Becoming the Cheetah

11 - Father

The winter sun was setting as Flame dropped me off at my house. I got off his motorbike, purple and orange hues dancing around the suburban street as the wind rustled the trees. It had been such a paranormal experience but here I was back in my front yard in this completely normal setting yet I felt out of place.... but more so Flame felt out of place. 

"Well ummm... thanks for taking me home," I muttered to Flame as I took his helmet off and handed it back to him.

"I couldn't just let you walk home on your own," He said and smiled at me while taking the helmet back.

I smiled back but his smiled faded. He grabbed my arm and pulled me close. "Watch out for the vampires I don't want anything to happen to you," he whispered in my ear.

"Don't worry I'll be careful," I whispered and pulled back a little so I could look into Flame's eyes.

 He stared back into my eyes with a look I hadn't seen before. It wasn't a mean look or a look of pity or concern I was used to seeing in his eyes; it was a kind and warm look. It made me blush and butterflies swarmed in my stomach. Someone like him so tough and harsh, that look... it just didn't suit him. Such a strong contrast.Flame leant in closer to me; I could feel his over-powering body heat even with the leather jacket on and the coldest of the winter air. Then he did something that I never would have expected.

He pressed his lips against mine and kissed me. I froze as he kissed me not knowing how to react but everything melted away, I closed my eyes and fully took it in. The feeling of his felt on mine and the warmth that completely filled my body. After a few seconds, he pulled back and quickly drove away on his motor bike. I stood there my lips burning but in the best way possible.

 He had really just kissed me. I realised that I had not been breathing as I watched him drive away and took a big breath in. My first kiss ....

I was in some kind of daze as I walked up to my front door I somehow managed to knock on the door and my mum opened it. "There you are I was getting worried," she said with real concern in her voice.

"I was with a friend," I replied in a sort of a dazed voice that reflected how I was feeling.

"Oh that's wonderful but please my little flower next time call me," she said and smiled "Also I have great news for you!" I noticed the excitement in her voice it sort of brought me out of my daze but not completely, I doubted anything could, "Your father is back from Kenya!"

"Wow really?" I asked feeling excitement rushing into me.

"Yes he is in the living room," my mum said excitedly almost squealing.

My father being an author travels a lot for this job so naturally we go for long amounts of time without seeing him, it had been seven months since I had last seen him. It was always had on my mother when he isn't around, one of the reasons I try my hardest not to cause too much stress for her. When my father does come home he tells us so many amazing stories about the places he has travelled to and everyone in our family loves to listen to him. 

It was honestly enough to pull me from my daze completely, all thoughts of Flame left my mind as I quickly rushed into the living room. There was my father sitting in and arm chair with a trunk next to him. As I walked in he looked up at me and smiled.

"Victoria! It's been so long since I've last seen you. You've grown more," he told me while smiling.

I walked over and sat down on the ground by his chair. "I have something for you," he said as he reacted over to the trunk and opened it "I was in a small village and this woman was an excellent whittler her carving were so live like I couldn't help but to be capivated by her craft. I asked her if she could make one for you and I showed her a picture of you. She said 'oh what a pretty daughter you have' and stared at the picture intensely she then said that she knew the perfect thing to make."

He pulled out something wrapped in worn brown paper and handed it to me. I took it from him and un-wrapped it. It was a beautiful wood carving of a cheetah jumping into the air as it was starting to run. It was smooth in my hands and it's face was fierce yet so detailed. I stared at its beauty before exclaiming, "it's beautiful dad."

"I knew you'd like it the woman said that it would suit your daughter very well," He told me warmly.

I don't really get how a cheetah suits me considering how poorly I ran away from Frank but still it was a beautiful gift which I would treasure. I wondered what that woman saw in me that said cheetah.

"Thank you dad I will put it in my room in a very safe spot," I told him as I walked off carrying it carefully.

I put the carving down carefully on my bedside table so I could look at it when I woke up. It looked like it was going to leap off the table and onto my bed, perhaps to curl up if cheetahs were like little cats. Even if I had no idea why she had chosen a cheetah, it was still something I could cherish.

 One of my little brothers, Jack burst into my room, "Did you see, did you see?! Dad is back!" He yelled excitedly jumping around as if he were on a trampoline.

"Yes," I told him smiling at his excitement, "he gave me that cheetah carving."

"Wow that's so cool!" Jack said admiring the cheetah.

"Yeah it is..." I said dreamily.

"Anyway I'm going to go talk to dad more you have fun with your cheetah!" He said running out of my room almost as quickly as he had run in. I smiled and closed the door. Resting my back on it my mind drifted back to what had happened outside my house. Flame had kissed me. He must like me, a lot. I couldn't stop myself smiling and blushing, I felt warm and full of energy. Not only do I now have a friend I might also maybe have a boyfriend? It was so hard to know what he meant by that kiss since he rode away so quickly. I hoped that I would see him at school tomorrow. 

Maybe things would be better. Maybe apparently risking my life had fixed everything, I had learnt the truth and Flame seemed closer than ever. 

I looked back over at the Cheetah, it's powerful body frozen in that powerful leap. Perhaps it was so kind of metaphor for leaping into the future. I sighed English was never my strongest subject. I looked away from the cheetah and pushed off the door and out of the corner of my eye I swear I saw Mr Pan standing next to me smiling at the cheetah.

 When I looked again it was just my coat. But I could smell his earthy scent lingering in my room, ferns deep in the rainforest. Strange...

First published - 7/1/2014

Edit - 11/8/2020