Rat

Water

The beasts have caught me. It was a moment of madness. I don't know what I was thinking. How could I be so foolish? My tribe was relying on me and I have failed them.

I deserve my fate.

It was such a simple trap. There wasn't even food. Just a path. And, like an idiot, I walked down that path. And then they caught me. The path was false: it was set up to fail. When I put my full weight on it the ground under me tipped over and I fell.

I landed in a bucket. The bucket is not very large--it is not much larger than I am--but the sides are slippery and I cannot scamper out of it. I tried to jump, but the floor is slippery, too, and I cannot get enough of a purchase to escape over the top. I landed on my face and that was that. But I have persisted, even though I know I will always fail. I must never give up. There is a way out. I just need to find it.

Two beasts tower over me. They are young, but they are still much bigger than I am. They pick me up--well, they pick up the bucket that I am in. They carry me somewhere; I do not know where.

They put me down again. They are jabbering excitedly to each other. I do not know what they mean, but they seem equal parts confused and excited and unsure. I feel that they have never done this before. I feel that they don't know what they are doing.

This does not bode well for me.

Water. It hits me like a tree to the face. It is a solid jet of the stuff. It comes from a snake that the beast is holding. I have never seen such a creature before. It spits continuously. The water starts to rise in the bucket. I rise with the water. It is not long before I have to swim. The edge of the bucket is closer than ever, and it is getting closer.

This is my chance. I can escape.

I swim to the edge. I cannot jump whilst swimming, but I reach a paw up and grab onto the edge. I use it for leverage and push myself closer so I can grab on with my second paw. The snake has stopped spitting now. The water level will not rise further. But it is enough. I can escape.

I will escape.

Then the snake hits me. I didn't even see it coming. It hits me right on the head and I sink under the surface. I rise, gasp--surprised. I reach for the edge again. The two beasts are staring at me, jabbering more excited then they were before. I cannot read their emotions, but I sense fear. Fear of my escape?

Fear of what they plan to do.

They are still holding the snake. It is not the snake that hits me but the beast. I am forced under the water again. It is longer, this time. The snake holds me down; I have to squirm to get out of its grasp and I reach the surface once more. I head for the edge.

Again, the dreaded snake. I am getting tired. I sink and I take longer to get free. As soon as I surface, the snake attacks again. And again. I cannot reach the edge without being drowned once more.

Every breath I take is shallower than the last. My lungs are burning. The snake is relentless. I sink again. The water is everywhere. The ledge is further away than ever.

I cannot fight it much longer. One more push... Just one more push to get free. My limbs fail me. I cannot escape. The snake has won.

Water everywhere.