Chapter 5: The Return of the Mother
Catherine’s heart pounded in her chest as she stepped back from the window. The shadow on the porch had been unmistakable. Something large, something powerful, was moving just beyond the edge of her vision. She glanced at the cub, still curled up in the shade, oblivious to the growing danger. Her thoughts raced, her instincts screaming at her to act, to protect it, but she didn’t know what was out there—or how to handle it.
She needed to stay calm. She needed to think.
The growl came again, deeper this time, and Catherine knew—without a doubt—that it was a warning. She’d heard it before, years ago, when she worked in the field with big cats. It was a mother’s way of telling anyone who got too close: Stay away.
The cub hadn’t moved, but Catherine could sense the tension building in the air. The quiet that had settled over the house felt different now. It wasn’t peaceful anymore. It was thick with anticipation, like something was about to happen.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket, snapping her out of her thoughts. It was the ranger station.
“Catherine?” the voice on the other end was calm but strained. “We’re still a few minutes out. Is everything okay?”
Catherine’s throat felt tight as she tried to form words. “There’s something out here,” she said, her voice low. “A growl. It’s a mother leopard. I think she’s back for the cub.”
There was a pause, and then the ranger’s voice crackled over the line. “Stay inside. Don’t approach. We’re on our way.”
Catherine barely heard him. Her mind was already elsewhere, focused on the porch. She had no choice now but to wait, to hope the rangers would get there in time. But something inside her told her that the mother leopard wouldn’t wait. She would do whatever it took to find her cub.
Catherine moved toward the door, staring at the cub’s small, trembling body. It still hadn’t moved, its eyes wide and fearful. She didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t just leave it out there. The cub needed her, but how could she protect it from something so powerful, something so wild?
Suddenly, there was a sharp movement from the trees, followed by the unmistakable sound of something large crashing through the underbrush. Catherine froze.
The mother was here.
Her instincts screamed at her to run, but the sight of the cub, vulnerable and alone, held her in place. She watched as the cub slowly raised its head, sensing the danger. It was too late to protect it from what was coming.
The growl grew louder, and then, just as quickly as it had started, the porch was plunged into an eerie silence. Catherine didn’t know what had happened—only that she couldn’t wait any longer.
Without thinking, she grabbed her jacket and rushed to the door.
And then she heard it.
A sound—footsteps, deliberate, steady—coming from just outside.
The mother had come closer.