The leopard

[fivedragons]

One day, he was was wandering through the woods when he realized he had lost his way. The sun was going down, and the temperature was dropping fast. He saw an opening in the ground, and thought "I will rest for the night."

As he went into the cave, the earth started to shake. He looked towards the opening in time to see dirt and boulders crashing down over the opening. A strange, low sound caused him to whip his head around. In that moment, there was just enough light to catch the reflection of large yellow eyes, and to see the spots, coiled against the wall of the cave.

As the growl changed in pitch, he was aware of an alien sound rising from his chest into his throat. He felt the hair standing on his skin, as he crouched, and felt the air around him and the ground under his feet.

There was fire on the side of his face as his forearm came in contact with fur. His other hand grasped something that he knew to be an ear.

Much time passed without rest; a kind of floating state of terror, violence and despair.

Then there was the sound of panting, while he strained to move the boulders. There was the sound of panting, while the leopard clawed at the earth.

As they collapsed into the sunlight, he felt a rough tongue on his wounds, then there was nothing.

When he awoke, he struggled to his feet and started to make his way home. He heard a yelp of pain and turned to see the leopard dragging his broken leg after him.

Once the leopard was lying across his shoulders, he began to put one foot in front of the other…..