Riiiiiiiing! The alarm clocked rung throughout my room. Riiiiiiiing! I stretched out my arm and slammed it down at my clock. My nails dug into the wood of my side table. Confused I tried to pull them out but they were stuck. I let out a yawn except it sounded more like a roar. What's going on? I thought.

I slightly twisted my body towards the side table, and saw a furry arms with paws where my hands are supposed to be and claws digging into my blackwood table. I lay back on my back my hands… or claws….or whatever still stuck in my table, Inhale and exhale. I commanded myself. Calm down, this is just a dream. I repeated to myself. With my eyelids growing heavy by the second and dozed off again.

Thumb, thumb!! “ Aqsa, wake up it’s getting late.” a feminine voice startled me awake.

“Yes, Mawr” what just happened, I thought to myself. Why am I roaring? I sat up with so much force that I heard something break on the right side of the bed. I tilted my to the side and saw a paw with claws digging into the wood. Startled I leaped back and bumped my head into the headboard.

“Ooooo” My cry of pain was once again becoming a roar. What am I going to do now I need help but how will I tell my mom when all I can do is roar.  I sat up and started to think.

“Aqsa, get up you’re  getting late, you have 15 mins else or I am leaving!” My mom shouted through the door, no doubt waking up our neighbors in the process. I got out of bed and landed on all four, trying to get used to being on more than 2 legs. As I paced in my room I tried to contemplate of a way to tell my mother of my demise, as seeing my current situation I can't seem to get a word out without roaring. During my pacing I heard a bark, it was my neighbors dog, I could smell the dog’s scent from my room, and frankly speaking it smelled delicious. I could practically taste the fatty, juicy and tender meat. What are you doing snap out of it! I mentally scolded myself, today i’m thinking of eating neighbor's dog tomorrow it might be… ugh… ! Just thinking about it made me sick, hungry but still sick.

I continued to find a way to tell my parents about my untimely demise when something came to my attention, what would happen after I tell them. It’s not as though they are going to raise a lion for a daughter. As I  continued freak out the door slammed opened.

“Aqsa, wake u…… ahh mama lion liiiiiiooooonn!!” My sister, Aleha ran out of the room yelling at the top of her lungs.

My heart started beating against my chest as I heard my sister explain to my mother what she saw.

“A lion, really”

“Yes, really, just follow me.” Their footsteps coming closer to my room, panic seized my body, I can't stay here I decided I have to leave and with one last goodbye I left through the open door of my room toward the entrance, which unfortunately is left open in the morning to let in a cool breeze in the warm weather.

3 months later

Sitting and watching people walk by with amusement etched on their faces, a sudden jealousy rose in me. How dare they keep me trapped in this prison for their amusement, how dare they keep anyone like this.  I raged thinking about Noah who was turned into a monkey and how his parents sent him here to the zoo to live out the rest of his demoralising life putting on shows and only eating bananas. As I continued to rage I saw them, I saw my family. They walked around enjoying everything the zoo had to offer, oblivious to the fact that the lion they were staring at was and is their daughter.