A Chance to Live

Chapter 7: Lounge Lizard

Sunlight shined in through the entrance of the cave. I rolled over onto my back, trying to block out the annoying and irritating feeling in my eyes.

     "I'm still not ready to awaken, I need dozing time 'ya know..." I mumbled sleepily. The beams continued their assault on my closed eyes, eventually forcing me to awaken with drowsiness as my enemy.

     As I sat there, the rays of light did their work, freeing up my joints and starting up my brain. The newfound energy of the day rejuvenated my sore body, with a nice feeling spreading through my arteries. Looking out at the sun, I began to ponder, and decided to call up that other random part of my brain.

     'So, I'm still not sure; am I nocturnal or not?' I messaged.

     I got the response, 'I believe both. Your entire existence is just made of lots of different creatures hurtled and bound together into a single physical form. It's sort of 50/50.' it concluded.

     'So that means I essentially can get a half sleep whenever I want?' I asked. The subject was strange for me.

     'Yes.' it responded.

     'Half sleep. I'll never get true beauty rest.' I huffed.

     'Well, this also does mean that you'll always be alert.' my mind countered. I decided to leave it at that, for the moment it finished a raging beast within me made itself known, snarling and roaring.

     Food was now the top priority on my mind, and everything else was pushed back. Dragging myself out of the cozy cave, I lifted my head high into the air with a sort of pride, and inhaled the scents that the woods had to offer me. I immediately recognized the faint smell of deer, and I brightened up at the thought of a meal.

     The trail was a simple one, going around trees at a leisurely pace. Up and down and through brushes I went, trying to pinpoint the exact location. Eventually I found a small area of grass with two does and a buck. The midday sun could not reach this spot, with the canopy of trees above it. It looked like an oasis, with all kinds of different plants and shrubs growing, and moss covered the roots of the trees. The soil was cool and damp here, which would explain all the vegetation.

     Stalking the animals from the bushes wasn't easy, especially with my large size, but I managed to find a large shrub in between two trees. I sat there, watching as the deer munched on the grass, even picking up a couple of flowers in their vacuum mouths.

     One began getting closer to me, and my mind screamed for me to run out and claim my meal, but I continued waiting, hopeful that this could be easier for me. My claws twitched in irritation, and I was eager for my stomach to be filled.

     'Patience' that part of my mind muttered. I waited longer, with seconds seemingly drawn out for minutes. My eyes fogged more, and every muscle in my body tensed in anticipation. I began shivering from the damp leaves, my hide covered in small little drops of water that began gleaming in the sunlight, which had passed through thanks to an opening in the tree roof from the wind.

     My body became slightly less covered, and I knew I had to act now. Leaping from my cover, I extended my claws out to the buck, eyes widened. Instead of grappling onto flesh, I only got a mouthful of mud as I face planted into the ground.

     Slightly dazed, I lifted my head to see movement of deer running away. How had I missed? That tactic worked every time, but this time I had calculated the landing wrong, and landed a little far off to the left. My head began throbbing and my stomach growled, shaking me from my world of thought.

     Not about to let my only meal get away, I quickly bound after the deer. The following chase through this section of the woods was exhausting. My legs and arms dug into the moist soil to thrust me forward, grabbing onto logs to haul me over in a second. We ran through bushes, trees, logs, and huge rocks, and I was finally gaining on him.