image [https://i.imgur.com/jpOYNWV.png]

The Huntress

Mena was angry. Angry at herself and angry at her pride. How could they accept their situation when they knew the two-legs were prey? How could they just lie in the sun all day and accept the scraps they were given? It grated on her. She was a huntress!

Where was their courage? Where was their instinct? Where was their pride? Gone. All gone.

Mena had decided she did not wish to be held in captivity any longer! She knew the two-legs went to sleep when night settled when her pride would normally have been thriving. Mena did not need the pride. They were fools.

In the cover of the night, she had climbed their tree and jumped as far as she could. It had been enough. She had cleared the enclosure and now she was free! Finally free!

She ran down one of the suburban areas, her mouth open in a grin. Tonight, she would find prey! She would Hunt and she would kill! The thrill excited her so.

Veering down a path with no streetlight, she came to a small clearing with a big waterhole and cover. This was a nice place, familiar. Here she could Hunt.

Scouting, Mena crouched low and stalked around for some time when she heard something rustle. Following the noise, she crouched in the shadow of a bush and spotted someone.

A large two-leg was sitting on the ground some fifty feet away.

What was he guarding? A cave? No. In the darkness, it looked like a long rock.

Licking her lips, Mena made up her mind. She would Hunt this large two-leg and claim this waterhole as her territory.

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She observed him. Was he sleeping while sitting? How strange, that must be so uncomfortable. With no other pride to guard him. And most importantly, no fire.

No, wait. Movement. Inside the rock. Peculiar.

Mena made up her mind.

She stalked forward keeping low to the ground. She made no sound, she was nocturnal. When she was thirty feet away, she stepped on a small twig, and its crack echoed through the silence.

Mena was completely still. She looked intensely at the two-leg. Still there. Then she glanced down to make sure no more obstacles were in her way. When she looked back, the two-leg was gone.

“What’s this?”

A voice came from right beside her. She was still. She was nocturnal.

“The hell did you come from?”

The two-leg was busy making noise. Mena did not understand what it was saying. Instead, she would attack.

Now!

Mena turned her body and lifted her front legs, leaving the ground as she half-jumped with her powerful hind legs. There! She went straight for his throat – and was blasted into the ground. There was something here! Something unseen.

It kept pressing down on her and she suddenly understood how a gazelle must feel when the pride was chasing it. Like prey. The two-leg stood still, a small distance away. She could smell him. He smelled wrong.

“Normally I’d probably take you back to wherever you came from, but I’m on guard duty and I’m also in a really lousy mood tonight. Sorry puss.”

The voice was scary. It was cold and detached, as though something she was used to hearing when her caretakers made noises towards her, was missing. She could not understand it, but she knew.

Mena knew she was outclassed. Mena knew this Hunter was her better. Maybe if she showed supplication the Hunter would leave her alone.

He came to stand in front of Mena. She could not move. The invisible dreadful feeling was keeping her down. He lowered himself and put his hands on either side of her head, just below her ears.

Mena tried to relax into his touch. She could pretend! She could pretend supplication and then strike!

Mena looked into his eyes and trembled. Her bladder lost control. There would be no escape. She managed a small mewl.

“Yeah, I know. Should’ve gone a different way tonight. It’s bad luck really. I don’t know if the Zoo’s gonna be pissed or relieved tomorrow.”

The Hunter twisted his arms, Mena feeling it, but unable to follow his movement. There was a horrible noise comparable to when she would chew and break a bone.

Her vision was turned upside down! How–

“Maybe both.”