Food Chain

The cave was tall and dark, and he was waiting for signs of life. There was nothing. After a while he said a loud “hello.”

There was no answer. “Hello,” he said again. “Do  have any food to spare?”

“We don’t give at the doorsssssss” he heard from the darkness.

“The liquid is more toxic than ever. There’s hardly life left. No life , no food. I’m starving!”

“Go away….”

Trung too a deep breath. “Come out, or I’m coming in.”

“Hissssssss…”

He wasn’t sure if it was a hiss of fear or laughter, but he heard only one voice. His whip hand rolled out, and he took a step forward. Another. A third. He entered the cave.

“Hisssssss….” He heard it closer now. Laughter. He sensed fear, but it could be his own.

“Give me what I plead, and I will leave.”

“There issssss no food here….” Followed by a long: “Hissssss… Go away, or we’ll kill y…”

He whipped into the darkness. The tentacle touched something, grabbed it. He pulled hard. With his other hand he grabbed a claw, bigger than his hand.

“Haaaaarrrrssssssss!!” The monster attacked, jammed its claws against him. One sunk into his soft body. He slapped his whip around its wrist, twisted the other with his hand. The huge monster fell with a big splash.

He climbed up on its body. Whipped it over and over. It stopped moving.

He sat down, filled his nose with the smell of fresh blood. At least once, he would eat again.