| Chapter Eight |
Zipper could feel his lungs burning, his trachea was swollen, even his diaphragm was complaining loudly. His legs and
paws were fine though. The muscles are strong but the breath is weak. The young cheetah cub felt good despite the
pain, or maybe because of it. He was by far the fastest cat in the pack, maybe in the world. He could catch anything,
anything on the ground, including his parents. Not even most birds had enough time to take to the air, and his vertical
jump was good enough to get most of the ones that did. He was a natural, a prodigy. He was a miracle.
He was in pain. Lots of pain, and it had spread to his left rear leg as well, which was unusual. Maybe it’s time to dial it
back a bit. Zipper gradually slowed down, careful not to crash his system by stopping too abruptly. Eventually he came
to a casual trot and focused on stretching his limbs. The pain in his leg was weird. It wasn’t an ache; it was more like a
sharp jab. He tried to look back at it. Did something bite me while I was running? What bug could catch me? Suddenly
he saw it. A big red fuzzy burr was attached to his rump. What the heck is that?
Zipper was having trouble walking now, so he stopped and tried without success to reach the burr with his teeth. His
vision began to blur around the edges. Suddenly he heard a loud crash, like a thunderbolt. Makes…no sense. The other
cheetahs that had been catching up with him now turned and ran away, scared by the thunder.
But Zipper didn’t mind. He was asleep.
paws were fine though. The muscles are strong but the breath is weak. The young cheetah cub felt good despite the
pain, or maybe because of it. He was by far the fastest cat in the pack, maybe in the world. He could catch anything,
anything on the ground, including his parents. Not even most birds had enough time to take to the air, and his vertical
jump was good enough to get most of the ones that did. He was a natural, a prodigy. He was a miracle.
He was in pain. Lots of pain, and it had spread to his left rear leg as well, which was unusual. Maybe it’s time to dial it
back a bit. Zipper gradually slowed down, careful not to crash his system by stopping too abruptly. Eventually he came
to a casual trot and focused on stretching his limbs. The pain in his leg was weird. It wasn’t an ache; it was more like a
sharp jab. He tried to look back at it. Did something bite me while I was running? What bug could catch me? Suddenly
he saw it. A big red fuzzy burr was attached to his rump. What the heck is that?
Zipper was having trouble walking now, so he stopped and tried without success to reach the burr with his teeth. His
vision began to blur around the edges. Suddenly he heard a loud crash, like a thunderbolt. Makes…no sense. The other
cheetahs that had been catching up with him now turned and ran away, scared by the thunder.
But Zipper didn’t mind. He was asleep.
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