Forever-Prey

I am a prince. I am destined to be the top of my tribe someday. I never had much to worry about; my father is the alpha – the king. He always taught me about hunting and is strict on discipline. I am not one to disobey him, but I rather chase after small ones from other tribes than watch how he hunts.

He roared at me, portraying to me that I’m simple-minded and foolish. Knowing how to hunt the larger creatures of different tribes is important. I set off in the long darkness within the ‘rainforest’ (what my father called the area with big trees). With him, we hunt in quiet; no noise; always ready to catch someone who lies dormant. He shows me how to take out a larger beast. He knew where the creatures ‘that make annoying sounds’ are. ‘Boars’ he calls them. They hide in plain sight like they are one with the rainforest, within the tall grass that we choose to ignore throughout the day on purpose. Stumbling in grass isn’t like my father, however he hunts for the sole purpose of food, dominance and survival. His quick, relentless nature gave him a tasty morsel. His fangs dig deep and the ‘annoying sounds’ were like alarms to their young. Squeal squeal squeal. I wanted to help and chase after the younger one that ran. I was right on its tail however I stumbled, leading it to another one of us that captured the beast with its fangs. Though my fellow tribesman gave the food back to my father, my father created a roar full of fury, causing my inferior to bow. Then he glared at me. I know that look. I once again showed weakness.

During the day most of us sleep, but not me. Our tribe resides near a pool of water in the very middle of this rainforest. Amongst nature, I tumble in the long grass, scratching my back on trees and stretching my jaw before climbing the rocks around me. I tried to climb a tree (I think it’s called) and I couldn’t. I’m glad father doesn’t see me. No sign of strength means you can't become an alpha as he always said and I can’t under any circumstances show that. Prominently sharp fangs are needed; jaws are needed; we can’t prey on others without these. I am the prince so I am destined to have the best traits. But this prince has seen something strange, something I couldn’t get my fangs or claws into. I went closer to it; it is large but not like a beast; legs but not claws or feet; it is tough to scratch and gnaw at; I looked at the beast closely and I saw myself. For the first time. What even is this? I never ever witnessed such a beast. I went back to my father to show him the strange beast. When I finally arrived at another surprise – I didn’t know where they came from – two legged walkers – all looking different compared to any other tribe I ever met. Covered in something that isn’t there fur. Holding sticks and fangs by the legs and back.

Just then a faded memory arises: me, my father and another one of us from a different tribe with similar hunting ways; he called himself  ‘Jaguar’; told us about the two-legged beasts called ‘humans’. When he told us about them he said to stay away if they ever have ‘pointy sticks’. Those sticks are capable of hurting us; ending us. Now I am behind some leaves watching humans with what seems to be very pointy sticks. They are going to end my tribe.

One of them took the stick of their back and proceeded to tell the rest in their foreign tongue a sort of command. They have a leader, however they move together unlike us. The closeness ended up taking one of my tribesmen out without alerting them. They used what seemed to be a ‘fang’ to which they held onto firmly. I saw for the first time in my life that we were the prey. As soon as one of the tribesmen noticed the smell of the walkers, he roared telling everyone in their slumber to wake. By then it was too late. They used their ‘sticks’ and loud noises came. Bang Bang Bang! They didn’t move after these sticks made their calls. The red water flows out of my tribesmen for them to never be awake again; a sign of the prey losing its life. I realised my father isn’t among them. I rush to his aid, sneaking behind some of these humans.

Two alphas; my father and the human’s leader, which caught up due to his size; fought and roared at each other with immense fury like a contest. I don’t understand how something can walk on two legs and become so dangerous. Upon injuring my father I soon realised my worst suspicions to be true. They are strong. They are more ruthless than us. They don’t even have claws. Pathetic bodies; yet could take on my father. I watched from the bushes. My father’s eyes lost sight as soon as the other humans used their sticks on him.  My father did look at me with his fading eyes telling me to ‘run’ – no ‘behind me’. I couldn’t react in time for one to grab me by the neck. My father really lost? He’s the king of our tribe, isn’t he? Now, I’m captured; the prince. But what can a prince do when his tribe’s destroyed?

I have to run, so I claw at them and roar. But my claws don’t reach and my roar is nothing but a howl instead. This howl sent the humans into laughter. I can’t believe my inability to escape – escape? Why should I escape? I should be the one striking back. You all ruined my tribe! All of them have been preyed upon! I will never forgive them for this! But my small stature, my timid nature; I can only accept my futility. As soon as I stopped, one of them put something on my face. It was tough to breathe and I couldn’t see well; everything was blurred and I couldn't open my jaw to bite them.

I am trapped in something, not having enough space to move or jump or even lie down to rest if I wanted to, though I would prefer not to as this is infuriating.

They seem to be making quiet roars of arguing and pushing each other; not biting or scratching even. Whilst most of them do that, one of them looks at me. His eyes were so massive and close; I wanted to scratch them out. I lunged but the box stopped my charge. My fury is as great as the guilt and sorrows I deserve for not being by my father’s side. I was blindsided by my rage at these humans that upon calming down a clunk was heard. I turned to the left and these humans are tearing apart my tribesmen. Not just for food; for everything. They are taking everything off, putting it into boxes and throwing away whatever is ‘unnecessary’ down a hill. Were we really at the top? Seeing such predation in my eyes I can only stare at them unable to move. My father’s body was the last one left. They were all roaring at each other again. Are they fighting over my father’s body? I thought the alpha, which was also the one who confronted him, was supposed to get the best. These humans are vicious as they are greedy. They are more relentless than the ‘vultures’ father hated. Suddenly, they stopped roaring at each other. One of them tried to fight the alpha only to get hurt. They would dare go against their king? No, I have to stop thinking like this – they are not like us.

As I watched it all unfold, one of them came towards me holding out what seemed to be the ‘insides of prey’; so tender and pink. I haven’t eaten for a while; the sky is almost dark since they caught me. It looked like the most succulent bit of prey-insides that I ever saw and was tempted to try. The human pulled it closer to the box, but as soon as I went to bite, he removed it from my range. Why give it to me? I was desperate. I ended up howling, but this time on purpose. It worked for now. I have some prey-insides to eat. I eat as I watch them break my father into pieces. All of them are now in boxes or downhill. As soon as they were finished, they all jumped into this weird beast, and we started moving. This beast carried this whole pack of humans whilst climbing over the rainforest. I’m glad this beast didn’t move when I first saw it. As we left, the area I grew up in slowly faded to the many trees surrounding me, losing sight of my home. Never returning back.

…

The sun is blaring. Whilst I am supposed to sleep, they unusually torment me; dangling their sticks or leaves in my face like it’s some sort of game. But as soon as I become annoyed and invested they pull it away. I get close. They pull again. I see their game – possibly unlike my tribesmen maybe I’m too small to be of use to them. So I have no choice but to be a game to these humans. Just the thought has sent me in a wild frenzy. I was small before, but now this ‘cage’ that the humans keep me in is a lot more tighter than before. One of them always feeds me and spends most of his time with me as he holds what they call a ‘drink’ in his hand. He always rambles on talking about things I don’t understand or have no interest in and as often shakes the cage. Other times they use me as bait to attract other tribesmen all over the rainforest. As I snarl at them to look in the bushes or trees where they hide, it’s always too late as they are focused on me since most are  wary of my kind since we were the apex. The best. Now succumbed to dangling in trees.

I still miss my tribe. I get fed regularly, and I don’t need to hunt so my fangs and claws feel itching to always prey on another small beast. But I never get the time to even wish for it. I am trapped in a cage that gets tighter each time the darkness and light collide in the sky. One time, these humans dangled what they call a ‘mouse’ to my face. They keep telling me to chase it whilst making small chirps. I used to refuse, then again something tells me I should take the chance to do this anytime they dangle their toys to me. They seem to be less cruel when I follow.

… …

I eat so much of this ‘meat’ that they give me. It tastes plain. I’m missing something here. I am missing something that has slowly left my body. It's like my hunger but something lingering is leaving the more I am satiated. I don’t know what this is, but I know that my growing body is not showing signs of trivial struggles survival brings. My father would’ve aged and weakened by now if he was still around. I’m in my prime, but I’m way out of my effectiveness to be a king. Especially when I’m stuck with these annoying humans. The tribe, as much as I can remember, was always alone. These humans are much more social. They strive to do their hunts together knowing as soon as they break they are easy to be preyed upon by the other tribes. They have many different tools and traps. They make finding and hunting prey better, way better than anything I ever saw. No wonder they managed to catch us off guard. Despite my lingering hate I can’t help but respect the humans and their abilities to make prey suffer – a powerful predator indeed. As they keep playing with me I lie dormant to their commands; ‘run around’;  ‘roll over’; ‘roar’ - every command I enact is more lifeless, in return I stomach more of the meat they give me. I can’t help but enjoy my gifts of pleasure, even if I know the pleasures are lies.

… … … 

I am now hunting with the humans. They have these weird sounds they make when calling each other. ‘Jake’  - ‘Afrey’ - ‘Hugh’- I can’t understand that last one properly. There’s at least 11 of them. One didn’t make it as they attacked ‘rhinos’. They use their strength in ways my tribe would’ve never understood. I notice every time they rip apart animals for whatever reason, they end up with even bigger, stronger ‘sticks’ and ‘fangs’ – bigger traps – even using bigger nets. These new ones can make other tribes sleep, but not the type of sleep that my tribe had to endure. I think it’s better if we are left alive for some reason. What a terrifying way and purpose. I can’t think about it as now I’m a follower to them, capable of making their hunts easier. They put something on my neck. I claw it but it doesn't break easily. Everytime I think of doing something the humans don’t like, I get a terrifying pain. I end up feeling numb and collapsing to the floor. I got back up and collapsed again due to the inability to move my muscles. It is torture. I can’t believe I have been like this for so long. I am now an adult like my father is but not as free as one. I am now their ‘forever-prey’: I can never escape them, I always have to suffer their taunts and helplessly follow. I spend my days living a life against my best instincts. My claws used to crave prey. Now their sharp edge is lost alongside my dignity, living my life puppeted by my masters. All those teachings from my father that I slowly lose alongside my self worth, I wish I still followed them. 

… … … …

I am living a lie, but it’s my best life. I ate the remains of a deer and savoured every morsel I could get. Not even the meat as the humans sold it to other humans. Vultures always fought me, trying to get the last bits. Other times, humans randomly give me food that is unknown to me. Not the flavours of hunt and prey. More forbidden to my stomach’s nature. ‘Cooking’ they call it. I can’t eat this. I haven’t been eating much of anything anyway now that the humans group is now at 22. I collapsed. The thing around my neck is insufferable. The one holding the thing that makes me hurt is one person dancing around a campfire with another ‘drink’ in their hand. Their faces look twisted beyond horror.

We were moving and ended up by a large river. I drank too much as I was famished, drinking my fill. So have the other humans as they cleaned the water by boiling it first. But one of them was far too close to the water; they ended up being dragged by the mouth of some enormous creature. I lost a lot of myself through the human’s treatment towards me, especially my keen senses through their ways of training me, so I ran back which alerted the rest of them. Now 21 left.

As they observed the river’s surface they looked for any ripples; any shadows or signs of a foreign creature. Quiet remains amongst them, itching to use their incredibly loud sticks which were called ‘guns’. As they all looked, they didn’t notice the growing darkness in the form of shadows from behind them as what seemed to be observing and stalking them was nothing more than a tribe of ‘hippos’. As soon as they aimed, many of them got trampled on, though the hippo got hurt as soon as I heard the bang. After that several surrounding hippos came to us. We were being circled by them as they started running. It was like they had got suffering from all the animals they had  ended for their satisfaction.

They couldn’t prepare for such an attack and six more humans met their end. Now 10 left. I felt something welling deep inside me seeing this display – it was like all things fair was coming back; these humans are predators; unforgiving ones; yet they got preyed upon. This was for me something that lit a deep urge within. One I thought was lost. I was trapped within their rule as a pet. But now my instincts muster to action. I left the humans and watched from the forest to see the events unfold.

Four left. Three. Two. One left. It was my trainer, and the one who ‘played’ with me the most; ‘Gregor’. He escaped on the beast they called a ‘car’ with me at the back. The last time I will roar a human name is as soon as my fangs pierce his flesh. You have made me like this. I was a prince. I was ‘forever-prey’ to all your ways. Now I will get back to where I should be - a predator.

‘Zero’. I was suppose to stop using the human tongue. No matter. I have done what I thought was impossible. I’m free. But without a tribe I’m just one. Alone. Just like always; exactly like the status of a predator. An apex predator. A ‘Tiger’.