The Hunter and the Hunted
I ground my claws into the wet moss, taking in the earthy aroma that I loved. My bones were still sore from the last banquet, but I needed to move now, before all of the best tasting treats went to sleep and the tiny lights in the sky came on. Twigs snapped as my paws met their middles. I ran till my stomach growled in time with the thumping of my heart beat. I looked up and skidded to a stop at a tall hill. Just above it a haze of orange crept over, as bright as pastels, ending with a dark rusty red. I slowed my breathing and started dreaming about my meal. That’s when I heard it, my signal. My eyes shot up bright and locked on my prey. She jumped over logs and pranced, it was my show, now I needed my dinner. Jump, shoot, hit. Jump, shoot, hit. My claws dug into the ground once again as my tongue slid out over my chops. The world span as blood roared in my ears. Drool dripped slowly off my beard as I flung myself into the sky. I hit her right on. She flailed backwards, and the deafening crack of spine rose threw the air.
My eyes glinted with desire as hers tried to shadow fear. Sharp teeth like knives slowly sunk into her raw blood-splattered meat. The great taste met my tongue; my taste buds tingled with home, it tasted just like the meat mother used to bring me when I was too small to hunt. I slowed my breathing, luckily she wasn’t loud. Normally they make a noise like a squeal. Everything had to be quiet, my brothers and sisters couldn’t share my prey! This time it was all mine, all to myself. My brothers always got the good parts, no, not this time. At once howls screamed through the air. I shot my head up. No! The thumping of paws echoed through the sticks. I needed to finish her fast. They wouldn’t get her!
He looked distracted I thought lying there. I knew I only had seconds of life. I could feel it slipping away. I was tipping into a haze of eternal sleep, the world slowly span around me as my breathing quickened. His yellow eyes shined of evil as he stared at me lying there. Quickly he bit into me. I could feel his rough beard scratching at my open wound. He lapped at my blood and tore his rigged teeth into my side. Pain shot through my body making me take a sharp breath in. What about my young one? I thought suddenly. He’s taking me away from her! No! I couldn’t let him. Anger filled my body. My eyes turned to slits as I slowly flopped over. His eyes widened at the sight of me still moving, and he froze. In that second I had my chance, I kicked him in the side of the neck. He flew in the air, landing with a few loud cracks. I struggled to get up, but found I couldn’t move. His pack was coming; I could hear them now close. Is that what distracted him? My life will be ended soon, I told myself as howls filled the air.
So this is what my prey always feels? I had hit against the hill and fallen in a slump. My legs wouldn’t move, and I also couldn’t turn my head, but I didn’t need to turn my head to know what had happened. I could feel it, my neck sliced by the sharpest hoof I have ever encountered. The hot liquid slid down my neck, then to my back, across my front, and even though I was in the shadows I could see darker pools of black beginning to spread. My blood stained the green under my feet red. Everything had been hurting, but now everything was changing. My vision fuzzed slowly on the edges till I could only hear. Then my hearing slowly went, until I could only feel the pain faintly. No one came for me. No one would. Who would ever help a killer? No one, I answered myself, no one would. Not even my brothers, or sisters. They would just eat my prey, and leave me to die. I was right, no one came. My breathing slowed, maybe even stopped. Dying wasn't bad after a while, or was I dead? Was this my never ending dream?