Dedicated to MaryFahey and Pipigrin for being the best readers ever.

Soon I can hear the sound of heavy boots, crashing through the undergrowth. They are after me. Frantically I search for a way to escape. The bushes are full of thorns and they prick me. Yet I keep running. I can hear them catching up fast.

I come to the edge of a cliff. There is no way ahead. I freeze, not daring to turn back as I hear the heavy footsteps stop.

One of the humans take out a weird looking cylinder from his backpack and pushes it into a thin with a long barrel, pointing it straight at me.

“Will,” the other man, grips him tight, "Have you gone crazy? He’s just a baby. An adult dose of tranquilizer can kill him.”

“I don’t care. I want him. I want the money.”

I can see hatred in his eyes.
He wants to kill me? What did I ever do to him?

“Daddy stop!”

The little girl runs into the scene and comes right in front of me, hands on her hips.

“Let him go.”

“Laura, just get away from him. He’ll eat you. Haven’t you heard the stories?”

Liar!

“You’re a liar,” she screams, voicing out my thoughts. “He isn’t a monster. You are. You kidnapped him. You want to take him to zoo and keep him in a cage. I don’t want your candies. Just let him go.”

“Laura, just get…”

Whatever he is about to say is drowned in a blood curdling roar.

Poor Laura shakes like a leaf in the breeze.

But that roar is music to my ears.

“Mother tiger, please take your baby home," says Laura, fearlessly.

“Mummy!” I scream, running over to her, purring, and rubbing my face on her legs.

Her posture is tense and stiff and she bares her sharp teeth at him.
Laura’s father aims the gun at Mummy and fires.

But in that split second, Laura jumps on him and the momentary distraction foils his aim, the dart hitting a tree.

My mother lunges for him.

“Baby tiger, tell your Momma, not to hurt my papa please!” she screams, “I have no momma. My papa is everything for me.”

“Mummy,” I call her frantically, "Mummy don’t hurt him. Let him go.”

“Why?” mummy roars.

“Because Laura has helped me and she has no mummy. Her daddy is everything for her.”

“How do you know that?’ mother stops, surprised.

“Laura has talked to me. I can understand her language.”
My mother looks at me, a lot of questions in her eyes.

“I’ll tell you later,” I mumble.

She turns back to them and roars.

Laura’s Papa picks Laura up and makes a dash for the nearest route of escape.

I stare at the disappearing trio, Laura waving at me.

“Where have you been?” my mummy finally turns to me. “I searched everywhere.”

“I disobeyed you and I got lost…”
I babble the whole story to her in one breath.

Her face becomes serious.

“Don’t ever go out with them, till you’re older,” she comes closer and licks me lovingly.

“Mummy, are their tigers who eat humans?”

“There are a few of them. Those that become too old to hunt, or get no food due to humans destroying our homes, turn to eat humans to satisfy their hunger. And one you get the taste of human flesh, there is no going back. Human flesh incites the monster in us and that monster kills. These tigers are called man-eaters. They stay away from the group and fend for themselves.”

“But if they’re old, and can’t hunt, why the ones who can don’t give them food?”

“You’re too young to understand how the world works,” my mother lets out a sigh. “This world is too selfish and you must learn to fend for yourself, fight for your food. No one will be there with you. That’s the law of nature.”

Half of the things she says don’t enter my head. Nevertheless that question is pushed to the back of my mind in a sea of other important ones.

“How could Laura hear me?”

“There are a few gifted humans who can hear the forest speak. It’s rare but it’s what actually keeps us alive. When a human can understand our pain, only then can we expect them to leave us alone.”

“Mummy,” I was so afraid that I would never see you,” I nestle closer to her.

“Now you’re safe,” she smiles.

741 words.

2000 words completed.

Written for the contest by childrensfiction and Fantasy

Hope you enjoyed it. Your constructive criticism is welcome!