Living Lightning

In the morning in the African Savannah, a cheetah lies in the dust among long, wavy grass. The wind blows the grass in a rhythmic pattern, like the waves of the sea, and stops occasionally, leaving the savannah silent except for the singing of the birds. The cheetah is grooming itself at the moment. Its rough tongue moves out of its mouth and strokes its golden fur, removing any foreign objects. Something moves in the grass, and the cheetah’s head glances over, unconcerned. It then looks off into the distance at the large herd of elephants that are so far away they look like ants. Trees stand where the grass is only a few inches tall. One tree has an exceptionally thick trunk, and large, twisted knots make it seem like it is watching you.

After grooming, the cheetah slowly rises and raises its head. It observes a gazelle not too far away that has strayed a little too far from its pack. The cheetah watches it with its large, golden brown eyes. Large, black streaks line its face, starting at the mouth, and rising along the inside of its nose, then curling around its eyes. It stares for a little while, motionless, then starts to make its way towards the gazelle, crawling low in the tall grass. It looks similar to a house cat, but much more powerful. Silently, and slowly, it moves through the grass, the hair on its chest just grazing the tan dirt. When it gets within about fifty feet of the gazelle, it stops. Its eyes widen as it prepares to begin the chase.

The cheetah starts running out from the grass. It doesn’t go into its full sprint at first, but tries to get as close as it can to the gazelle before the gazelle notices. Suddenly, the gazelle turns and starts running. The chase is on. The cheetah’s legs move faster than the blink of an eye, and kick up tons of dust in their trail. When it runs, the cheetah full extends its legs and is airborne. It looks similar to super man flying through the air. It then catches itself with its front paws,