The Awakening

I watched as the sun raised from the horizon, sparkling its radiance. Just another day. I told myself. Nothing to feel queasy about. I dressed quickly, donned by boots, braided my hair down my back, slid my rifle up to my arm. I looked at Shawna’s peaceful face as she slept.

I rushed out, gingerly, scared to wake Shawna. She would wake up at the tiniest sound and then would want to tag along with me. Rising her tiny blond head and looking at me with those big blue eyes of our mother, which are impossible to say no to.

I moved along the trail left by movement of my feet. It has been too long here. We need to move again it’s too dangerous here. Shawna doesn’t know that yet. But a thing like this is impossible to hide. I can’t tell her, I don’t want anything to take away her world from her. The world which is still safe, in which our mother and father are still alive, her friends still waiting for her. The world in which hunt or to be hunted is not the only option.

I walk through the dense forest searching for my prey. I need to hunt something fast, last time I was lucky to find a cattle, but it is running out, it will make just supper today. I don’t want Shawna to be hungry again, to look at the lost look in her eyes that still haunt me. I push myself through the bushes, and try to be as silent as possible. I am afraid they will sense me.

It’s like we are back to the stone age when the biggest worry used to be to keep food in our bellies and to find shelter.

It’s funny, how that mad scientist Franker Brain thought it would be a step toward a brighter future. I remember sitting with my dad in front of TV, with Shawna’s little head in his lap, as Brain gave his speech with his round spectacles riding low on his nose, as he told about the success of his new experiment, to the ability to change animals into humans.

No one believed this could work, but years later the world was haunted by brain’s creators. I remember holding my dad’s hand as he bleeds to death, his bloodshot eyes filled with tears as he told me to take care of Shawna, to protect her with my life. He gave me his rifle and told me to fight. Sometimes, when I am all alone I cradle his rifle, crying my eyes out, remembering my father’s peaceful face, as he lay still in depths of darkness.

I sense a movement in the bush nearby, and a rabbit rushed past me. I lifted my rifle pointing towards the rabbit, my fingers poised to press the trigger, and then I saw them.

I lay flat on my stomach, using the dense bushes as my ambush. Two quarries stood some distance away. One female and one male. Their head high and eyes alert, it is miracle that they haven’t spotted me, yet. One tall with jet black hair and the other little small one, male with a shock of blond hair. I watched as he snuggled closer to the women, probably his mother.

One prey. One bullet. I can’t afford more than that. I considered using my swiss army knife but they look strong, I don’t stand a chance.

I point my rifle at the head of the tall one; bracing myself for the impact, I pulled the trigger.

Her head snaps back and she fell. I point the head of the rifle towards the other one.

Lighting fast, he runs towards me. In a second he is on me, he grips my rifle and throws it away.

His canines lengthen and muzzle grows. He gawks his paw toward me. I move but not fast enough, it grazes my cheek. He is about to phrase fully and when it happens I don’t stand a chance.

His claws extended as he moved towards me. Piercing pain shoots up as hot blood poured from my neck.

His eyes turn red. His tiger has awakened.