How To Disappear

And Never Be Found

Chapter 1 Exodus

Nala ran as fast as she could, trying her best to keep out of range of the slobbering hyenas right on her tail. She screamed as one came close to sinking its teeth into her thigh, and knowing she had no way to defend herself if she wanted to live. For hours they seemed to run, neither her nor Simba able to retire until their enemies did the same. The sunlight was fading quickly from the sky, startling her with what the night would bring, and urging them to run faster.

There were few places to hide in this part of the savannah, most of it dry, rocky ground until you got out past the Graveyard, and even farther from the Pridelands. And as much as the lions gasped for breath and tired their enemy did not recede until almost dawn the next day. The tall grasses beyond the drought stretching from the graveyard gave them a chance to hide, only to find that at sunrise the next morning the enemy was still stalking them. Fearfully the two kept hushed, out of fear and safety creeping through the grasses in secret and getting farther and farther from home.

Finally, by nightfall the pair had escaped their predators and found refuge inside a small cavern. Both were exhausted beyond belief as they collapsed onto the warm, rocky ground for the night. It seemed that as soon as they were asleep morning was upon the tired lions, the sun beckoning at their tan fur. Simba unwillingly awoke and went outside, stretching cautiously. It was unclear to him where they were, and how far away home was. He sniffed cautiously for any sign of there enemies from the days before. With a sigh of despair he went back inside the cave to get Nala. They needed to eat, which meant she needed to hunt.

He went inside, rubbing against her gently to wake her. They were and had been the best of friends for a long time but he couldn't help but wonder if their age was beginning to change things. Both of them were growing older and getting tastes of adulthood. Nala saw Simba to be more handsome and kind, and Simba found her to be beautiful and compassionate. They weren't usually traits noticed until this time of age and Simba felt that now that they were on there own they were going to mean a little more than usual.

Nala stirred slightly as Simba nuzzled her. Her eyes opened to the bright light coming in the cave. She yawned and sat up, suddenly remembering that they were quite far from home. "Simba what is it?" she asked wearily.

"Wake up would ya?!" he told her, looking insistent.

"Fine." She yawned again and stepped outside the cave with him. "Where are we?"

"I'm not sure. You can't even see Pride Rock from here."

"Simba I'm beginning to think we were chased away from there on purpose."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well it was the hyenas, and its not the first time they've tried to over run us. Remember at the graveyard and at the gorge?"

Simba nodded as he slowly came to realize what she was saying.

"We have been lucky enough to escape them but I really think they hate us, they want the future of Pride Rock to rot into dust…"

"Nala that won't happen to us." He nuzzled her affectionately and purred as they walked.

Nala sighed, licking him lovingly. "Your right… How about we find something to eat."

He nodded eagerly and they picked up the pace a little, scanning the horizon for prey.

Suddenly Nala growled slightly, "Stay here, I see something." Nala crept forward in the grass, being very secretive as she went along. She could hear the sounds of a grazing herd of wildebeest. The lioness spotted her prey and purposefully roared at the hind of the herd. There was a newborn with deformed limbs that would not be able to follow its mother, and that was what she was going to catch. It wouldn't be much meat for the two of them but maybe later when she was feeling up to it she could catch a larger animal. Nala leapt from the brush as the herd ran off, quickly ending the life of her prey as her jaws snapped around its stomach.

Promptly the lioness took her prey back to Simba, keeping her eyes peeled for any way back to Pride Rock.

For now it seemed the pair were on their own, far, far from home…

No part of Lion King belongs to me.

Thank you for reading!