The leopard girl

Flash back:

Mindy wasn't always like a leopard. For a few months she was with her mother Miranda and father Rickey. She was an adorable baby with dark brown hair and beautiful brown eyes. She was very strong for her age and quick on her toes.

Her family wasn't exactly wealthy. Their apartment was falling apart. Despite this her family went to the jungles of Africa to study the big cats. Mindy loved the leopards the best. Her mother and father helped the big cats and other animals as well such as parrots, toucans, and sloths. When was injured they fixed it in 5 minutes. But the next trip would change Mindy's life for good.

Normally Mindy would stay with her Aunt but this time she was unavailable and they couldn't get a babysitter. Mindy actually loved the jungle. While her parents were in the jungle she was with them in her carrying pouch. At night she slept with her parents in their tree house in her basket crib.

However on the second night disaster struck. A lightning storm hit in the middle of the night. Her father was awakened by the smell of smoke. The lightning had set the house a flame and the tree was starting to burn as well. He shook his wife awake and she instantly ran to protect her daughter. By now Mindy was awake and crying. They didn't have much time until the whole tree was consumed. Only one could escape. They both decided it should be Mindy. They had lived their life. Mindy had her's ahead. Before they got her out they quickly prayed that someone would find her. This was her only chance to survive. It was impossible for them to survive this fire. Her mother teared up knowing that she could not save her and there was no guarantee that she would be found. But this was her only chance.

There was a small window and a rope by it. Mindy was put in her travel basket and her mother put the hood part over her so she wouldn't get soaked. Then her father tied the rope around it. They lowered it through the window and got it as far away from the tree as they could. Just as the rope was cut the tree fell down and her parents went to heaven, leaving Mindy alone in the jungle.

After two hours the lightning slowed down but somehow she was washed into the raging river. She flowed down for 30 minutes until she flowed into the leopard's territory. But her life wasn't over yet. A female leopard named Fiona was on a branch above the current. She saw a basket flowing down the stream. She was wondering why it was there until she heard Mindy cry. She recognized it. Her father had helped her mom a few years back. She saw the basket had a tiny bit of burnt bark on it and realized her parents died in the fire. She could not let Mindy die too. So she did what she had to do. She plunged into the river and swam toward the basket as fast as her legs would carry her. When she reached it she took the handle in her mouth and swam toward the shore. When she opened the hood Mindy looked up at her and smiled a little. Instantly she fell in love with the baby. Fiona brought her into her jungle home. When she opened the hood back the other cats saw her. They didn't know her parents and how they were very helpful. Most humans killed their species. One came to the basket and growled and made Mindy whimper. Fiona growled back at him saying, " Her parents are Ricky and Miranda, they are our friends. Two years ago her dad saved my mom from a hunting trap." Another female leopard, slightly older than Fiona said, " Well her parents are probably looking for her we need to return her." Fiona sighed and replied " No, her parents were killed in the forest fire last night. She's the only one who survived. I was a great friend with her parents and so was my mom. There- fore I must take care of Mindy and raise her as my own.

Mindy grew up day by day and was trained in the ways of the leopard. She learned to hunt the toucans and parrots, but was also trained to eat fruit because Fiona knew that humans needed fruits and vegetables to survive. At the age of 5 Mindy learned she was human but didn't care. She belonged with the leopards. By the age of 7 she learned everything she needed to know. She could even growl exactly like a leopard. However 5 weeks after she turned 7 a special month came ahead.

A few months later disaster struck. Mindy and her leopard mother were walking through when 5 hunters came into leopard territory. Many were killed that night but Fiona and Mindy survived. Mindy growled angrily " They picked on the wrong group". She started to go for an attack but Fiona stopped her knowing that she could get hurt.

However Mindy was determined to stop them. Unfortunately things didn't go exactly as planed. She saw a box and figured she could hide there while she waited. But she didn't know the box was being shipped to an apartment in L.A.

Two minutes after she entered the box she felt it move but could not break out. Fiona's friend Zeena saw the box moving and Mindy was in it. She ran as fast as she could to tell Fiona. When she told her Fiona chased the box with her Mindy inside but she could not catch her. She moaned a sad growl of loss.

Mindy's box had been shipped to an apartment in L.A. It turns out it was Sam and Cat's apartment. Cat ordered a new jump rope but there was a mix up. When it was opened Mindy growled trying to be fierce. " This girl is weird" Sam said Mindy growled in her leopard voice, " Where am I? Tell me where my mom is". Neither of them spoke leopard so they did not understand. Luckily Mindy did know a few words in English she said. " Mom, need help, find her". Sam asked where she lived and said " Jungles of Africa". They called all the police and told them about Mindy but had no luck finding contact. To make matters worse Fiona didn't have a phone, because she's a leopard. Actually Sam and Cat didn't realize her mom was a real leopard, they figured that she just hung out with them a lot.

Mindy wasn't able to say my mom is a leopard in English so she waited to think of a way to tell them. Cat loved this little girl and could see that she was very different. Instead of sleeping on the couch bed, she slept on an empty shelf since she was used to sleeping in a tree. Before she went to sleep she used some old cardboard up there to " Sharpen her claws". Sam and Cat admired this little girl and had fun with her for 3 weeks. She got better at English but still couldn't say my Mom is a leopard but she was able to say my mom's name is Fiona. So they asked every Fiona if they had a little girl named Mindy. All replied no. But that didn't keep them down. Mindy taught them some phrases in leopard such as " my name is" and " thank you" and " hello". Then Sam showed her the butter sock and Cat showed her how to jump rope.

Meanwhile her mother had been searching for her daughter. She had hitched a ride on a plane that was dropping of Cargo to L.A. She knew she could get caught and would scare people so she couldn't be too loud. She needed to find Mindy and get out. Fiona had a strong sense of smell, and she knew what Mindy's scent was. Even if Mindy had a bath with soap that smelled like peaches, she could still track her.

At last Fiona reached the place of her target. She knew her daughter was in that apartment. She clawed at the door and Cat opened it. Fiona leaped in and growled " give me Mindy NOW!" Of course Cat didn't understand and yelled for Sam. " Sam came and pointed a stick but Fiona swatted it away and kept walking closer and showing her teeth. Cat yelled " goodbye life". But they were not doomed. Mindy heard her Mom's growl while she was sharpening her claws on a shelf in the hall. She leaped down and Fiona smiled in delight. Mindy ran and yelled " MOM!" Sam and Cat stood with their mouths wide open. Sam walked up and said " Wait, Mindy, you're mom's an actual leopard." She nodded. " Well that explains a lot. " She said " this is my mom Fiona, she saved me when my real parents died in a fire. She has raised me since I was small." Then she told her mom " This is Sam and Cat, they are my friends." Fiona thanked them for saving Mindy.

Fiona was ready to take Mindy home but she saw something horrible on the T.V. Hunters were surrounding the leopards at their home. When she moaned sadly Cat realized what was wrong. Fiona wanted to take Mindy back but she knew it was too dangerous. Cat stepped up and said, " Maybe Mindy would be safer here." After thinking about it she decided to let Mindy live with Sam and Cat so she would be safe. She also knew she would grow up and needed to be with her own kind. When she embraced Mindy she told her " This is for your own good. I love you and it's too dangerous for you in the jungle. So from now on you will live with Sam and Cat. Be good for them. Never forget who you are. Don't forget what I taught you but I also want you to learn human behavior." Mindy sniffed and said " but I want to be with you, I don't want to stop being a leopard." Fiona said " Mindy you need to be with humans and learn their ways. But when you do you don't have to give up you're leopard ways. Just add some human behavior on top of it. I will always love you and that's why this must be done." Mindy asked, " Will you come visit?" " Of course, I will visit as much as I can. " then Mindy asked her " once the hunters clear out can I show Sam and Cat our home?" " Of course." After saying goodbye, Mindy began her new life with new sisters, Sam and Cat.