instead of feeling excrutiating pain and blood oozing out from the wounds-to-be, he felt a slimy, soft, springy object rubbing against his face. it smelled bad, he thought. slowly, he opened one side of his eye, and then the other, expecting to be in heaven.
seeing darkness all around him, he came to his senses that he was very well alive and unhurt. "that's weird," he thought. a light filled the cave. looking at the light source, he saw a man of God sitting on a rock, patting the lionness beside him that was fast asleep.
"thus saith the Lord," the voice of the angel boomed. "Daniel, my servant. today you will live to see daylight again. for i have chosen you out of the multitudes to be a testimony of my existence to this ignorant nation. you will be my witness to kings and queens. fear not, for i am with you always."
a smile cracked from the side of Daniel's lips.
"God is good, all the time," said Daniel, as the lion continued licking his face.