Chapter 94

As a native New Zealander, Richard Taylor was deeply uneasy about the introduction of so many exotic species to the island, even when kept in zoos.

In fact, just last year, a crocodile had escaped from the Auckland Zoo, causing a stir. The crocodile had trapped two Australian tourists on an island. The animals stalked them, preventing their escape in a rowboat. The two tourists had to spend the entire night in a large tree to avoid becoming the crocodile's next meal. According to rescuers, the crocodile was about six meters long and unusually large, likely from overeating in the zoo.

Richard had no love for exotic animals, especially dangerous ones like snakes, crocodiles, wolves, and cheetahs. New Zealand had been a safe place—there was no need to worry about encountering such threats in the wild.

As the radio blared with repeated warnings about the escaped zoo animals, Peter's scream suddenly pierced the air from the river.

"Ahhh! Crocodiles, there are crocodiles!"

Richard stood frozen for a moment, then panicked, "No way, is it the one that escaped from the zoo? Did Peter run into it?"

Ignoring his friend's poor luck, Richard quickly ran toward the sound, only to spot Peter rushing through the forest, shouting frantically. Richard called out to him, "This way, come this way!"

But Peter was too panicked to hear, darting deeper into the woods. Behind him, a crocodile more than four meters long was chasing him down.

However, as the crocodile reached the forest's edge, it suddenly stopped. It wandered for a moment, shook its head, and then turned to leave, much to Richard's relief.

But the situation wasn't over. Richard, concerned for Peter's safety, continued into the forest, only to see Peter burst out at a speed even greater than before. When Peter spotted him, he screamed, "Richard, run, run! There's a leopard! A leopard!!"

Richard's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? A leopard? No way!"

But sure enough, as Peter ran, two adult cheetahs emerged from the forest, having maintained their wild instincts and hunting abilities. The moment they reached open ground, they flanked Peter from both sides without hesitation.

Richard remained calm under pressure. Looking around, he spotted a massive kauri tree between them and the cheetahs, its thick trunk covered in large knobs—perfect for climbing.

"Get up the tree, now!" Richard shouted, motioning for Peter to follow.

The two men, not particularly fit from lack of exercise, scrambled up the tree. Their adrenaline-fueled climb was faster than expected, and soon they found themselves sitting on a thick branch about seven or eight meters up, watching the cheetahs pace beneath them.

One of the cheetahs circled below the tree, while the other backed up, gathering speed before charging up the tree.

Peter screamed in sheer terror. "What the hell? Is it on you? Throw something at it!"

Richard, in a panic, grabbed the small radio from his belt and hurled it at the climbing cheetah's head, shouting for help.

Peter, regaining his composure, began tossing whatever he had on him—coins, a phone, and keychains—at the cheetah. It was hit several times, causing the animal to leap down to the ground again, momentarily distracted.

"Help! Help!" they both screamed, hoping for any kind of response.

The cheetah, however, was quick to recover. It started its ascent again, as if nothing had happened.

"Smash it! Smash it!" Peter urged.

"We're out of stuff!" Richard exclaimed.

"Shoes! Throw shoes!" Peter shouted.

Four shoes were hurled down from the tree. One of them hit the cheetah's nose, and the animal was knocked back to the ground once more.

But now, with nothing left to throw, both men began to despair. "It's over. There's really nothing left this time. We're dead," Peter moaned.

"At worst, I'll fight them to the death!" Richard said, trying to muster some confidence. "I'll kick them, bite them—anything!"

"Yes! Kick them to death!" Peter said through gritted teeth.

The two of them continued calling for help as the cheetahs prowled below, waiting for another opportunity.

Suddenly, one of the cheetahs noticed something and sprinted off toward a nearby hill.

The other cheetah stayed behind, focusing on Richard and Peter, its stance defensive.

Peter's face lit up. "Richard, look at that! Something's wrong—someone's coming!"

Richard's hope flared. "Could someone actually be coming?!"

"Please, help!" Peter yelled again.

But there was no response from the hill, and Peter's excitement turned to frustration. "Do you think they're running away?" he said, deflated.

Richard held onto a shred of hope. "Maybe they're just calling someone for help."

At that moment, the cheetah on the hill let out a threatening growl, followed by a long, eerie howl.

Richard felt a rush of relief. "It's a threat! Something's definitely coming!"

"I hope it's a human... someone with a weapon!" Peter replied, his hope tinged with anxiety.

Then, a figure on horseback appeared over the hill, standing against the wind. The figure had shoulder-length brown hair flying behind them and wore simple jeans and a white T-shirt. The shirt fluttered like a cape as the figure surveyed the area.

Peter's panic turned to awe. "It's a person! Finally!"

"Help! Help!" they shouted again, but this time there was a sense of real hope in their voices.

As they looked closer, Peter's voice dropped to a murmur. "This image... it looks like the Elf Prince from Lord of the Rings."

Richard shot him a glare. "Shut up, Peter! Forget your damn script! Just keep yelling for help!"

[•———•——•———•]

𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧