❝Shae Burrower, failed author and city girl, from Lavender Lane, at your service.❞
⎯⎯⎯
The story contained within these pages is not about me.
You all know of whom I write. If not by word of mouth or by the speculation of the Chileez Times, then by...
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Even though his mouth kept moving, Lyong stood very still until most of us had set out behind his friend. I was once again immediately behind the adventurer. When I looked behind me, I could see the gap between me and the others seemed larger.
Lyong now yelled in order to be heard. "You are not very good at teamwork, you know that? A tiger is not a good family pet. What are you going to do if it eats one of us? Slap its snout?"
Ella Siwatskie.
I stumbled to a halt and scanned the group. Gino Morton, Mitch Chavez, Borys Nattaniel, Wade Lyong... the dishevelled girl was not with the group.
"Where is..." I trailed off as I spotted her.
She was walking alongside the group, but so far away, she looked like a shadow. Her hand was holding the wide-brimmed hat to her head, as if there was a wind to snatch it from her.
If only there was a breeze.
I resumed walking, snatching glances at her to make sure she was okay. If there was another tiger stalking the veld, we would be unable to do anything...
"You're setting our lives in more danger than it should be." Lyong was still going at it. "It's already at risk with... poisonous plants... and... unforeseen dangers."
Note: Lennon T. James has the uncanny ability of never being 'ruffled.'
I, however, did not have that ability. Between the heat spreading over my body, the aching of my muscles that had been bruised by a tigress, and the constant walking and seeing of nothing but grass, Wade Lyong's incessant talking was driving me to the brink of insanity. My fingers were curled into fists.
"And of course the cat would go for the weakest one! Your insensible choice of pet could lead to the death of your own journalist!"
I am not a journalist.
My attempt at self-control was weakening. Regulating my breathing was failing. There was frustration beneath my skin, and it begged to be let out.
Lennon T. James walked on, a hand reaching out to his tigress ever so often, as if to reassure himself she was at his side. Shirka seemed happy.
"How will you keep an eye on her when we sleep? If you keep an eye on her, it's not as if you could do something to stop an attack since you won't allow someone to shoot her!"
I whirled around. "Wade Lyong, so help me, if you do not shut up right now, I will make sure Shirka gets a bite out of you!" My hand swiped at the hair plastered to my cheeks. "Your whining is unhelpful and shows how much you trust your best friend. Just... be quiet!"
Confession: I'm not saying I was panicked about the thought of a tigress exploring alongside us but I definitely thought she might find me a nice treat. However, Wade Lyong was not helping my slight panic— he was feeding it.
