If the man could see her, standing on the rock in dusk's fading light, he'd have been awestruck by her beauty. How thick and soft her coat, how gorgeous its markings. He'd have wanted to sink his hands into it, gaze into her golden eyes, brush a thumb over her velvet grey muzzle.
But the man couldn't see her, because he was dead, and half buried in the snow.
Man-meat wasn't normally a part of her diet, but it'd been many days since she'd last eaten, and longer still since she'd had a successful hunt. She has been roaming further and longer to find food, and is beginning to feel weak. The longer she went with an empty belly, the weaker she'd get, and the worse her chances of bringing down prey. Meat was meat. She was tempted. This could be her chance.
She circled the man with wary steps, even stretched her neck to sniff the pinkness of him. He'd already shed some of his outer layers. How considerate. Most animals didn't do that.
She freezes, the scent of more men reaching her on the breeze, their clumsy steps and brutish voices loud in the still mountain air.
"Hey, what's that!"
There's a flash. The men come closer. Too late, they find their companion at last.
His body remains where it is. His wife is gifted an extremely rare photograph. She believes the snow leopard guided them to her husband's body, and watches over him on the harsh mountainside.
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Trigger warnings: Violence, Death. "May the Sun burn your tongue out, woman," Fredrick's father screamed the curse into his mother's ear as their elegant little carriage rumbled along, its polished wood and gilded trim glinting in the torchlight. They had just left the small village of Saffron and were on an unnamed road to the capital for the Royal wedding. Fredrick leaned back in his plush velvet seat to escape into the passing landscape, but across from him sat the servant boy, a scrappy lad named Jack. Jack's eyes held a mixture of awe and fear, the kind that only a commoner could feel in the presence of nobility. Jack looked up and caught Fredrick's gaze, offering him a sad little smile before reaching into his pocket and retrieving a little caramel treat. This candy was no doubt stolen from the kitchen treat cupboard; if he was caught with it, he would be locked in the box as punishment.
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Comments (10)
Best not to disillusion them. Let's just keep this truth to ourselves. Fantastic twist, L.C.!
Great take on the challenge! Fierce animals...
Great story, and such a beautiful animal. Though I wouldn't want to get too close.
The woman is delusional and the cat gets no food! Oh well, still a great story. Now I'm worried for the cat.
Wonderfully told LC! Fascinating perspectives given here!
Oh, I loved that final image...a great reminder of perspective!
That's an amazing story. You write with such detail and intensity bring the reader into the story. Well done!
You certainly topped my Lynx Crossing story with this one. That snow leopard pic is next level! I support the Snow Leopard Trust and they publish absolutely gorgeous pics of the cats as they track them and set up cameras in the mountains where they live.
A/n: if I die petting something I shouldn't, it'll be one of these. Dead people on mountains are often left there due to the risks of bringing them down. Snow leopards don't eat people.
Danny?