I originally wrote this for a character of mine on a roleplay site, though I was forced to leave due to my computer contracting various viruses. This was written to illustrate how my character, Lerato, died before being reborn in the new world. Hopefully, this will inspire me to pick up roleplaying once more.


A flash of red buzzed through greens and browns of the jungle environment, soon followed by camouflaged predators. The red blur hurdled over fallen tree trunks, sliding under vines, and zigzagging her way through her home. She had heard stories of these terrible monsters, coming at you when you least expect it. Her mother had warned her the day she was born about the horn stealers. “The love we have for our horns is only matched by the greed those creatures possess.” Those were her exact words and the very words that were racing through her mind now. It was strange really, knowing that you had something that a rather large group of animals craved. It gave her a sense of pride, as well as the rest of her species. She held her head high as to flaunt her horns off to her pursuers though it was at this instant she lost her balance and tripped.


For a split second, she believed this was it. Her pride would be her ultimate downfall. If only she had not raised her horns from her back, they would not of snagged that vine. She got back up on her feet, a bit too quickly causing her to stumble forward, and resumed running. The brief surprise she had felt before when there was no sign of the poachers was immediately drowned away by the thick flood of adrenaline. A few more moments passed before she decided it was safe enough to catch her breath. She didn’t remember ever sensing their presence when she had fallen earlier nor did she sense them now. She was safe at last.


The bongo turned towards the small hill that stood in front of her. It wasn’t that much of a hill, more like a small rise in the ground, but in her eyes, it was a mountain. In a few steps she was at its peak, overlooking her surroundings. This was the place she was born, where she took her first unsteady steps. She stood proudly as if she just defeated a whole army of poachers by herself. Her head was held high and proud, a queen of the jungle. The sun even appeared to angle its warm rays directly towards her, encasing her with its golden color. She closed her eyes to soak up the pure relief she felt. “I’m safe,” she said. BANG.