Alida POV
It was a hot sunny day in Africa. I was visiting Africa on vacation with my dad, who had planned a safari trip for us to go on.
I was sleeping in one of the tents of our group. My dad crawled into our tent. "Rise and shine, sleepyhead. You'd better get up, the group is planning on heading out soon." My dad informed me.
"Mmm...I'm up..." I groaned as I sat up in bed. "What are we searching for today?" I asked.
"Well, I was talking with th group instructor and he said we might be able to find some lions if we're lucky enough." My dad said.
"That would be exciting enough. I just hope that they don't come anywhere near us..." I feared.
"There's nothing to be afraid of. We'll be safe in the jeeps, watching from a distance. The lions won't hurt you." My dad assured.
"Alright. I'll be ready in a minute." I said.
"Okay. Meet us outside when you're done." He said as he crawled out of the tent.
I yawned and started brushing my hair. The lions would surely be exciting to see, but something about them made me feel intimidated, even if they were spotted form a distance.
I crawled out of the tent wearing a bush jacket and red scarf around my neck. "Are we ready to go?" I asked as I approached my dad, who was talking to the group leader.
"Pretty soon, muy lady. Just a little while until everyone is ready." The group leader said in a British accent.
"Great. I can't wait to get out there again today." I said excitedly.
"You'd better be. We're going out to see some magnificent animals today." He replied.
"Sir, the group is ready to go. We'd better get everyone on the jeeps." His assistant told him.
"Alrighty then, lets get everyone on board." He said.
"If you two will follow me," The captain said as he headed towards one of the jeeps.
We took the jeeps out a couple miles from the camp. "See anything yet, dad?" I asked.
"Not yet..." He replied.
"Oi! Looky here!" The leader stopped the jeep, followed by the others.
"See there?" The captain pointed out to some tall dry grass about thirty yards away from us. I looked as hard as I could to see a spotted hyena, carrying some of its prey in its mouth.
"Wow..." I said as I watched.
"MOOOO!" Cries of fear filled the air.
"Sir!" An employee pulled his jeep up next to our jeep.
"We'd best get out of here! There are stampeding wildebeest headed our way!" The assistant warned.
"Wildebeest?! What are they running this way for?!" The leader asked.
"I'm not sure! We'd best get out of here before it's too late!" He said in a panicked voice.
"MOOOO!" The wildebeest came into view, and they were no more than twenty feet away from us.
"Let's get out of here!" The captain yelled in a panicked voice.
The leader started the car, full power.
"AHH!" As he started the car, I was thrown back, barely hanging onto the back of the jeep.
"Alida!" My father yelled.
"HELP!" I looked back and saw the wildebeest were getting closer and closer. Soon, there was a very big bump.
"AHH!" I yelled as I was thrown off of the jeep.
"Alida! Turn around! My daughter is out there!" My father yelled at the captain.
"We can't! The wildebeest are coming!" I heard them yell. I watched as the jeep drove further and further away.
"MOOOO!" I turned and saw the wildebeest.
"Ahh!" I got up and started running. The wildebeest were getting very close to me. I jumped in hopes of getting away, but I was thrown to the ground as I was hit by some of the wildebeest.
"Argh..." I laid down, beaten by the stampede. "I...I don't...argh..." Without much thought, everything started turning black.
"Hmm...Perhaps I can do something about this one." I heard a voice before I lost consciousness.
...
...
...
"...Argh..." I woke up to see I was near a pond. "W...Where..." I looked up to see I was still in the Savannah.
"Dad! Look!" I heard voices.
...Argh...I'm too...I'm still too tired to move... I thought. I heard two voices come closer to me.
"She doesn't look good...we'd better get her some help." A male voice spoke. "Kiara, help me get her home." The male said.
"Right." I felt something furry touch me and lift me.
...What...What's going on? I slightly opened my eyes to see I was lifted onto a lion's back. ...Oh no...this isn't good...I have to get away... I thought. ...I still can barely move...what if I try... I tried moving, but it only resulted in me rolling off the lion.
"She fell." The male said.
"Here, I'll get her." I squinted my eyes so the lions didn't know I was awake. I watched the lioness walk over and get me onto her back. ...What's going on here? I thought.
"Hurry, we should be able to get her some help back home. C'mon." The male said.
"Right." The lioness hurried to catch up to her father, making sure I didn't fall off.
...I feel...faint again...
...Argh...
I woke up this time to find myself on a stone surface. I was alone. I appeared to be leaning against a rock outside of a cave.
I heard footsteps. "C'mon, this is the lion I was talking about." It was the female voice form before. She approached with a brown lion, with a dark brown mane.
"Kiara...are you sure she's not dead?" He asked.
"I don't think so...I wonder what happened?" This...'Kiara' wondered.
"Well if she's to get better she probably needs her rest." The male said.
"Right." The lions wandered off.
I waited for them to leave before I got up. ...Now's the perfect time to escape... I thought. I got up and tried to stand. "...Argh.." I grunted. ...I can't...stand? I'll have to crawl to get away from here... I thought to myself.
I checked my surroundings and climbed down the rock formation. Being careful not to fall, I ran away from the lion den as fast as I could. "Huff...Puff..." ...What happened to me? Something doesn't feel right to me...I hear lions talking...and I can't stand... I thought as I ran. ...Argh...I need water...
I looked nearby for a pond or stream. I found a pond by another rock. "Hrgh..." I forced myself over to take a drink. "Ahh..." I gasped as I quenched my thirst. "Huh?" I saw something wave in the water, as if a reflection was coming into view. The water ripled until a golden lion came into view. "Ahh!" I screamed as I stepped away. I looked around. "Wait..." ...There aren't any lions around here...I'm alone... I thought. I approached the water again. ...How...How is this possible?! In the water was a reflection of a bright yellow lioness. "I...How?!" I asked in disbelief. ...No way this is possible...is it?
"About time you woke up." A male said. I turned around and saw a lion with a gold fur coat and brown mane. I timidly backed away. "Don't be afraid." He said. "Who...Who are you?" I asked. "My name is Simba. I found you passed out not far from my home. I'm glad you're alright." He said.
"..." I stared at the lion. ...So I can understand lions? But...how did I turn into a lion? None of this is making sense to me... I thought.
"What is your name?" Simba asked.
"My name? My name is...Alida..." I said.
"Tell me, Alida, where did you come from? I've never seen you around here before." Simba asked.
"I...I'm not from around here that's for sure...I...I guess I'm lost..." I said.
"Lost?" Simba pondered that for a minute.
"Daddy! The lioness we found wandered o-" I looked and saw the lioness from before approach her father. "Oh..." She said as she saw me.
"Kiara, this is Alida." Simba said.
"Hi there." She approached. I flinched.
"Hmm?" She looked me over. "Well, I'm glad you're not hurt. What exactly made you pass out anyway?" Kiara asked. I looked at her awkwardly.
"Well...I was trampled by stampeding wildebeest..." I said shyly.
"Wildebeest?" Simba jumped. He looked as if he didn't like them, or had a bad experience with them.
"I don't know what made them stampede, but somehow I was caught in the middle of all of it..." I explained.
"Where do you live if you're not from here? What were you doing in the Pridelands?" Simba asked.
"I can't explain..." I replied. ...I can't tell them that I live on a different continent, can I? I doubt anyone would believe me...heck, I wouldn't believe me if it didn't happen.
"Well, thank you for making sure I was okay." I said as I started to leave.
"Wait," Kiara ran and jumped in front of my path. "Where do you think you're going?" She asked.
"Uh...Well, I have to find a place to stay for tonight...seeing as I'm lost and all..." I said.
"Not after you got trampled in that stampede." Kiara protested.
"She's right. How's about you stay here for tonight?" Simba suggested.
"Thank you for your offer...but I really must be going..." I said.
"And where are you going to exactly?" Simba asked. I paused.
...That's right...even if I were to find my dad, no way would he recognize me now...Sigh...I'll just have to stay here for now until I come up with a plan. "Honestly, I'm not sure what my plans are. I'm too lost to find my home again." I said.
"Sire!" Just then, a small blue bird with a red beak and white underbelly flew towards Simba.
"Zazu, what's the word?" Simba asked.
"I'm afraid there's been a stampede of wildebeest not very far from here. Word has it that a vicious predator attacked one of them and made the rest flee in horror." The little bird said.
"A vicious predator? I knew about the wildebeest but I didn't hear anything else..." I said.
"We found Alida here passed out. She said that she was trampled in the stampede. I suspect we have an uninvited guest in the pridelands." Simba said.
"Hey, now that you're awake, I can show you Pride Rock." Kiara said.
"Pride Rock?" I asked. "You are new around here, aren't you?" She asked.
"C'mon." Kiara started running towards the giant rock structure. I started to follow after her.
And there's the end of chapter 1! I hope you guys liked that and stick around for chapter 2!