The king of all animals

Lauren was apparently a very talkative and relaxed person. At least, that was what Stan thought as he apologized to her for his sudden behavior. Which she accepted quite fast to her own astonishment. She opened her mouth in a retort, which she couldn’t find. To then close it again. Seated a bit dumbfounded to her own lack of rebuke to the whole situation. She looked up again to the young boy besides her, to smile shyly for a second and to then avert her gaze again. Which made her feel somewhat idiotic, he just bit her.

“I’m sorry”

She however uttered. Again to her own complete astonishment. Not even knowing what she apologized for, but the boy’s tense shoulders slumped down a bit. Which made her feel a lot better all of a sudden.

“It’s okay”

Said the young boy to the young girl. Also quite baffled by the whole situation. Feeling not the urge himself to talk with the person he is seated besides. Though she seemed to have other plans. As for the entire drive she somehow found the courage to, for the first time in her life, talk. Just simply talk about everything she could think off.

For starters Lauren told Stan all about her home. She told Stan about her favorite food. She told Stan about how sad she had been around Christmas time when her father had served her a rabbit from their own den. She told Stan about her favorite hiding spots around the farm she lived in. And all the while she was telling Stan this, she felt good about herself. While Stan, who didn’t want to talk himself, found it quite fun to listen to someone else who wasn’t family. Which made them both realize when they arrived at the zoo that they, for the first time in their lives, had made a friend.

At the start of the tour through the zoo, their teacher had introduced the ‘buddy’ system. Meaning that everyone had to pair up. After the long buss ride, it only felt like second nature to Lauren to let Stan grab her hand. All the while her face seemed to burn up at that moment.

Now, Lauren is a socially awkward kid who doesn’t want anybody to notice her. Just do what the teachers want, go home and live in her own bubble. Stan, on the other hand, isn’t one of these things. So as Lauren lets Stan cup her hand, she didn’t expect him to pull it as Stan slipped away before their class would enter the (to Stan’s own opinion) boring ‘frog room’.

Lauren stumbled almost under the sheer enthusiasm Stan was pulling her along with. Since Stan really wanted to show his friend his favorite animals. And so he sprinted as fast as he could with Lauren in tow. To then finally stand in front of the lion’s den.

Stan’s eyes for the first time met the eyes of another animal, besides a cat or a dog. The king of all animals looked back and blinked. Quickly lowering its shoulder blades to Stan. Then cowering to the ground as its legs were shaking. All of its primal thoughts knew it was in danger because of a bigger predator. Something that could kill in a heartbeat.

Little Stan was quite amused with the ‘big cat’ that had suddenly lowered itself to the ground. But Lauren knew from the farm she was in that this wasn’t any normal reaction.

“He seems to be in pain”

She says to Stan as her heart goes out for the creature.

“Someone needs to help him”

So Stan does what he thinks is right. He saw his sister be a hero, now it was his time to be one. He let go of Lauren’s hand as he slid under the fence. To slide downhill, jump over the moat in one leap. To stand in the sand that decorated the field of the normally ferocious creature. That now only seems to be more afraid. Lowering its head entirely.

“Stan! Stan! Come back! Don’t-“

But Stan ignored Lauren’s pleas as his eyes were locked on the male lion. Now noticing that there were six female lions who had walked to the outer edges of the den. Breaking an opening for Stan to walk to the creature. The lion seemed to hear him coming, his heart was pumping wildly as he felt the presence of the creature getting closer to him. All of his instincts were telling him to get as low as possible. But now, the child had come too close. The lion had decided it didn’t want to die. And it perked up.

Stan was so delighted to see that the lion had some life in it. Getting up in the blink of an eye to look into the eyes of Stan without blinking. A slight roar escaping its mouth. Though Stan didn’t really understand the warning and set another step forward.

Then, everything seemed to slow down. The lion leaped, while a security guard just walked in with a gun as then Stan’s instincts took over as the lion was only inches from his face. A loud ZOOF sound was breaking the silence as the lion seemed to munch on the kid.

The lion however thought itself misserable as it had aimed for the neck of the young welp human creature, only to catch air. To then feel a stinging sensation in its own neck. To then feel a dart penetrate its hide. While Stan’s jaw let go off the creature towering above him. Getting out unscathed. All the while he felt a warm glow take over his body. Knowing he had done the right thing.