Charlie's Big Cat Experience
#1 of Stories in Shorts
"Ooof!" the painful sound came from the canine after falling into a small body of water, water splashing everywhere.
The German Shepherd's name was Charlie Barkin, a male who was running from a pack of street dogs a few seconds ago. He apparently caused some kind of commotion at the bar, which ended up in a brawl and with him running for his life. He took a sharp left towards the docks and hopped off one of the piers in hopes of losing the hostile gang. Wherever he was, he was safe from the dangers.
Charlie came up to the surface, spluttering water and breathing in air. Something isn't right. He found himself not in San Francisco nor at the docks, but at an oasis in what appeared to be a meadow. Not only that, but lions and lionesses around the small body of water looking at him.
Commotion started around the oasis. "There's a dog in the watering hole!" the scream of a lioness was heard over the chaos, "someone warn the king!" Amid the scrambling big cats, a few lions stayed around the water's edge, cutting me off from getting out of the water.
_ Way to go, Charlie, way to go._
A few minutes later, a group of five lions escorted a larger, more muscular lion, who looked rather important. He had sandy colored fur like the rest of the lions; however, his bright red mane separated him from the rest of the large male lions that had the normal dirty brown or black mane.
"Who are you?!" the red maned lion demanded when he approached the water's edge. As if on cue, a slight breeze blew, the lion's mane flying with the breeze.
"Charlie!" I replied loudly, staying afloat, "Charlie Barkin!" When were they ever going to let me get to land?
"Come forward!" the lion demanded.
With a few strokes swimming through the water, Charlie ended up on the shore. In front of him was the muscular, red maned lion, and around him was the group of five lions that accompanied the king, which practically shadowed the G-shep.
"I don't know where I'm at," Charlie spoke, his fur dripping with water, I sorta just ended up here."
"Well, I'm Simba," the red maned lion told me, motioning Charlie with his head to follow him, "this is my pride in Africa." The muscular lion was being diplomatic, which calmed Charlie's nerves a little bit. The only thing that put Charlie on edge was Simba's size compared to him.
Charlie was confused. How did I end up in Africa? He didn't ask aloud, since Simba continued to speak.
"You kinda showed up at a peculiar time. You freaked out most of the lions at the watering hole," the lion spoke to Charlie as they walked towards a large rock, "Where did you come from?"
"San Francisco," Charlie replied, admiring the large rock formation they were walking towards, "a place you probably don't really know, since I ended up in Africa." Charlie was taking this new place in very calmly, which was part of his nature. The large rock formation ahead reminded him of a huge five star hotel in Francisco.
"Ah, you caught the teleporting whirlpool," Simba said, leading Charlie up a slope that lead to the ledge of the rock, "you must've jumped into a pool of water."
_ More like a sea of water._ "Yeah, I took a bad time for a swim," the G-shep chuckled as they sat down on the "balcony" of the rock formation, "is there any way to get back?"
"Oh yeah," Simba replied, pointing over the edge of the ledge, "you won't like the sight of it but trust me, you aren't the only one that ended up here.
Over the edge, there was a glowing whirlpool of light blue water, surrounded by sharp, deadly rocks. All the other lions and lionesses of the pride walked around like normal, performing normal routines like bathing in the watering hole or "tanning" in the bright sun.
The sight didn't shock Charlie, since he's met death and gone to heaven twice. He didn't enjoy heaven since it was too peaceful, and the angels let him return to earth to be with Sasha, his girlfriend. Besides all of that, he still felt that danger factor of dying AGAIN if he missed the small whirlpool.
"So I just jump down there?" Charlie asked, "and I will end up getting home?"
"Practically speaking, yes," Simba replied with a smile, "pretty sure you don't want to live amongst us lions."
"Heh, it looks like the life," Charlie joked, "not for a city dog like me though."
"Tell me a little bit about San Francisco first before you go," Simba placed his large, lion paw on Charlie's shoulder, "it sounds like an interesting place."
"Trust me, big cat," Charlie smiled as he looked over the edge at the small whirlpool, "it's too interesting to share in a few seconds, let alone a lifetime. All I can say is that the food is so damn good."
With that, the G-shep leaped off the edge, landing in the middle of the swirling whirlpool.
He found himself back in water, but this time near a wooden pier. The smell of hotdogs and car fumes filled his nostrils, as well as the car horns honking, "home, sweet home."
After making sure he was safe, he climbed out the water and made his way away from the docks, heading back to the bar that Sasha owned.