup while DJ takes up the rear. Demi is the youngest, so she’s stuck in the middle of our diamond-shaped formation of big, hungry cats.
All of us approach the herd with zipping speed and cleanly attack. I take down the leader’s mate, biting into her neck. Beck pounces and takes down the largest male. fawn is behind me biting into the other male. DJ has already killed the smallest female. Finally, Rockelle swiftly takes down the last female with a clean break of the neck. Wait a second. Where’s Demi!? Stunned, I whip my head back and forth to find the little cub to no avail. Something’s wrong here.
“Guys! Stop! Demi’s gone!” I yell.
Shit. Shit. Double shit! Not sweet little Demi. All of us leave our kill behind, not caring, and sprint over the open moor, calling her name. Nothing responds. Not even a faint yelp. I hope nothing ate her! She could never defend herself out there. For god’s sake, she’s only six!
But what have we Lost her to? Another pack? This has never happened before so I don’t know! I’m screaming, sorry. Still, I won’t stop trying.
“Demi! Demetria the wereleopard!” Now that was stupid. All of Africa can probably hear us! But I won’t stop trying. Never stop trying.
We searched and searched and searched. Nothing. We checked all the dead trees, all the tall grasses, all the ditches and behind all the rocks. Demi’s gone.
Why didn’t I watch her! Oh my god, I’m going to kill myself. Well, not literally. I just can’t believe this. I pad up to Beck’s side and change to my human form and hug him. Then I start to sob au should I say weep. After I few dakika of crying and stroking him, everyone turns into their human form too. Beck shivers into his human part and hugs me back. We just sit there, and cry because we Lost one of our own. Beck moves his hand in circles around my back and kisses my hair like every 5 sekunde and whispers, “Everything’s alright. Everything will be alright. We’ll find her Tash and won’t give up.” It sounded like he was mostly trying to convince himself.
We were out so long that the sky was already a dark, golden-orange color with the enormous sun half inaonyesha over the horizon. It was time to go back home. Wait—we couldn’t leave our food! The thought of chakula made my stomach growl with hunger. I change back to a cheetah and run back to our catch spot. It was all gone. Right then, I hear a laughing howl in the distance and feel a surge of anger. Freaking hyenas. Argh. Well, I guess we can make a stop at taco Bell. I know what you’re thinking. A taco kengele in the middle of Africa? This may sound crazy, but we travel all the way to southern Africa in approximately 30 dakika and order from the taco kengele there. Ya, we can do that.
I can feel the wind blowing through my pelt from going about 74 miles per hour. All the others are trailing behind me at about 60 au 65. Ha. It’s great being a fast runner.
***
I wake up in the middle of the night, panting hard. I had a horrible nightmare about Demi and hyenas and oh, God it was real! Shocked, I get up and go down the hall to Beck’s room. He wakes up.
“What’s wrong?” he asks groggily.
I suddenly start crying, so unlike me. He gets up and pulls me into him. I wipe the stupid tears and snot all over his shati but he doesn’t care. We kiss and without really thinking, we get onto the bed.
wewe know where that leads...
I knew it was coming.
I’ve broken
the law
s o m a n y t i m e s.
It was inevitable.
I just wish I had
Mother,
Father,
and Violet
here to support me.
I can almost hear Mother’s
calm, smooth
voice, telling me It’ll be
alright.
I can almost feel Father's
h a n d o n m y a r m,
squeezing reassuringly.
I can almost smell Violet’s
homemade strawberry perfume
as she buries her head
into my neck.
A final good-bye.
I don’t like good-byes because
they seem too formal.
I’d rather settle for
just leaving
than facing the
people I love
and risk
bursting
out
in *t e a r s*
Anything but that.
I might die right
then
and
there.
I’ve broken
the law
s o m a n y t i m e s.
It was inevitable.
I just wish I had
Mother,
Father,
and Violet
here to support me.
I can almost hear Mother’s
calm, smooth
voice, telling me It’ll be
alright.
I can almost feel Father's
h a n d o n m y a r m,
squeezing reassuringly.
I can almost smell Violet’s
homemade strawberry perfume
as she buries her head
into my neck.
A final good-bye.
I don’t like good-byes because
they seem too formal.
I’d rather settle for
just leaving
than facing the
people I love
and risk
bursting
out
in *t e a r s*
Anything but that.
I might die right
then
and
there.