01-03-2019, 12:00 AM
[align=center][div style="max-width: 500px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 1.4;letter-spacing:.1px"][ ❁ ] Ollie couldn't explain what it was that came over him when he saw the other lion, with his stripes and bright eyes, but whatever it was, he felt like he was unbalanced, and his teeth were...fuzzy. He ran his tongue over them, finding nothing actually there- they just felt that way, and he felt the impending cry in his chest ebbing back. He hiccuped again, staring up at the lion with unblinking eyes. If asked, Ollie wouldn't know very much about fate, about being in the right place at the right time, but something about standing here, feeling so small, was familiar. A piece slipping into place, like one of the puzzles he would do with his father. He just couldn't see the picture.
Another breath shook him out of the disconnection, and he jumped forward, tugging at one of the lion's paws with gentle teeth. "You have to follow me! They're sick, they need help!" Ollie beckoned again with a jerk of his head, and then he was off at a run, never even glancing back to make certain the stranger was following because he knew he would. He had to.
Ollie tore through bushes, oblivious to the bits of his fur he left in his frenzy, and his gaze ran over the landscape, searching for- there. The flower by the bush, and behind it would be a tiny clearing where his parents slept. "Through here!" He pushed through it, and his parents were right where he'd left them, curled together.
Ollie darted forward, pressing at their shoulders, before abruptly stiffening and drawing back. They felt- they felt wrong. "Wake up, it's me. I brought help." He huffed into his mother's face, which would always wake her up, always, and there was nothing. Not even a little bit of a smile. Ollie knew she was sick, knew his dad was sick, but they were- they were different earlier. They were warmer. "You gotta wake up. Please." His voice broke, and suddenly an inexplicable, searing anger poured into his small body, and he violently took his father and shook him. "Wake up! This isn't funny! Wake up, wake up, wake up!"
Another breath shook him out of the disconnection, and he jumped forward, tugging at one of the lion's paws with gentle teeth. "You have to follow me! They're sick, they need help!" Ollie beckoned again with a jerk of his head, and then he was off at a run, never even glancing back to make certain the stranger was following because he knew he would. He had to.
Ollie tore through bushes, oblivious to the bits of his fur he left in his frenzy, and his gaze ran over the landscape, searching for- there. The flower by the bush, and behind it would be a tiny clearing where his parents slept. "Through here!" He pushed through it, and his parents were right where he'd left them, curled together.
Ollie darted forward, pressing at their shoulders, before abruptly stiffening and drawing back. They felt- they felt wrong. "Wake up, it's me. I brought help." He huffed into his mother's face, which would always wake her up, always, and there was nothing. Not even a little bit of a smile. Ollie knew she was sick, knew his dad was sick, but they were- they were different earlier. They were warmer. "You gotta wake up. Please." His voice broke, and suddenly an inexplicable, searing anger poured into his small body, and he violently took his father and shook him. "Wake up! This isn't funny! Wake up, wake up, wake up!"
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OH, I WISH FOR ONCE WE COULD STAY GOLD