Hungry

The fire was very small, smaller even than a bird’s nest. The fire was small, but hungry. “Whatever-it-was” knelt beside the fire, feeding it moss and twigs. The moss was dry. It burned white hot, like phosphorus when dropped on top. “Whatever-it-was“ licked its lips every time the moss ignited, in anticipation of the flash, eager for the “pop“ it created across the little copse, bursting like a lightening bolt in the night.”Whatever-it-was” loved the lightening, thrilling at it, scampering up the mountain top to catch it, and to howl.

No, man is not the only beast with dominion over fire; man is only the “known” beast. “Whatever-it-was“ did not need the fire. “Whatever-it-was” did not get cold, nor did “it“ cook. The fire was only a diversion, a snapshot of home.

Someday “Whatever-it-was” would go home, but first it must die. ”Whatever-it-was” did not know how long it would live. “Whatever-it-was“ longed to be killed, but had not yet met the creature capable of the killing. The creatures here died quickly... easily. “It“ had recently begun playing with “it’s” prey before feeding, letting them see “Whatever-it-was” that was about to kill them. It enjoyed watching their eyes ”pop” like the moss in the fire when they did see.

And “Whatever-it-was” had begun to feed first, before the kill, sometimes whole, sometimes from the feet up, the better to watch the eyes. It was exciting that way, to see the fear. The cougar was the hardest to kill. The cougar was wary, strong, and fast, but not that strong, nor that fast.

The wolves seemed to smell him when he was upwind, but they were the only ones. The wolves were hard to kill too... it was hard to get them all.

The humans were different. Each one reacted differently. One had even fired a weapon at him. That one had been strong. That one had pulled a knife at the end, while “Whatever-it-was” fed upwards from his feet. That one had sunk the knife into “its“ muscular neck, but that had not been enough to save the human, nor to kill the beast.

”Whatever-it-was” would like to find another human, or any creature as strong as that one had been. A creature strong enough to send “Whatever-it-was” home.

In the meantime, “Whatever-it-was” swallowed “its” fire, enjoying the arrousal the fire’s heat stirred inside him prior to the hunt. It is hard, to feed the hunger.