Little Lizard

Although Clove felt like she was running at warp speed, her small strides weren’t enough to keep her close enough to pounce on the lizard. The gap between herself and the scaly creature was growing, and it was only a matter of time before it escaped into the bushes. Clove let out a little yip, adrenaline, and excitement coursing through her body in the heat of the chase. Even if she wasn’t able to catch it, the experience would be one she would treasure forever. Her first hunt with her mother.

Briar must have known Clove stood no real chance of catching the lizard. It was just too fast for her, given how clumsy she was on her young paws. And so, her mother would leap forward to cut off the creature, placing herself between it and the bush. Clove giggled again, glancing up at her mother in awe at her speed and elegance, hoping one day she too would be able to complete such a feat.

With the lizard’s path cut off, it twisted around and tried to dart another way, which gave Clove the opening she needed. She fainted towards the lizard’s left, which made it twist to the right before she pivoted on her paws and leaped forward off her hind legs. Her front paws slammed down on the lizard, a tiny oof! leaving her mouth as she fell belly first onto the ground. It knocked some of the wind out of her lungs, but it was a small price to pay.

Because, for the first time in her life, Clove had caught something!

“Mama! I got it!”  The excitement in her voice made it even more high-pitched, as she looked up at her mother while holding the wiggling lizard down with her front paws.“Did you see me? Did you see how high I jumped!”  Her feet had barely come off the ground, but she felt like she jumped miles into the air. “I almost touched the clouds!” She waited for Briar’s response before looking down at her prize. “And now I have a new friend to play with!” Clove intended on chasing the lizard some more, but for now, she wanted to look at it with her mother and bask in the glow of her victory.


"Clove Carpathius"