Moving Away
I lie on my velvet carpet and think about what my father said moving away to live on my own.
I look around for my pet lioness, Zuri and I find her sleeping in a heap on the floor. I stroke her soft, thick fur and she purrs softly. I wish I didn’t have to move away from my home, friends and family.
I think for a while and finally decide that I’m going to discuss my feelings on moving away from home at the moment away from my friends. I stand up, walk down the huge marble staircase and stand in front of my father.
“Yes, Susix?” says my father.
“Father, there is something that I would like to discuss with you”, I say calmly.
“Well what is it?” he asks sternly.
“I have decided that I would not like to move away from my home and friends”, I tell him directly.
“Well what on earth for?” he asks, raising his voice.
“Well I think that I’m too young and I like my frie-“
“No! You shall move away from here and become worthy of our family name!” he yells loudly.
“This is unfair!” I shriek.
“You will young lady and that is that!” he screams.
I run to my room and lie on the cold limestone marble thinking, “I don’t want to move away! I don’t even know where I am staying AND I’m only 15! I can’t believe that my father is making me move out!”
I realize that Zuri is no longer in my room and get up to look for her. I search the whole palace until I reach the courtyard. There lying in a heap is Zuri. “She must be sunbathing”, I think.
I walk over to pat her, when I notice she isn’t breathing. I call for the family vet. I drop to my knees and sob. I don’t understand she was happy and healthy just 5 minutes ago. Maybe she was poisoned! There is only one person who could’ve done this….
The family vet rushes over to her and checks her pulse. He says she will die soon and unless he could find the source of the problem he couldn’t do anything.
I decide to give my opinion on what happened to her.
“I think she may have been poisoned”, I grumble.
“Then we have no time to lose!” exclaims the vet.
The vet says he will have to perform a surgery and she will be fine in 2 days of resting.
I sigh in relief. I thought I would lose my only friend in this lonely city. I have to find out who poisoned her and why. I mean, who would be cruel enough to try and kill a sacred animal? We worship cats so why would you want to kill one? All this is hurting my head so I say my goodbyes to Zuri and head up to my room to lie down.
Suddenly, I catch a glimpse of my father standing outside next to Zuri.
“You are the only thing that makes my daughter want to stay and be normal! It’s your fault!” he yells.
Then I see him pull a knife from behind his back and raise it above Zuri. I scream, and run outside to help her. My father does not see me and I push him over the edge of the roof. I instantly regret my decision as he grabs my legs and pulls me down too. We land with a thud on the ground.
I wake to murmuring and talking. I realise I am lying in a bed positioned next to where some man was sleeping. I try to sit up but my head hurts far too much for that so I lie back down. After about 10 minutes, a lady walks towards my bed and places a cold towel on my forehead. I ask her what is going on and where I am. The lady murmurs something to a man beside her and then hurries away.
The man walks up to me and sits down on the end of my bed.
“Hello, Susix. I am your family’s doctor. You may not remember much and there is a good reason for that. After you and your father got into an argument and both fell of the roof, you were very badly injured”, he explains, gesturing to the man in the bed beside me in a very calm fashion.
I look at my body and notice many bandages covering various different parts of my body. A large bandage around my calf, a huge splint on my left arm and a few stitches on the back of my right hand are the only big injuries I notice. I also notice a large lioness next to me and instantly realise who it is.
“Zuri, you’re alright!” I yell excitedly.
“Susix, your father would like to-
“I thought that you were gone forever!” I cry.
“Susix, your father has something to say!” the doctor says, raising his voice.
The man in the bed next to me turns over and I realise it’s my father.
“Susix….” He groans. “I’m very sorry that I tried to kill Zuri to make you move out”.
“Father it’s OK, really”, I say.
“No it’s not OK Susix, trying to make you move away from the people you love was one thing but, trying to murder your pet was totally unacceptable. I’m very sorry, it will never happen again”, he sobs.
“I accept your apology but you also have to apologise to Zuri”, I say.
He turns to Zuri and proceeds to apologise to her. Zuri nods as if she understands and accepts his apology.
“I love you”, I say wrapping Zuri and my father in a tight embrace.
- Rosie Dempsey