Baby Panther

Xuan Li opened his eyes with a jerk, gasping for air. After coughing, a considerable amount of water accumulated in his lungs and stomach, he relaxed a bit.

His eyes squinted as he tried to get used to the bright light. It was after he blinked a few times that his senses began to work.

The first thing he saw was the sky. The golden fingers of sunlight lit up the scene, and the artistic golden sun shone upon his exhausted body with all its might.

Fluffy white clouds, drifting lazily in the gentle breeze, dotted the blue sky.

But Xuan Li was not interested; he rubbed his eyes again to soften his hazy vision. For others, a new day would have brought dreams and expectations, but for him, it was another sign of his uselessness.

Blocking the sunlight with his hands, he pushed the soil with his legs in frustration as he mumbled, "I'm so useless… I can't even die properly."

I lost everything. I have nothing to live for! So, why am I alive?!

Thinking about this, Xuan Li cried out with all his might, "Arghhhh!"

His scream was loud enough to alarm the tiny critters nearby, including the birds sitting peacefully in the trees around him.

Soon, the sky filled with birds flying overhead.

Upon seeing this, Xuan Li's eyes darted around him.

Only tall grasses that swayed left or right according to the direction of the wind remained for as far as he could see.

The sunlight shone upon the meadows, showcasing their bright lemon yellow color that reached to the knees, producing a tingling sensation.

Xuan Li tried to get up from his position, but his body didn't listen to him as he stumbled down and stayed there.

He was tired of it.

He was tired of everything, even his life, so he had decided to end it. But it seemed that the gods were too cruel to him. Thinking about it, he decided to get up and go back home, back to the same place from where he wanted to escape from.

"Where am I? I don't remember this field...the sea must have brought me here," Xuan Li mumbled as he tried to look around for some familiar landmarks. But he could only see grass or tall trees as far as his sight reached.

'Let's just look around. I will ask for directions from the locals.' With this thought, he started to walk. He walked and walked, with no direction in mind, just aimlessly wandering.

'It must have been an hour now,' Xuan Li thought as he stopped walking. His legs gave up.

"Is anyone here?" he screamed, hoping for someone to hear him. But all he got was silence. There was no trace of life around him.

"What is this place? Is anyone here?" he screamed out again in frustration and rage. However, he got no response from his cries. Nothing!

He fell on his knees on the ground, gradually his eyes became misty, and in no time did tears begin to fall from his eyes.

He rarely cried in front of his grandpa, and he tried his best to conceal the pain he endured and the torment he received from this cruel world. Even without him telling, his grandpa always knew about his feelings, as if he could read Xuan Li, like an open book.

Now that he had lost him, there was no one to understand him, and there was no need to live any longer in this world. If the first attempt to end his life had failed, he just had to try again. And this time, he will die for sure!

Thinking this, Xuan Li got up from the ground, dusted his clothes, and wiped his tears. A slight smile came over his face.

He started to search for something that could help him be free of this world. But there was no river in which he could drown since he had walked too far away from it.

"Let's try something different!" He said as his eyes settled on the nearest tree.

Hastily, he walked towards the tree. Upon closer inspection, it appeared as though it had been standing there for quite some time now. Its trunk was dense and sturdy with long branches. Xuan Li touched the trunk of the tree.

"This must be enough," he mumbled and soon pulled a tree vine hanging from a branch.

Taking it in his hands, Xuan Li made a noose to hang himself with it. Securing the rope with the tree branch, he was all set to stretch himself from it.

But as soon as he hanged himself from the branch, there was a sound!

*Crack*

And in no time, the branch broke.

*Thud*

Xuan Li landed on his butt. He also heard something dropping with him, but he was in too much pain to care about it. Massaging his sore butt, he frowned.

He was frustrated.

"WHAT THE HELL!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

'Bullshit! Are the gods playing with me? Why can't I just die and rest in peace?! Haven't I already suffered enough? Do they want me to repent for eternity? What sins have I committed to receive such cruel retributions from them!?' Xuan Li pulled his hair in frustration.

"Purr... Purr..."

A voice of crying came. Xuan Li was startled to hear the sound. Turning to his right, he saw a black panther sitting in the same position as him, looking back at him with eyes filled with curiosity.

It was a baby panther. Its fur was pure black, with not even a single mark to see. It looked like an average panther, but something was different. It was his eyes. They were golden! Shimmering and bright, as if they were produced from the best and finest gold-melted pots. Catching the light, they reflected a perfect shade of yellow.

That's when he noticed that this baby panther was nothing like a regular one. He had mistaken it to be a normal panther, but it was far away from this term.

The baby panther appeared like a plush toy, and with his big golden eyes, it could easily be confused for a stuffed toy.

Wait... What if it is really a stuffed toy? But if that is the case, why is it moving?

The thoughts flashed through Xuan Li's mind. He couldn't help but poke the panther to test his suspicions.