Composition test

Title: In the lion's den

I was a fool, I know. The memory is still raw inside me, and whenever I see a lion, whether in the television, newspaper or in the Zoo, I will start shivering uncontrollably. A cold sweat will start, as I remember that fateful day...

It was a pleasant morning, the crickets creaked and the birds chirped merrily. My family and I had decided to take a day off that day, to go to the Zoo. We were all in high spirits, and everyone's face wore a happy grin. In our minds, there was room for only one thing "We are going to the Zoo!"

I imagined all the things I could do there, like feeding the elephants, riding a horse, seeing the stately emperor penguins. And best of all, seeing the king of beasts, the lion. I thought of how magnificent it looked, with its' mane of rusty gold hair. How wonderful it would be to see it!

At the Zoo, people milled around, going here, going there. I would have become hopelessly lost if it had not been for my father's strong grip on my shoulders, steering me through the crowds of tourists and visitors, to the ticket booth.

Our family bought a ticket on special offer, and then started to walk towards the enclosures where the animals were kept. My parents asked me which animal I would like to see first and I promptly answered, " The lions, please."

As we neared the lion's enclosure, I became more and more excited. Walking with a spring in my step, I plastered a grin on my face and jostled my way through the crowd to the railings that kept the lions in the enclosure.

I stood there for a while, enjoying my close view of the golden-furred lion, then everything went wrong.

First of all, I leaned over the railings, craning my neck and straining my eyes for a closer look. Suddenly, a man clad in a simple white cotton shirt and khaki pants pushed past me, causing me to lose my balance. I toppled into the enclosure.

I rolled down the slope helplessly, finally landing on solid ground with a loud thud. The first thing I saw when I looked up was the lion, who, strangely, did not look kingly any more, but menacing. I let out a strangled scream, and scrambled up the hill.

All of a sudden, I heard a menacing growl behind me, and the lions hot breath on my cheeks.. I twisted round suddenly, but my foot got caught in a small hole, probably scratched out by the lion. I yelped in agony, and felt the stabs of pain in my leg. I had twisted my ankle.

I screamed in terror, "Help! Somebody help me! Save me!"

Luckily for me, my mother had quickly alerted the zoo keepers once I had fallen in, and they had, by this time, arrived at the lions enclosure. One of them distracted the lion with succulent roast chicken, while another aimed a tranquiliser gun at the lion to make it fall asleep. When that was finished, I felt a pair of strong arms around me, carrying me out of the lions den,telling me I was okay, comforting me as I started sobbing in shock, the tears running down my face, making dark blue blotches on my light blue shirt. Then I felt my mother hugging me, pulling me close to her as she sobbed in relief. I also felt my fathers hand on my shoulder, not a steely grip this time, but a comforting one, telling me everything was alright.

I was then rushed to the hospital, and tended to my injuries. Thankfully, I was alright, apart from a twisted ankle and in a state of shock.

From that day on, I developed a phobia to lions. Whenever I saw them, I would remember the hot breath on my cheeks, the cruel, menacing eyes, the terror that struck me. However, I was grateful to the zoo keepers for saving my life, and to my mother who alerted them. I also started to be more thankful for my life, and that it was not over yet. But the memory of that day would forever be with m, like a bloddy stain on the cloth of my life. I would never forget thta fateful day.