Outside, the thunder was roaring like a lion and the lightning staining the sky with gold. In the building, Zina was clambering through the loose gravel and ruined rocks, searching cravingly for somewhere, anywhere to hide or escape. She finally saw it! A door which she would be able to escape through, and to lock the cutthroat inside! To her horror, as she made to open the rusty old fashioned lock, the door wouldn’t budge! Zina was trapped… 

…A little way back the mysterious, threatening man stood in the middle of the ruin, candlelight flickering across his face, making him look much scarier than he was in the daylight. Zina trembled, ready for what was going to happen, that he was going to charge forward and **** her throat, but it never happened, instead he was looking up, his face full of horror…

But at that moment a beast larger than anything Zina had ever seen in her life leapt forwards, pouncing on her prey she scratched his throat then lightly leapt off of him. The beast was a golden-brown beauty, she had dark brown spots and a set of the most beautiful golden eyes! She turned to face Zina, surveying her through her golden eyes. To Zina, she looked rather kind but dangerous at the same time, it was then she realised, she realised that she was standing beside a massive, abnormally sized cheetah! She stood rooted to the spot, overcome by fear, fear bigger than the beautiful cheetah herself!

To Zina’s amazement, she spoke! The cheetah said in a voice smoother than honey, “Could you please help me, I am being hunted and I am not allowed to exist. My species are supposed to be extinct you see, but I was the only survivor of my type during the war.” Her voice tailed off. 

Zina stood open-mouthed, this was much more than she had expected, she had just spoke! Zina was going to help this beautiful species, no matter what…

“Let’s get out of here, we need to find a safe space, somewhere big where you can hide for a few days until we can find a space away from the city.” Explained Zina bravely. “Let’s go, now while the coast is clear.”

She and the Cheetah silently walked down a deserted rubbish-strewn street looking for her usual hideout. They had walked a couple of miles before they saw it. An old industrial building that was empty apart from a few cushions, a matress, and a blanket. The Cheetah settled herself down on the matress, while Zina pulled the moth-eaten blanket over herself while she settled down in the cushions. She heard the cheetah breathing softly, while she kept watch.