Well Fed

I didn’t have much to complain about. They would feed me, protect me and make sure that I am well sheltered. Over the last 40 days, several people have tried to get to me, but in vain. I know that their raid has been unsuccessful when I hear the unmistakable sound of flesh and sinew getting torn apart followed by the crushing sound of bones. I asked them why they were protecting me and who my pursuers were, but the response was always the same – a cold, hard stare with those deathly grey eyes. I was terrified as hell initially. Who wouldn’t be? – especially on knowing that my protectors had eight hairy legs, a pair of clawed appendages and measured 20 feet long.

 However, now I am perfectly content; perhaps even slightly satisfied with the way things have turned out for me. I am fed five times a day, and the menu always seems to be the same – a round oily ball rich in protein, topped with a thick saucy accompaniment. At first, I thought it was rice cake, but on taking my first bite, it tasted like Chicken. Only thing is that the meat was several times thicker and fleshier. The greasy accompaniment that was provided with the main dish was what kept me wanting more. It was some sort of thick gravy that was rich in flavor – tastier than anything I had eaten at home.

 It’s not like I never tried to escape this rocky burrow, which was situated 10 feet below the ground; every time I got close to escaping, I would be firmly picked up by a pair of long scissor-like appendages, and put back in my cage, where I rightfully belonged.

Today is the sixtieth day, and they seem to be in a nice mood; why else would they allow me to take a stroll outside, albeit for a short duration and accompanied by their kind. I wait patiently for the perfect moment to plot an escape. Now! I dash forward with a burst of acceleration, leaving my eight-legged guards behind me. I turn my head enough to see if they are pursuing me; they aren’t. In fact, they seem not one bit concerned that their prisoner is trying to escape. Just as a smile creeps over my face, I feel a tingling sensation on my skin, as though something is crawling underneath it. I stop abruptly, only to be overwhelmed by a rising sensation deep within my stomach. I can feel the tissues and organs within me, make way for an unstoppable force that is rapidly moving upwards, towards my head. It is then that I realized that it isn’t me they were protecting.