I never want to remember that day again. Actually, I think I would. It's amazing how such wonderful things can happen on the same day as something so horrible. It doesn't seem fair. But I'm glad it did happen.
"Alice! Could you give me a hand with this leopard cub?" Danny called from the animal hospital.
Alice sighed, wiping her forehead as she climbed up the steps to see Danny wrestling with the leopard cub from Mara they were treating. "What's the matter?"
"Oh, he's just being a bit temperamental. He's fighting too much for me to vaccinate him," Danny replied whilst gritting his teeth.
Alice reached over to hold the growling bundle of fur down. "After this, would you mind taking him back to Mara on your way into town?"
Alice grimaced as a claw scratched across her skin. "Yep… as long as he's calmed down by then!"
Danny laughed, then smiled. "There we go… all done!" He rubbed the patch of skin where the needle went in, and lifted the cub into a transport cage.
Danny picked up the cage, handing it to Alice before kissing her on the cheek. "Have fun!"
Alice rolled her eyes, laughing. "Yeah, thanks."
They walked out of the animal hospital together, with Danny's arm around Alice's shoulders. "You better get back quick, those clouds don't look too nice."
Alice looked up to the sky, seeing huge black clouds rolling towards them, with lightning flashing in the distance. "Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it," Alice said, pecking Danny on the cheek, and loading the cage into the back of the Jeep before pulling away.
***
Halfway to Mara, droplets of rain started falling. Alice looked to the sky, seeing the storm rolling straight towards her as the Jeep bounced along the pothole-filled road.
***
"Thanks again, Alice! And say hi to Danny for me too!" Called Vanessa from the doorway of the Mara reception building, sheltering from the rain that was now falling incredibly heavily.
Alice waved quickly whilst pulling the waterproof cover over the top of the Jeep and swiftly pulling away.
As the vehicle rolled along the rain-soaked road, with water splashing up the sides, lightning flashed in the sky, and thunder crashed overhead.
Suddenly, a fork of lightning struck a tall acacia tree by the side of the road. The tree started to sway, and fell into the road, striking the front of the Jeep. Alice screamed, pushing her foot forward onto the break pedal, but got both of her feet crushed as the tree forced the body of the car down onto her.
Thunder continued to rumble, and lightning to flash, leaving the wrecked Jeep crushed in the middle of the road, containing an unconscious Alice.