Ghaliya had been told to wait, to stay in the den until her parents came back from scouting the area. Their home, the place Ghaliya had been born, was no longer a perfect peaceful place for their family to live. It had been days since they had set out. Before leaving they had left food for her and told her as long as she stayed hidden in the den, nothing bad could happen to her. The pile of food was diminishing and her mouth was dry from thirst. Worst of all was just how lonely it had gotten.
From time to time she would peek her head out of the den, just in case her parents were right around the corner. She hoped to hear them scold her for not listening or even commend her on how well she listening to instruction. But every time she looked out, no one was there.
Rain poured down and the thunder roared. Ghaliya shivered as she thought about her poor parents shivering in the cold. She wondered if she should go look for them. If she was out there, she knew that they would have stopped at nothing to find her. Shouldn't she do the same? Slowly she made her way toward the entrance. She peeked her head out. A moment later, she let out a gasp and fell backwards. She scurried to the back of the den.
There was a lion who was not one of her fathers. His pelt was dark as night. The moment his blue eyes glanced upon her she knew she needed to hide. She wasn't sure that he for sure saw her, but she could not take the chance. What would her parents say if they found out that she disobeyed one simple rule. She went to the meek pile of food and hid behind it.
As her heart beat quickened, she heard the sound of walking. She closed her eyes, hoping that the lion would leave without noticing her.
“Hm, strange that food would be left here,” the cold, quiet voice of the lion made her shiver. She heard him sit down. “The previous dweller must have died. No matter. The food is mine now.”
No! He was going to eat all her food and then find her. Even if he took pity on her, she would go hungry. Her parents would return to an empty den with nothing but her bones! What would her dads do if they were in her place? She thought while the lion began eating her food.
“Seems like this food was provided by a weak hunter. There is hardly enough for a meal.” He complained, after a little while.
Ghaliya growled. Her fathers worked hard to get that food for her. They trusted her to keep it for herself.
“Did I upset the food?” the lion said in a somewhat playful voice.
Instantly Ghaliya stopped. This is not good. The lion surely knew she was there. Had he been messing with her the whole time? Slowly she got up and revealed herself. The lion looked at her with a bored expression.
“Pity. I was hoping to keep you hidden behind there for longer. You did not last long at all.” He said.
She did her best to stand up tall and look fearsome. It is what her parents would do. They would not just allow some lion into their den and let him eat all the food! Especially one who was not polite.
“This is my den and my food. You can finish off the meat you were eating. Then you need to leave.” She said, glaring at him. The odds were against her, she knew that, but maybe he would see her as a threat. She was little, but she was ready to fight for what was hers.
To her surprise the lion just chuckled and went back to eating.
She furrowed her brow. “HEY, this isn't a joke. My fathers hunted that meat for me. I need it to survive.”
The lion could not look anymore uninterested.
“So you did not hunt this yourself?” he asked.
“No. My dad said that I am too young to hunt.” She responded.
“Well now is as good as any for you to learn. This den and the food inside it is mine. Unless you want to fight me.” He said, barring his teeth.
Ghaliya stepped backward. This was the worst possible outcome! There was no pity in his eyes. Her ears folded back as she continued to glare at him. She wished her fathers were here to help her. But they weren't and she needed to solve this on her own.
“This is my only food. What do you expect a cub like me to hunt?” She asked.
“I don't know bugs?” he responded quickly. “Not really my concern. You are not my responsibility. If you're that hungry I suggest to find your parents and tell them to feed you if you can't feed yourself.”
What a jerk, Ghaliya thought.
“Fine. I hope you get a stomach ache while eating MY FOOD.” she yelled, turning toward the entrance of the den. They told her not to leave the den, but did she really have any choice? She could not stay here while that monster of a lion was there. The rain was still poring down. She left the shelter and the heavy droplets crashed on her head.
After taking a couple steps she turned back toward the den. The lion was out of sight, but she could imagine the smug look on his face. Ghaliya let out a huff and turned around and marched back to the den.
“Did you get lost?” the lion asked with a laugh.
“I am staying here tonight.” She said sternly. “If you really want the food you can have it. But leave me alone. I need to rest. Tomorrow I am going to find my fathers.”
The lion frowned and shook his head, but he said nothing and went back to eating. Ghaliya stayed in the corner facing the lion so she could keep an eye on him. Hopefully tomorrow would prove to be a better day.
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