Momina’s new life
The adventures of Amara Zendara,
Written and created by Alexander Keller, copyright 2026, Zendara Entertainment LLC
Chapter 1.
The jeep:
As an unfriendly sun blazes fiercely overhead, wispy clouds linger in the distance, gently cradled within pale blue skies stretching endlessly across the open plains of Africa.
Amid this stunning yet perilous landscape, a fast-moving swirl of desert dust twists along the horizon. Suddenly, the spinning cloud halts and begins to settle, revealing the rugged wheel of a jeep screeching to a sharp stop.
A dusty black boot slams onto the sun-baked earth.
A military boot—one that has seen this type of terrain many times…
The boot of a hunter.
In one swift motion, the hunter snatches a pair of binoculars from inside his vehicle and raises them to his eyes.
He scans the land with cold precision.
Behind them, a second jeep sits uncovered, fully exposed to the relentless sun. Its occupants are African tribesmen, mercenaries for hire. Unbothered by the heat,they remain poised and ready,with rifles in hand; specialized equipment at their reach waiting for their orders.
Moments later, a cargo van pulls up close behind, filled with seasoned natives ready to do the hunter’s bidding. The back cabin clatters with empty cages as the van jolts to a stop.
All three vehicles idle in place, waiting for the order to move.
“Why is it so hot?” a voice complains, shifting uncomfortably in the back seat of the hunter’s jeep.
The driver lets out a soft chuckle.
“This is Africa my friend. It is always hot.”
The complainer, visibly uneasy, is dressed in a clean freshly purchased safari outfit. Sweat beads along his brow, trailing down his cheeks before abruptly halting at his carefully waxed handlebar mustache—now beginning to soften and sag under the relentless heat.
A camera dangles from his neck, and a small rifle rests awkwardly in his grip. Perched on his head is a wide-brimmed safari hat—its purchase tag still fluttering in the dry wind.
Leaning out of the jeep, he calls nervously,
“Excuse me, Mr. Hunter… maybe we should turn back. I feel a little dizzy. This heat is pretty intense, don’t you think?”
Without lowering the binoculars, the hunter replies in a firm voice, thick with accent,
“No turning back on this trip, mate. You wanted a safari—and you got one. Thanks for the travel pass… couldn’t have done it without you. So sit back and stay quiet. Maybe I’ll even let you use your little pop gun.”
Through the reflective lenses of the binoculars, we see a small cluster of magnificent baobab trees. Beneath their shade, a mother cheetah rests, her watchful eyes fixed on the tall, dry grass where her three cubs play.
Today is special.
The young female cub, Momina, is celebrating her birthday.
With innocent excitement, she darts away from her brothers, Kimba and Oses, and slips into a flat formation of rocks riddled with narrow passages. It lies at the edge of dense vegetation filled with darkness—a place her mother has always warned her to avoid.
But today, her playful spirit outweighs caution.
Certain this clever hiding place will win her the game, Momina presses deeper into the shadows, determined to outsmart her brothers.
Suddenly…
A deafening blast shatters the calm of the savannah.
The sound echoes through the trees, sending flocks of birds erupting into the sky. The mother cheetah jolts upright, her heart pounding as her gaze snaps toward the tall grass.
Something is wrong.
Moments later, a strange hissing cuts through the air. It grows louder—closer—until a metal canister crashes onto the ground, clattering across the rocks before rolling to a stop at her front paws.
She recoils—
Too late.
The canister erupts, releasing a thick cloud of choking smoke. Panic surges through her as her vision blurs. Disoriented and gasping for air, she desperately searches through the blinding haze for her cubs.
Driven by instinct, she lunges forward—
And is suddenly yanked off her feet.
A net snaps tight around her body.
In that crushing moment, realization strikes.
The warnings… the disappearances… the stories she dismissed—
They were all true.
One by one, the animals had vanished.
And now… she herself has become a victim.
She crashes to the ground, trapped, her powerful limbs tangled and useless. She struggles fiercely, but the more she fights, the tighter the net cinches around her body. The hunters force her down with brutal strength, overpowering her desperate resistance.
Chapter 2.
The wax of fear:
As the haze begins to settle, her eyes fix upon strange-looking creatures standing upright like her neighbors the monkeys—yet these were no ape-like species. These were men. She hadseen them only from a distance, never this close. A terrifying surge of adrenaline races through her body unlike anything she has ever felt before. Blinded by confusion and fear, all she can think about are her cubs.
Behind the poachers the hunter steps forward, his demeanor betraying his
ruthless motive—driven by profit and no regard for the lives of the animal kingdom. He bore a crooked grin and a gleaming gold tooth sparkling in the rays of the harsh sun. He shouts to his crew, “Good catch boys! That’s the fourth one this month! Keep this up, and we’re going to get rich!”.
The store-bought passenger, seated in the back of the jeep, can’t help but notice what is unfolding. Nervously, he leans forward and sticks his head out of the open window.
“Now, here here, my good fellow,” he stammers, “I thought this was a safari. Isn’t what you’re doing… illegal?
The hunter impatiently snaps around, pointing a rigid finger directly at him—ominous and unwavering.
“Sit back in your seat and shut your mouth,” he growls. “Or I’ll throw you in a cage with the animals. You’ll get your safari all right… firsthand,one you’ll never forget.”
Nearby, the armed mercenary stands watch, alert in case one of the nets breaks loose and a panicked animal attacks.
Without taking his eyes off their prize capture, the hunter raises his voice just enough for the rifle mercenary to hear.
“If he gets out of the jeep… shoot him.”
The mercenary quickly looks at the hunter and nods in obedience, and then continues deeply focused on the struggling cheetah snagged in the net.
The passenger, his melted mustache now sagging heavily over his bottom lip, turns ghostly pale. A bead of sweat slips past it, dragging the wax lower as it completely loses its shape. Trembling, he sinks back into his seat, not daring to speak another word.
Chapter 3.
A mothers cry:
Meanwhile, drawn by the commotion, Kimba and Oses peek out from the tall grass, their innocent faces filled with concern as they witness the distressing sight of their mother being overpowered and forced to the ground by these strange-looking creatures. Instinctively, they sprint toward her, but tragedy strikes. The hunter, quick to seize the opportunity, grabs them with an iron grip and tosses them helplessly into a burlap bag, sealing off any chance of escape before roughly throwing them into the back of the cargo truck.
Weak and dizzy from the smoke, the mother cheetah helplessly watches her beloved cubs being taken away. Her heart wrenches as she roars in defiance, her fierce cries rippling across the savannah.
Momina, who has been hiding just moments before, senses the turmoil in the air. Emerging cautiously from her rocky refuge, she is met with chaos—her mother trapped, her brothers gone. Confusion washes over her as she stares at the strange figures standing tall on two legs, unfamiliar and fearsome, unlike anything she has ever seen.
With a small, trembling roar, panic surges through her body as she cries out, “Mama!”
One of the poachers immediately turns at the sound, his eyes lighting up. “Look, boss! There’s another cub—and I think it’s a female!”
The hunter’s greed instantly takes over as his attention shifts to the untrapped cub, a smile slowly creeping across his face.
“Quickly, mates, we must capture her before she runs! She’s a real prize, that one. The breeders will pay plenty for her.”
He signals for his companions to close in as he hurriedly retrieves another net from the jeep.
Feeling the weight of her mother’s love and urgent energy, Momina stands motionless and confused, not knowing what to do.
The mother cheetah suddenly struggles against her bonds, spotting her beloved Momina. Gathering the last of her strength, she lunges forward, catching the poachers by surprise. Her heart pounds as she presses her face against the net. Then, with a powerful roar filled with desperation, she cries out:
“Run, Momina, run!”
Momina freezes, torn between loyalty and instinct as her mother’s voice cuts through the confusion clouding her mind. The poachers now face a difficult dilemma—they cannot contain both the fierce adult cheetah and the innocent cub at the same time.
Chapter 4.
Lost:
As the rainforest looms around Momina, she runs through the tangled foliage, her diminutive figure barely visible against the towering trees. Perhaps she isn’t watching for shadows, but the shadows are certainly watching her. Although the rain has stopped, intermittent flashes of lightning split the night, casting giant reflections of herself that send shivers through her body.
She nervously laughs when she realizes it is only her own shadow, trying to lift her spirits and feel a little more comfortable in this strange environment. Jokingly, she begins making shadow puppets against the jungle floor, but suddenly, one of the shadows grows an extra arm.
Momina jumps back and looks around. Whatever it is, it vanishes.
Slowly, shadows begin to stir within the darkness. Water droplets drip from the leaves, creating a hypnotic rhythm reminiscent of distant drumbeats echoing through the woods.
Nocturnal creatures thump against the trees as the rhythm intensifies. The chirping of crickets blends with the hoots of owls, intertwining with the eerie beat as if the creatures of the night have gathered to sing their song of survival, driven by instinct alone. Its chilling melody casts a spell that lures Momina deeper into the unknown.
With every cautious step she takes, another strange figure seems to emerge from the darkness. An enchanting symphony of night spirits and ghostly creatures whispers its haunting tune. The forest itself seems alive, its whispers curling through the air as the song murmurs:
“What kind of thing are you?”
Disoriented, Momina feels the rainforest pulsing with energy, as though the very earth beneath her paws is breathing.
Meanwhile, Momina’s scent drifts through the damp air, weaving deep into the rainforest. It slips around tangled vines and dense foliage, skims over rocky streams and rotting tree trunks, until finally it is inhaled by a pair of flaring nostrils.
A creature’s eyes snap open, burning with the fire of hunger. Around him, others emerge from the underbrush. Together, the pack finds its instinctual purpose. Only one thought consumes them now: to feed.
No animal, bird, or insect dares challenge what prepares to follow the sweet scent of its prey. Lesser scavengers slink low within the brush, waiting patiently for whatever scraps remain once the beast finishes.
The final notes of the forest’s eerie song fade into silence. An unnatural stillness settles over the rainforest.
The beast is near.
Exhausted and unaware, Momina desperately needs shelter. The night around her is an unfamiliar abyss, nothing like the moonlit plains of her homeland. She forces herself onward until she finally stumbles upon a secluded overhang beneath a rocky ridge. Curling beneath a patch of dry bushes, she feels her stomach groan with hunger.
She longs for her mother and her two brothers.
As her weary eyes slowly close, one fragile thought comforts her:
“Maybe in the morning… Yes, in the morning, the sun will guide me back home, and everything will be okay.”
But everything is not okay for Momina.
She is not the only creature battling the gnawing ache of hunger.
Somewhere within the darkness, the rapid rhythm of paws thunders across the forest floor. Her scent draws them closer with every passing second.
Momina… is being hunted!
Chapter 5.
The Alpha:
Just as Momina closes her eyes, piercing glimmers of luminescent eyes open one by one from within her wooded surroundings, gradually encircling her with unnerving curiosity. Their intense gazes lock onto her, radiating an ominous sense of imminent danger as they slowly close in on her position.
Low growls and sharp barks pass between them as they communicate in the darkness.
The barking awakens Momina, and she instantly senses their hostile presence. She quickly rises to her feet, but by then the glowing eyes already have her surrounded.
She takes a few cautious steps backward, but there is nowhere to go. Her back presses against the jagged rock beneath the ridge. What she believes is a refuge now becomes a trap.
As the moonlight illuminates the clearing, a powerful figure steps from the darkness.
It is Atlas, the fierce alpha of the African wild dog pack, recognized by his jet-black fur and the single white streak running along his belly. His massive, muscular frame radiates raw power that commands respect and instills fear. Every scar across his battle-worn face tells the story of savage confrontations, while the jagged edge of his missing right ear serves as a trophy from challengers foolish enough to defy him. Known for his brutal and relentless attacks, no creature dares stand between Atlas and his prey.
Thunder roars overhead, electrifying the air as Atlas feels the exhilarating rush of the hunt pulse through his veins, igniting a ravenous and blinding hunger now that his prey stands cornered before him.
Momina inhales deeply as she resolves to stand her ground. Crouching low within the underbrush, she summons every ounce of courage and lets out a timid baby lion roar.
“Stay back.”
The sound echoes faintly through the dense rainforest air, barely more than a whisper.
Atlas, towering and formidable, scoffs at the feeble attempt, a cruel smirk curling across his lips. With a flex of his powerful throat, he unleashes a deep, resonant growl that sweeps through the rainforest like an icy wind.
Deep within the night, the faint cry catches the attention of a curious creature. Its head suddenly turns. A pair of vibrant green eyes widen in surprise at the distant sound of Momina’s tiny roar for help.
Atlas locks his gaze onto Momina’s eyes, an intense connection sparking between them. With every heartbeat, he weaves a spell of terrifying dominance that dulls her senses and clouds her thoughts. She feels her resolve slipping away, surrendering to the overwhelming force of his will. In that moment, she realizes she is utterly powerless against the destiny unfolding before her.
With menacing poise, Atlas slowly coils back, revealing glistening fangs beneath the silvery moonlight. Saliva pools at the corners of his mouth in anticipation.
Then, in an instant, he lunges forward—a whirlwind of lethal elegance, his eyes burning with insatiable fire.
Chapter 6.
Rescue:
The sky explodes with a blinding flash of lightning as little Momina huddles down, bracing herself for the worst. She knows the end is near as the menacing figure of Atlas towers right above her.
Just when all hope seems lost, a silhouette appears from above, hurtling through the air and delivering a powerful strike that sends Atlas crashing into the gnarled roots of an old tree.
Disoriented,the alpha stumbles back onto his feet, lifting his head.
Standing before him is a young African girl with dreadlocked hair and a single white braid dangling along one side of her face. Rainwater rolls down her cheeks as she stands defiantly with her head lowered, gripping a wooden staff tightly in her hand.
Slowly, she raises her head.
Her bright green eyes lock onto Atlas and his pack.
Her eyes glow. So does the amulet hanging around her neck. She shows no fear. Only readiness for battle.
Atlas shakes his head and regains his senses.
The two stare at one another, eye to eye.
Without speaking, the girl communicates her warning directly to him.
“Back off.”
Atlas’s lips curl as he responds with a low growl.
“Who dares stand between me and my prey?”
The young girl tightens her grip on the staff as lightning cracks violently across the sky.
With dramatic confidence, she replies:
“Amara Zendara.”
Atlas takes a slow step backward as his pack begins to howl into the night.
“I’ve heard that name before.”
His eyes shift toward her staff with contempt as he arrogantly snarls:
“Hm… I yield to your reputation, but only once. The night is young, and there is more prey to pursue. But perhaps we shall meet again… and next time, I will not be so forgiving.”
Amara narrows her large green eyes in defiance and answers without hesitation:
“I’ll be waiting”.
Chapter 7.
Homebound:
Atlas slowly backs into the shadows from which he came.
Amara shifts her stare toward the rest of the pack, silently sending them a warning as well.
To the cub’s surprise, the wild dogs begin closing their glowing eyes one by one, like shades closing behind the window, before vanishing back into the darkness.
Amara turns her attention toward the trembling cub and softly asks,
“Are you okay?”
The cub remains frightened and apprehensive. She has never communicated with—or even stood this close to—a human before, except for the hunters who separated her from her family.
Momina thinks to herself: “Strange type of animal.” Amara carefully approaches the cub. Her calm and reassuring presence slowly allows Momina to lower her guard. “Don’t be afraid, little one,” Amara says soothingly. “The beasts are gone. I won’t hurt you.”
Amara slowly extends her hand and uses her ability to communicate with animals to reassure the cub that her intentions are pure.
Gradually, Momina begins to sense that this young girl means no harm. She is different from the others.
As the cub starts to trust her, Momina cautiously walks forward and sniffs Amara’s outstretched hand.
Amara kneels down on one knee, planting her staff upright beside her. As she gently pets the cub, she softly asks,
“Where are your parents? Are you lost? How do you end up here?”
The cub’s frightened expression says more than words ever could.
Amara senses that something terrible has happened to Momina’s family, and that the little cub is now completely alone.
She knows this baby cheetah cannot survive in the wild by herself. Someone needs to protect her and teach her about the ways of the world. Not that Amara considers herself an expert, but perhaps the two of them can figure things out together.
At that moment, Amara decides to take the cub home with her… at least until she is old enough and strong enough to return to the wild as an adult cheetah.
“Come with me, precious one. It’s not safe out here.”
With that, Amara flips her staff onto her back and gently picks up the cub.
Momina immediately snuggles into her arms.
Amara suddenly looks bewildered.
“I wonder what my mother and father are going to say. I can already hear them now… ‘Oh, Amara, not another pet! You already have too many, who’s gonna take care of her?’”
Amara exhales nervously, gritting her teeth,
“l know what I’ll do!!”
Charged with excitement, I’ll do extra chores, I’ll catch up on all my homework, and I’ll sit still and won’t answer back. I’ll figure something out. What would they have me do… just leave you here?”
She says confidently,
“I’ll convince them!”
Her expression softens as uncertainty creeps into her voice.
“My father… oy…”
She sighs nervously.
….“I hope so.”
Amara then looks down at the tiny cub resting in her arms and gently asks,
“Do you have a name, precious one?”
The baby cub gazes up at Amara with innocent eyes and softly mutters in a shaky voice:
“Momina.”
Amara smiles warmly.
“Perfect. Momina means ‘believe,’ and I believe we’re going to be friends for a very long time.”
Now completely exhausted, Momina quickly falls asleep cuddling in Amara’s arms.
One adventure comes to a close, but a new journey is only beginning. Together, the two make their way home as the rising sun glows behind them, signaling the dawn of a brand-new chapter in their mystery-filled adventures.
END