2A. daniel

The cage was not very big, but he could walk around in it a few paces. It was built from brick and mortar and set deep into the ground. At the top it was enclosed with strong iron bars so that the animals could not escape. There was a large male lion and two females in the cage, and Daniel was among them. He walked about calmly and did not interfere with them. They in turn did also not approach him.

He felt confident and in control. He knew that if he made no sudden movements out of fear, and did not upset the big cats, that they in turn would not attack and maul him. He kept a cool, distant approach from them and did not panic. As time progressed they seemed to become accustomed to his presence, and started to show less and less interest in the man thrown into their den. The guard outside passed the cage from time to time to check up on him.

He went and sat with his back against the wall and ignored the animals. Across from him on the far side of the cage ran the drainage ditch. The animal’s lair was to back of it. He sat and rested himself while the animals roamed the cage. They were now completely disinterested in him, but kept prowling the cage nonetheless. They would not be fed today. Daniel himself was growing increasingly hungry, and would needless to say be treated in the same way as the animals. He could smell the lions about him in the cage. They smelt of the wilderness and raw meat. He knew that if he persevered everything would work out well.

Time passed very slowly. Through the bars of the cage he could see the sun setting in deep red hues over on the western horizon among the low-lying hills. Red; with a sprinkling of scattered cloud around it that gradually dispersed as the sun-set, and the cage slowly grew dark…

End.