Nyota rushed to her den, she really had to get home. Her hunting had come to a halt once she heard the rumbling in the evening sky. She hated that sound and wanted to avoid getting soaked. She heard the patter of the rain inch closer as she ran; using all of her energy she ran, her den soon became visible. She didn't want to slow down until she knew she was safe. Feeling the rain drops starting to it her tail she made a leap for it... As she landed in the sanctity of her home she scurried around, pacing back and forth looking for a spot to lie down. Finally settling into a spot a good distance for the entrance, but not too far he couldn't see the storm she laid down with a plop. How is it she loved and hated the rain? She loved the cool breeze before a storm, the gentle sound of the pitter-patter of the rain. But why, why did she hate it? Ever since she could remember she always felt unsettled by storms, the clashing sound of thunder, the crackling sound of lighting; she would always get an ominous feeling about it.
Nyota laid her head atop her paws and watched the storm roll closer; she could feel a stronger, more violent breeze hitting her against the face. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to embrace the cool breeze, the wind ruffling her hair tuff and blow through her fur. She was tired, she was out almost all day searching for food and all she could get were scraps. She hasn’t eaten a good meal in days. All she had was the leftover of the carcass she already had. She closed her eyes and felt an overwhelming rush of exhaustion sweep over her; she could feel her body fighting her as she opened her eyes, they felt so heavy. Try as she could she could not fight the urge for a nap, she allowed her eyes to closed and let her mind fall in to a deep sleep…
Soon Nyota awoke but she was no longer an adult, but a young cub. Looking around it was quite late; rain was coming down hard outside. Glancing around from the back of the cave she heard arguing coming from outside. She made out what to be her mother’s voice and her father’s voice. She maneuvered around her siblings to the front of the den where she stayed low and hid in the shadows. Waiting, watching, listening…. She never heard her parent fight before; in fact lately her parents hardly spoke to each other. When they did speak it was always about her and her siblings and the coloring of their pelts.
As she hid in the shadow of her den she listened…
“How could you do this to our family, how could you do this to me?!” The masculine voice hollered with rage.
“It was a mistake! I… I’m sorry!!” The female voice said weakly with pain and sorrow in her voice.
“I knew it wasn’t possible!” The male grew more enraged. “You know what I have to do don’t you?” His voice suddenly calmed down and grew into a serious tone.
“Please no! It wasn’t their fault! Everything was just a terrible accident!!” The female voice pleaded.
“It doesn’t matter!!! They were a mistake!!!” The male voice roared as he began to approach the den.
Nyota had nowhere to go, she was scared. The male lion walked in and grabbed one of the sleeping cubs by the neck and walked out. He set the cub in front of the female. “You're going to watch the demise of your cubs.” He said his voice filled with rage. He bit down on the neck without hesitation, the cub the out a cry and a tiny amount of a struggle before his small body went limp. The young cub was no match for the male lion. The rain had been still coming down and a flash of lighting filled the sky. Nyota had been watching from the shadows of the den, she saw the death of her brother. The lion simply pushed the lifeless body aside and walked back to the den.
The mother was hysterical; she knew there was nothing she could do to fight the male off to protect her cubs. The male lion returned and picked up another cub. This time he didn’t let the cub out of its mouth. He had begun trashing his head around. The cub was dead before it knew what was happening.
The mother simply began to lick her cubs cleans, her cubs she loved so dearly were all going to be departed and she couldn’t stop it. The male returned to the den, her sister still sleeping as he begun to pick her up. She watched at her sister was carried out into the storm. Nyota knew she had to do something. But what she was helpless.
The male lion took no mercy to the female cub, his massive teeth tore into the cub’s neck and she let out a cry, try as the cub could, she couldn’t escape from the jaw of the massive lion. He kicked her aside. Nyota knew she couldn’t stand there and die…
Nyota let out a pitiful roar and she charged at the male, she jumped unto his back and bean biting at his neck. The male simply grabbed her by the neck and tossed her. She hit her head against the boulder of her home… She was out cold…. But she wasn’t dead.
The female lion was still licking her dead cubs as she saw Nyota attack her mate, as Nyota lay still on the ground the mother slowly went over and began to lick her, but the mother realized something, this cub was still breathing. Was it possible the cub was still alive? She knew she couldn’t let her mate know if there was any chance for this cub to survive. She moved Nyota to her siblings and she licked them all as of saying goodbye.
The male roared and the female gave a few more licks to her cubs and obediently he followed. Looking back at her Nyota one last time before the set off into the horizon as the rain began to stop and the sun bean to rise over the horizon.
The female knew Nyota was alone… but at least she was alive…
Nyota woke up she was an adult again and the rain had stopped, she want panting heavily and was shaken up. She had the dream again… why did this keep happening to her… She was shaken up but it was clear. She was still hungry from earlier and now that the storm had passed she had to go hunt. She rose to her feet and stretched; she let out a big yawn and set out in search of food yet again.
