Becoming Dinner
J. Alexander
Copyright 2010 J. Alexander
First Edition November 2010
Published by J. Alexander at Smashwords
All rights reserved
Cover design: Fantasia Frog Designs.
Http://fantasiafrogdesigns.wordpress.com
Photos by photos8.com
Special thanks to my family and friends for
their support of my writing endeavors.
License Notes
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters,
places and incidents are solely the product of the author’s
imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be
made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any
resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business
establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
*** Becoming Dinner is a short story intended
for adult readers only. ***
Becoming Dinner
Don’t move, don’t make a sound. I
repeated these words over and over in my head. I stood immobile,
frozen with fear. My back and head pressed hard against a tree, the
rough bark scraped my skin. A bead of perspiration rolled down my
spine and another between my breasts. It was completely dark in the
pocket of trees and bushes I hid among. The large moon would be
visible again only if I emerged on the other side of the forest. If
I survived.
Being caught in the forest after dark was a
mistake. I hoped it wouldn’t turn into a deadly one. After visiting
a nearby village, I left on my own to return to my people. I
misjudged the journey back to my tribe and found myself still a
great distance away at full dark. I was alone, barely armed, and
being hunted by a very hungry and determined beast.
If it smelled me, if the creature lumbering
toward me discovered my location, I'd be dead in an instant. Don’t move, don’t make a sound. I forced myself to repeat
these words again in an attempt to slow my breathing. It was no
use. As I inhaled, my lungs screamed for more air. I exhaled
through my nose trying to avoid releasing any smell of my
breath.
The creature I hid from still came toward me.
I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself. My heartbeat flooded my
ears. The thud of each footstep grew louder and louder. Small trees
and branches snapped with each stride. At least I could hear this
one and knew where it was. There was another in the forest
somewhere, hiding, waiting to rip me apart. These creatures usually
hunted in pairs; one on the move and the other waiting to ambush. I
had only seen one but I knew the other was somewhere near.
I closed my eyes to try and calm myself but
my heart beat so loud that it flooded my ears. The insects of the
dense woods landed on my sweaty skin but I could not move to brush
them away. My flesh shivered as the legs of a sizable bug slowly
crept onto the back of my neck. Step by step it made its way
higher, heading for my hair. Don’t move.
Panic set in as I pictured the monsters with
their large cumbersome legs, long arms swinging low, and a round
middle. They are tall, incredibly strong and always hungry. The
distance between us faded. I listened carefully to the creature
approaching, trying to gauge its position. A chill ran down my
spine as I realized it was walking a straight path to where I
stood.
My legs shook, threatening to collapse under
my weight. Two possibilities entered my mind. If the monster
rounded the cluster of trees, passing in front of me, I wouldn’t
have a moment to scream before it ripped into my flesh. If it
passed behind my hiding place, I would live, at least for the
moment.
The sounds of breaking vegetation grew
louder. I felt a sickening stab in my stomach. I heard the wet
wheezing sound of its large
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