The Weird, Wild Pet in The Forest

The Weird, Wild Pet in The Forest

August, a twelve-year-old boy was trotting down the forest. It was a serene place which people hardly visited because there was a rumour that people who went there never came back. August always thought that was just stupid and people only said that so people will keep themselves off the forests.

August had gone in and out of the forest nearly a hundred times and nothing happened to him. This was his happy place which he visited whenever he was embarrassed or gloomy.

But that was not the reason he was here. He came back to get something- a pet. August always fancied pets but was not allowed to keep one because his parents were worried that it might cause harm to them. How could a gentle animal cause harm to creatures almost two times the size of it. Out of the blue, August heard a whine. Not of a happy one but an ominous one.

If there was something August never ignored like warnings from adults, it would be an animal in distress. As he scurried to find the source of the sound, he heard something like an arrow departing from a bow. August became alarmed and suddenly saw something he never expected to see- a hyena. A wounded one. This vicious creature was now on the forest floor with an arrow in its stomach. August could hear people too.

“They must be those stupid hunters “, muttered August to himself.

He carried this heavy almost 55 kg hyena to a natural cove which gave them the perfect cover from the poachers. After he was out of their sight, he slowly removed the arrow hoping it will not whine and give their cover away.

“It was here”, said a bald and wicked looking hunter.

“How do you know that”, said his comrade.

“Well, I shot him myself”, the baldie replied.

“Pah! It was a lucky shot. It might be over there”, the other hunter grunted.

Just as the baldie was about to retort he thought twice and let that thought go.

Once the nasty poachers were gone, he helped the ailing hyena. It was surprising that it kept quiet till then. As the hyena got on its feet. It pounced on August who thought he was a goner, but it licked him instead as if to say Thank You. August thought that he had found the perfect pet. But then it ran into the forest, elated.

August suddenly felt guilty that he thought of captivating that creature instead of leaving it in the forest where it belongs. He felt even more angrier at the poachers trying to kill these innocent creatures. From that day onwards he vowed to protect an animal in need and to do help it with all his might.

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