Predator

Predator

The smooth black cat stepped through the trees silently, its refined muscles making just the right movements to ensure maximum stealth. It has been days since the monster last ate, its belly grumbled faintly while bright yellow eyes scanned the ground for prey. Long ago the cat decided to travel alone, and it never regretted the decision. The cat actually believe that loneliness was the best way to live in this world. 

The cat knows it is the most feared animal in this part of the woods. Not one animal can contest its terrifying speed, its razor sharp teeth and 3 inch long claws. Yes, this predator stands on top, and will remain on top for quite some time. Still, the lone cat can’t help but wonder when there will come a real challenge for it to face. An enemy that will leave it clinging for life in a fight that it can’t win, any kind of even that would make the cats life worth living. 

Once, when the cat was traveling with a few others of its kind, it felt a rush like that. On the night that it vowed to travel alone, rather than leave its life in the hands of others. The cat learned that day that no one is to be trusted, that every animal would rather save their own life than the life of someone else. And this made the cat cold and bitter towards the world. 

A small scuffling sound meets the cats ears. Sinking low to the ground, the cat begins to stalk its soon to be dinner quietly. The cats mouth begins to water at the thought of finally sating its aching stomach. The prey is just beyond this rock now, the large cat prepares to pounce, waiting for the opportune moment to do so. THe scuffling stops momentarily and the cat knows its time. 

With a kick that takes little effort, the cat bounds over the boulder to face its prey, but what it sees causes it to hesitate. The two rabbits are breathing heavily, eyes fixated on the cat in fear. One is female and obviously pregnant, the cat only need look at her to tell, but that isn’t what stops the cat. As the cat prepared its strike upon facing its prey it witnessed something strange. In a split second the male, and much larger, rabbit had stepped in front of its partner as if his sacrifice would save her at all. The rabbit had to have known that the cat could slash through the both of them in an instant and be done with it, but this didn’t sway the rabbit. No. What the cat was witnessing was something it would rather not see. 

With a light growl the cat lowers its claws and closes its gaping mouth. It can hear the rabbits sprint as far away as they can in this moment of mercy but it doesn’t care. The cat decides it would rather stay hungry for now and continues its bitter walk to a new prey. 

The cat can’t tell on its own, and would certainly not admit it, but deep inside the cats heart, there is a change taking place.