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Whiteclaw (1 day left)

I felt nervous hunting by myself. Haven't done it in so long, it felt so unnatural to me. To be honest, I'm a great hunter, but since my awakening 5 days ago, I didn't feel like myself. I felt uncertain, uneasy about becoming a predator again. I felt....fear. That thing I wasn't supposed to feel. I was stalking this Zephyrosaurus in the forest, seeing its two striped body chewing on some nuts and berries. My right eye was my only helpful asset to my own needs. My tail quivered in the air, and I stayed still, hopefully not letting my tail extend out too high where the Zephyrosaurus could see it. The trees stayed quiet for me, so there wasn't any wind. No scent, no problem. The shadows did follow through as I moved myself closer to the sight of my prey. I licked my lips, desperate to get an actual fresh, warm meal, but deep inside, I didn't feel totally true to my hunting skills. And could my prey see me? I was albino! I stalked a bit closer, stepping over a dry stick, then weaving through some bushes, until I was a few feet away from the dinosaur, and it had no idea I was behind it. Its rear shifted from side to side slowly as it ate, and its face only stared forwards; the perfect time to strike. And yet, I still felt hesitant. I annoyingly tapped my stuck out curved claw on the ground, hoping that I'd actually do something. But I couldn't. Make up your mind Whiteclaw!, I growled at myself, C'mon, go! Finally, after what seemed like years of decisions and trauma, I lunged out of the bushes, but the Zephyrosaurus knew, and darted out of my landing spot. Unfortunately for me, since I had no left-eye sight, I didn't see the dead leaves nearby, and stumbled upon it before lunging. My clawed feet landed first, but the undergrowth of the forest was muddy. I fell before I could even move, slipping and crashing onto my side, and only glimpsing at the prey escaping predator. Angrily, I cursed out loud, used my head to knock me upright, and dashed off again. And I knew, I was faster. With a burst of speed, I kept dashing off after him, until I caught up right upon his tail, and lunged out for the second round, this time landing on its back. Both of us slammed into the earth, shaking the ground below the omnivore as I pinned it hard, until we slid to a stop. My feet claws sank into its flesh, and saw it squirm in pain, trying to get away. Yet my weight, it's pain, kept it close to me. I felt proud, catching my own prey, even though I was a bit rusty since the accident. Yet, a part of the accident still lingered with me, even though I was healing. I was about to sink my fangs into its throat for the kill, when I saw its blood well up and stain my claw. My heart lurched as I saw the red-ish liquid ooze out of the Zephyrosaurus skin and wrap itself around my skin, then drip to the forest floor like loud raindrops. My eyes widened as a flashback came into focus of my own blood dripping from my own flesh, my own veins draining from my heart. Watching my own death evolve scared me. The Zephyrosaurus stared at me, awaiting its death, but nothing. I couldn't do it. I didn't feel like a carnivore. I felt like a herbivore for the first time, seeing the point of view of those who became hunted from dinosaurs like us. I looked down at my own prey, seeing its own scared reflection glance back at me. Sighing and closing my mouth, I lifted my foot claw and drooped my tail, releasing the Zephyrosaurus. It stayed still though, unable to believe what I just did. Slowly getting to its three-toed feet, it glanced at me, waiting for me to attack again like a play. But I didn't. My feet were stuck in some quicksand of worry, a black hole of reject and sorrow. Something related to pain and fear. That's what stuck with me since my encounter with the Tentosaur. That's what kept me from being who I really was. The Zephyrosaurus kept looking at me, until finally, it spun around, and jogged away, it's injured body vanishing behind a nearby tree and into the stomach of the forest. I squeezed my eyes hard, gulping down my own saliva.

"Whiteclaw," A voice made me jump hard, and I spun around quickly to face another one of my kind staring down at me from a nearby tree limb. I couldn't make out who he was, until he came into the light. That's when my heart skipped a beat.

"Umm?" I looked behind me, then back at my brother Brownclaw, "How'd you? I mean, you saw that?"

"I saw the entire thing bro," He cooed, slipping down from the tree limb to move towards me, "And I know that wasn't normal to let your own prey get away."

"Uh huh," My lower eyelids went up in embarrassment, "Yeah, about that, uhh..."

"Don't worry, I'm not like Blackclaw, nor will I tell him what happened," He smiled, then frowned, "But I know when something's wrong."

"What?" I trembled, "N-Nothing's wrong! It's just that....I...."

"C'mon," Brownclaw wasn't buying it, "Tell me what's really wrong." I lowered my head, squeezed my claws, and spun around, tail facing Brownclaw.

"Its just that....ever since the incident with me, I felt like a liability. Like nobody really wanted me to help, nobody wanted me to attack or smell, or be who I am. And I don't even know who I am, I feel like a plant-eater!"

"That's silly, you're not though!" Brownclaw chuckled.

"But still," I growled, "I can't do anything, I feel so useless. I saw myself die after that incident, and every time I attack or kill a prey, I...." I paused, swallowing hard, "I....see myself die in their eyes. L-like a broken record, on and on. I.....can't throw the finishing attack, because......because I'm afraid, of myself." Brownclaw gaped his jaw a bit, staring at my white scales in worry. I lowered my head in shame.

"Yeah, I'm afraid of myself. I'm scared that, I won't be," I felt my tail droop, "What Blackclaw wants me to be."

"He's our older brother Whiteclaw," Brownclaw responded, moving closer to me, "But it doesn't mean that he chooses your own destiny. Yes, we are in a group, and we can't leave each other's side, and that in a pack, we are all predators, but being unique, like your own white flesh, is a good thing." My eyes widened in wonder as he continued,

"You don't have to follow his dreams all the time, you could follow your own. That's what mom told me before she left."

"She told you that?" I wondered, suddenly feeling a swollen bruise inside of the thought of our vanished parents.

"I remember it," Brownclaw dipped his head, "Everybit before they vanished." I looked at Brownclaw with worry.

"But still, what will Blackclaw think of me? I don't want to break him or ruin him."

"Don't. And you won't, I know it," Brownclaw rested his claw on my shoulders, then looked up with confusion, "Strange how there's just one star still up there, glowing like it forgot that the darkness has left."

"What star?" I gulped, unable to see from the left side.

"That one," he pointed up at an unusual dark red light, "Strange huh?"

"Yeah," I looked at its glimmering light, "Strange."