The Hunger

He laid there in the darkness, wishing he could at least close his eyes. But fear kept his eyes glued open, unwilling to close, even if it would prevent him from seeing the horror he knew he would soon witness. Taking measured breaths to try and calm his heart was of no use.

            Quiet damn you! If you would just beat slower we may get out of this alive he thought at his heart. Its only answer was the loud bah-bum as it continued its work.        

            He could hear the pounding in his head, seemingly ringing throughout the room, as if calling to horror. The walls seemed to answer it with their own creaks and shudders. It seemed as if the whole room was working with his heart to call out and draw attention to him.

            His hands shook slightly and although he knew they were not, it seemed as if they too were making a sound. Every minute thing from a joint moving, heart beating, even his thoughts felt as if they were making noise.

            Too loud, much too loud, it’ll hear me for sure

            And yet the room he was in remained quiet and undisturbed. It had not found him yet, at least. A small grace given to him in his time of need. Perhaps it was just time to allow him to make peace with his inescapable fate. Give him enough time to find a god to pray to, pray to it, and hope that his transition to the afterlife would not be drawn out.       

            Some light source outside of the room briefly flashed by. A diffused ray of light scanned across the room, briefly illuminating things. He could see square objects hanging on the wall, a small group of colors against a white backdrop that briefly came into focus before being plunged back into the darkness. Sweet, comforting darkness. Other bits of the room were briefly highlighted. A vanity with a mirror on top, briefly flashing the light into his eyes, making him blink for a second.

            The blink was short but he wished it had been longer. For in the darkness he had seen them. Four yellow eyes scanning the room. Predator eyes, searching for their next meal. Driven by a deep and seemingly endless hunger for meat. Adapted to be able to see even in this darkness, the light surely must have revealed his hiding spot.

            His breathing quickened and his thoughts ran wild. Images of long white bestial fangs lining a wide mouth flashed into his mind. Jaws designed to work in tandem with them to crack spines and drive the fangs deep into the flesh of its victims, bringing them a sharp, painful, but near immediate death. The thought was nearly comforting, at least it could be over quick.

            But no! his brain reminded him, It could very well just toy with you. Rending flesh with its razor sharp claws and tearing apart muscles, making you nearly unable to move but still enough for it to have fun with you. Batting you around with its heavy paws like a ball of yarn. Making your fear grow, letting it grow and seep into your marrow until you are ripe for consumption.

            The thought would have continued but his ears heard it, despite the thunderous drumming of his heart. A small swishing sound. The sound of an apex predator that had spotted its prey and was moving slowly towards it. A predator that had years of experience and an innate hunting instinct that was contained within its very DNA. Years of evolution had perfected it. And now it was finally his time to fall victim to it.

            Finally he found the will to close his eyes, hoping maybe that he could fool the horror into thinking that he was already perished. It was truly the last hope for a doomed man. The steps came closer… swish… swish… swish…

            Next came a rapid movement, it was like a spring that had been holding in all of its tension was finally released, propelling it onto the platform the man was hiding on. It landed with a gentle thud at his feet, surprisingly gentle. Clearly this a true apex predator, one who was able to handle their own strength and maintain their stealth during the final stages of the hunt.

            The platform deformed slightly as it approached. It was then he noticed, it wasn’t just one creature, it was two. Coordinated and efficient, their eyes lighting up was the only sign there had been more. They had begun hunting as a team now, no longer individual actors of death. Each movement was carefully planned, one on each side of him, cutting off any chances he may have had to escape. Step by careful step they approached his head.

            This is it, this is the end

            Finally, they both stopped next to his head and paused. He could hear their breath, feel the heat of it on his face as they began sniffing. For sure they knew he was alive and well, this was all just a check. Maybe they wanted him to try to run, it would surely be more fun for them. But he could almost sense their intense hunger. Starved likely for weeks of any fresh food, they wouldn’t want to put for the effort when they could just have a quick meal.

            And so it seemed like it was decided, the one on the left made their move. A rush of air escaped as it launched itself onto his chest, compressing his lungs. His eyes shot open and he saw one of the pairs of eyes staring right at him. Its tongue came out and moistened its lips. It was finally time for breakfast.

            With a sharp intake of air, the beast let out a mighty MEOW, and the man knew it was over. He finally had to get out of bed and feed the cats.