Creative writing: SAFARI
This creative writing piece was motivated by Voyage Scribe’s monthly writing prompt.
The prompt was to ‘Write a story about a bird flying over a place you visited’. See if you can guess which bird it is and what mysterious object joins it in the sky…
Out the side of my eye I glimpse it for the first time. I want to take a closer look to see if it poses a threat to me, like the predators from the land below my dangling sharp talons. It looks beastly; its ferocious roar and red flames billow out each time I get too close. The flames angrily light up its giant form, creating a soft glow from its translucent skin but revealing nothing but emptiness inside. Dubiously I circle around it, gliding through the warm African air as the creature rises and falls, lighting up the dark morning sky.
Even with this new potential threat, the sky is the safest place for me to be right now. From high above I intently scan the vast open plains for predators, monitoring the arid landscape below for any day-old kill. My usual mornings are spent hovering above treetops, staying just out of reach of any large teeth, puffing out my wings and body, showing smaller birds it is not a worthwhile challenge for the scraps.
But not this morning. The sun is still rising, the orange glow giving colour to the browning sparse land, awaiting the April rains to make it lush with green again. The mysterious creature flies gracefully beside me in the sky, with its horizontal striped coat of vibrant colours; red, yellow and blue. It’s body, shaped like an inverted teardrop looks more deflated now, only flaring up when it rises again. But what will it eat? On size alone, surely this makes it the new king of the jungle.
I spread my wings wide, pushing my naturally U-shaped neck forward to get a better look and swoop down in line with the creature. I am in awe; it cannot be… a floating nest! Somehow, it’s holding up its young in the sky by thin wires, enclosed in a perfectly woven rectangular box. Although… strangely they don’t look alike. They aren’t dome shaped or brightly coloured. Instead they have small faces arms and legs, clicking at metal contraptions in their hands that give off bright flashes. I usually see them on the ground in metal cases on wheels, poking their heads out each time a new herd of animals arrive. How did they get into the sky? Aren’t they scared of this creature? Maybe they are lunch and they don’t know it yet.
Puzzled, I think of my daily hunt and how I travel for miles to bring food back to the nest I have built over time. That’s when I’m lucky enough to get food though; it’s not every day, with the pickings slim this time of year. I only swoop in when the time is right, when the lions and their cubs have had their fill, and the hyenas have taken what they can. Picking at the carcass, tearing meat from its tendons and bone with my strong beak. ‘Eater of the Dead,’ they call me, a pretty accurate nickname for vultures. If only I could bring my nest with me too. I would have so much more time to hunt…
My jealous thoughts are interrupted by the movement on the ground below. A family of lions, the male in front with his glorious golden mane reflecting in the sun. The elegant lioness and natural hunter ready to find her next prey at the back, sandwiching their four energetic cubs who bound in-between. They move seamlessly as a pack, protective of their young, but confident in their status as top of the food chain. Not for long though. They look up to the sky at this huge creature, its size blocking the sun and casting a large circular shadow over the lion pack. It moves slowly though; it may be no match for the current king of the jungle. Antelopes and zebras scatter, not wanting to chance being part of that morning’s breakfast for the lions or this new unfamiliar presence in the sky.
I continue onwards, soaring above the acacia trees dotted between pale vegetation. Towards the edges of the national park I glimpse a pair of long necked spotted giraffes nibbling away at the leaves on the very highest branches. Not that I am interested in that stuff; I shudder at the memory of the taste, having tried it once before when I was desperate. A mother and baby, the baby only just tall enough to reach the lower branches, stretches its neck proudly to reach the lowly hanging leaves, smacking its large lips together, moving them side to side. I swoop down, inspecting them further. Their long neck and frame look so muscular, yet their lean twiglet legs look impossibly thin and that they might snap with the weight. They look majestic with their spotted coats against the snowy backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro. The way their mouths curve upwards, their upper lips much bigger than their lower, makes it seem like they are smiling at me between feedings. I try smiling back but my scary demeanour must only appear frightening to them.
Perched on a low hanging branch, my thoughts distracted by this exchange of smiles, I hear a distant rumble, which instantly jolts me back to the current moment. Behind me appear an enormous heard of Wilderbeast, their flat surfaced faces and large angry horns leading the charge. Together, with their humped backs, they move forwards at pace, leaving dust in their wake. As they come towards me, I panic. Not wanting to get caught in their path I dart upwards to safety, witnessing the great migration from high above. They have arrived at last. Moving from the Serengeti National Park to share our home for the meanwhile, in the Masai Mara National Reserve. There is a feeling of togetherness, all moving as one family, a special moment that takes place each year. Selfishly I feel a sense of relief. One of these family members will soon end up as the lion’s lunch, and tomorrow I’ll get the pickings…
I hope you enjoyed my creative writing piece! I’d love to hear your thoughts on it below in the comments section. Has it inspired you to visit Kenya one day or go on a safari?
I went for my honeymoon and was lucky enough to experience an unforgettable early morning hot air balloon ride over the Masai Mara National park. I chose this as the place to write about as I felt it could put myself in the shoes (or claws) of a vulture having flown high above the ground myself!
Watch this space for more creative writing posts and a Kenya Safari travel guide.
Love it! You’re so talented! An amazing piece of writing
Author
Aw thank you that’s very kind, glad you enjoyed it!