Amira's Tree-Climbing Adventure

Hi, this is a short story by Stella Rosewood for a writing contest I entered! I can now say that I finally know why Fandom won't let me have an account. :( So I'm not entirely sure what to do. As always, please do not edit or copy, and with that, I hope you enjoy this story about leopards! 
== Chapter 1 ==
“Race you to the top!” I say to my best friends, Lena and Takora. 
“You’re on!” Lena says, already grabbing for a branch of a tree. That’s Lena all right. She is never one to say no to a contest, no matter what it is. 
“Well… okay,” Takora says, not nearly as excited as Lena is. Takora is very fast at running and climbing trees, but he is more shy and afraid of, well, a lot of things than Lena and I are. 
I quickly wrap my paw around a tree branch and haul myself up to the nearest sturdy-looking branch. 
“See you at the top!” Lena calls from beneath me. By the time I blink, Lena is scrambling onto my branch. Then she leaps up above me. 
“Oh, really?” I ask. “I’m not losing if I can help it!” I can get competitive in competitions sometimes. 
As I leap to the next branch, I glance down and see Takora right underneath me, steadily getting closer. I narrow my eyes and push myself even harder. 
The branches get smaller and thinner, and before I know it, I’m nearly at the top of the tree. Suddenly, Takora jumps right above me. I hurriedly try to catch up to him. 
Meanwhile, Lena jumps to the highest branch and declares, “I win!” 
I roll my eyes and push forward. Right as I’m about to join Lena on top, I hear a yelp from below me. Takora! I realize. 
Sure enough, Takora fell off his branch and is dangling off it! 
Lena looks down. “Oh no!” she gasps. “We have to help him!” 
She jumps down, and being the one who has had the most tree-climbing practice of any of us, she lands right where she aimed. But the branch Takora and Lena are on starts to creak, and I see small cracks start to form. 
“Watch out!” I yell. “It’s going to break!” 
Lena glances reluctantly at Takora, then jumps to safety. “What are we going to do?” she asks me, panic in her eyes. 
I can’t respond and instead watch the branch break more. 
“Help!” Takora calls, terrified. 
At that moment, I get an idea. I know what I have to do. Even if I might get hurt doing it. 
== Chapter 2 ==
At least I’m a little lighter than Lena, I think. That should help a little. 
I bunch my muscles, getting ready to pounce. Then I do. Since I haven’t had as much tree practice as Lena has, I land slightly off the center of the branch, which was where I had aimed. Thankfully, it doesn’t matter where I land, just that I actually land. 
The branch me and Takora are on sways but does not break. Thank goodness. 
“What are we going to do?” Takora asks, shaking. 
“I don’t know,” I reply honestly. This contest was my idea, and look where we are now! Then I think. What could save Takora? 
An idea suddenly pops into my head. “Lena!” I call. “Can you grab a vine from another tree?” 
At first, Lena looks confused, but then the realization of what I’m planning dawns in her face. “Got it!” she says, hopping down from the tree and running to get a vine. 
As I wait for her to come back, I worry. Will Lena get back in time? 
Thankfully, I see her bright gold and black spotted fur through the trees. And a vine is in her mouth! 
Lena jumps back onto the tree’s lowest branch and sets the vine down. “What do I do with it?” she asks. I’m pretty sure she at least has an idea, but I remind her anyway. 
“Go to one of the top branches and dangle the vine down,” I instruct. “I’ll take it from there.” 
“Okay,” Lena replies, determination lighting in her eyes. She jumps back up and drops the vine down to me and Takora. 
“What are we supposed to do?” asks Takora. 
“Hang on a second,” I say. I grab the vine with one paw and balance with the other three. Then I pull it down to where Takora is still hanging off our branch. 
“Grab it with your teeth,” I tell him. “Then Lena and I will pull you up.” 
Takora nods his agreement. He grabs the vine and nods for me to go. 
I carefully pull myself up and join Lena. 
“Let’s hope this works,” she whispers so Takora can’t hear. 
I nod solemnly. “It better.”
== Chapter 3 ==
“Get ready,” I warn Takora, then I turn back to Lena and grab another part of the vine.
“Pull!” I command. “And hold on tight!” 
Lena and I pull as hard as we can, nearly falling off the top of the tree as we do so. But, thank goodness, my plan works! 
We pull Takora to safety. As Takora sits up, panting, he says, “Next time, let’s find a sturdier tree to climb in.” 
I agree, and so does Lena. All of a sudden, I hear the roar of thunder. My ears perk up and so do my friends’. 
“We should probably go find our parents now since it’s thundering,” I point out. 
“Good call, Amira,” Lena says. 
“Yep,” Takora agrees. Together, we (carefully this time) lower ourselves down the branches of the tree. 
Once our paws hit hard, solid ground, I say, “I’m thirsty, and our parents and littermates live near the river, so we can get a drink there before the storm. Come on!” 
I bound forward, turning around to see Takora and Lena right on my tail. Almost literally. 
We speed around tree roots, poison ivy and oak, and trees themselves. Water puddles, however, we run right through, glad to get our paws wet after them being dry for so long. 
Soon enough, my friends and I skid to a stop in front of the river, where our families, sure enough, are taking a drink. 
“Hi, Mom, Dad, and Alina!” I call to my parents and sister. They turn around. 
“Welcome back, Amira!” Mom says. “How was your day so far?” 
“Good, but not entirely good,” Takora answers while padding over to his mom, dad, brother, and sister. 
“Why not?” asks Lena’s dad. 
“I nearly fell out of a tree,” Takora replies casually and shrugs, as if he didn’t just literally almost fall out of a tree. 
Everyone except me and Lena gasps. 
“You did what?!” Takora’s parents exclaim. 
“I almost fell out of a tree,” Takora repeats, just as casually as before. “If it weren’t for Amira and Lena, I would have fallen.” 
All eyes turn to me, then Lena. 
Takora’s family bound over to us. “Thank you so much!” they exclaim. “You saved Takora! Thank you!” 
I duck my head in embarrassment but say “We only did what anyone else would do”. 
Suddenly, thunder echoes around us. My mom glances at the sky. “Let’s go to that cave over there to shelter until the storm passes,” she says, pointing to a nearby cave with her tail as it starts to rain. 
We all agree. Me, Lena, and Takora take a quick drink of water before following our families. 
Once we arrive in the cave, I start to feel sleepy. I curl up on the ground, and my best friends and our families settle around me. Knowing I’m safe, I slowly fall asleep to the pitter-patter of the rain. 
=== The End! ===
Category:Stories
Category:Short Story