Page 2 of Dark Panther's Desperate Beauty

Even my fucking guitar has been pawned. And that really hurts because it was my dad who gave it to me.

Fuck!

Holy moly, I keep cursing!

I’ve wandered a bit further than I’d planned. I look up and see a liquor store up ahead. There’s a group of punks that look even younger than me. Two of the guys, though, look older and way more dangerous.

I cross the street and try to avoid eye contact with them. I hug my arms around my chest and try to appear smaller and inoffensive. And I pray. I pray that they will turn their attention to something or someone more worth their while.

Oh fuck, they’re coming after me.

I see one of the two guys that seem to be in charge start to cross the street. After a bit, the others follow.

And now the catcalling begins.

“Hey beautiful, slow down, come spend some time with us.”

“What’s the rush, darlin? You don’t need to run away from us, mami.”

“Ooohh, I bet she’s got a beautiful ...”

I cross a street and start to run. I don’t hear the end of the comment, but I obviously don’t need to. My heart hits a speed that makes it feel like it’s going to jump right out of my chest. I’m panting as I run even faster. I turn my head for a second and fear almost paralyzes me. They’re only a few yards away from me.

I run past some business windows, a computer place, a pawn shop, and a laundromat. I briefly see a guy’s startled face as I book it past, but my mind is so frozen with fear that I don’t even think about hiding inside any of these. All I know is to run and keep running.

I see two of the gang move out and around, trying to cut me off. I see an alley to my right and, even though it never works in the movies, I turn down it and run.

Of course, I run into a dead end. There are some doors and I start trying every one of them.

But the guys round the corner and I start crying.

“Uh oh, poor baby. We’re going to make you all better, you fucking little cunt.”

There’s laughter and I can only crumple against the brick wall as they close in on me. I close my eyes and try to think of something beautiful. I want my last thoughts to be comforting.

They’re just about to grab me when there’s a loud crash and then, I feel a warm body pressing against me. It doesn’t feel like some asshole gangster, so I open my eyes and gasp.

What the fuck is this? What the fuck am I seeing?

Sorry but in this case, it’s okay for me to curse.

I can only describe it as a super-sized leopard. Cougar? Lion maybe? No, panther. It’s one of those I’m sure, but it’s much bigger than anything I’ve ever seen in a zoo. I can’t tell it’s color in the darkness. It can be anywhere from dun colored to jet black. I just can’t tell.

Its muscled body is poised to jump. I hear the fear and confusion in my attackers’ voices and then, the panther lunges forward and takes two of them down with one swipe of its massive paw. I hear yelling and then, the rejects start to scatter in all directions, including going right into the fucking wall.

It only takes a few minutes for the alley to be cleared.

My heart is beating so fast.

My breathing is shallow even though I’m almost hyperventilating.

My field of vision narrows.

My vision spins as I try to run before this thing turns on me next.

And then it does turn, and the blood rapidly rushes to my head. Just as rapidly, it drains away. My equilibrium becomes loopy. I stare into the large golden eyes of this black panther—yes, I can see that now because it stands in the glow of a streetlamp, a black panther like in The Jungle Book but bigger—and I see its large teeth in its open mouth.

And like all good heroines, I promptly faint.

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