I was hunting again. Making dolls was fun and all but I needed twigs and sticks and such. Of course, when I went out to get them I got hungry again. Since I was already outside I figured I might as well hunt my food. Need to stay fit, right?

Right. Survival of the fittest.

Exactly!

      After scouring around I found no food. Even the birds weren't around. They must have moved somewhere. I took a sniff.

The mountain with the goats, huh? Alrighty, I'll play.

      I let out a giggle before running towards the mountain. I reached it in two minutes.

Something smells off.

Yeah. Are they dead?

Probably.

      I stood up on my two legs and started pouting again.

"No Fair! I was there! If there was some powerful predator then it should have shown itself! Ugh! Now I'm gonna find it and ki-"

Eat first and hunt later. Right now you are trying to make dolls. Trying to be hasty and hard-headed won't do you any good.

Are you calling us stupid?

No, I said you're being hard-headed.

You're calling us stupid.

      Well, I have a point. I let out a sigh before going back on all fours. Guess I'll settle on remains or goats or something.

….

"Must admit I never thought whatever this predator is that it is a wasteful glutton."

      Scattered in front of me was a bunch of corpses, some goats, the other was the prey that followed me up here before. Needless to say, I was pissed.

"And WHY!? Why Leave The Goats!?

      I clawed the ground angrily before letting out a long sigh and walking towards a scared goat hiding in a rock crevice out of sight...but not invisible. It let out a squeal as I poked my head in.

"Life is unfair, right little prey? Time goes on and on and running, ever drawing an endless game to an endless end."

      My hand shot forward and dragged the goat out. It let out a squeal of protest but I cut it short by slamming it on the ground before dropping it.

"Players in this game. Both having objectives. Mine right now is making me the hunter, and you are the runner, the hider. And unfortunately for you, you were spotted."

      I gently placed my right hand over its neck. It wasn't resisting.

"You just watched your herd and these animals get slaughtered right before your eyes and survived just by luck. Unfortunately, another seeker came along and found you."

"You can at least take comfort that while the other one did that on a whim, I'm not gonna waste you so. Gonna eat you all mate, fur and bones. Maybe in your next life, you'll be a hunter or a seeker. You were too late this time around."

      I feel like I should say more. Ahh! That's it!

"But remember this. Even if you are a seeker or a hunter, that doesn't mean you yourself aren't the objective, that you yourself aren't prey. And since I'm done talking now, ciao!"

        And with that, I snapped its neck with a flick of my wrist. Well then, a promise is a promise. Time to dig in!

You should take it back to our cave first.

"Hmm? Whump iss thuat?"

You said it yourself. Something killed all these animals at once.

      That perked me up. I looked around and sniffed the air. I smelled chemicals. The same smell in fact that I smelled when I first left the cave however long ago. I felt a longing for it but I don't know why. Either way, my mind came to a conclusion.

"I don't care."

      I then went back to eating. One of my goals is to find that predator and either kill it or teach it a lesson. If it finds me then I guess I'll have my objective coming to a close. Well one of them anyway.

Then it'll be the Terror Of The Woods versus Terror Of The Mountain.

You're terrible at naming things.

Hey! We are one and the same you know!

We just replaced one word.

Fine. I'll think of a better one.

….

      I was nearing the entrance of my cave when I felt something was off. The electronic waves I felt when I neared the cave a couple of days ago were gone. And there were tracks and a good smell in the air.

      I bolted into the cave and saw the remain pile had been slightly moved. Other than that everything was normal. But that doesn't change the fact that someone was in my cave. In My Cave.

Oh, they better Hope they are intelligent! I don't reason with things that can't make sense of what they just did.

      I ran back out of the cave and followed the tracks. After a minute and a half, I found myself near the frozen lake. In front of me running was a big fat...monkey?

      I halted on the tree branch I was on to get a better look. The monkey looked out of breath.

Is that really a monkey?

It is whatever you make it out to be.

But the last time I saw a monkey…

"I am not a monkey."

      I shot out of sight before making my way in front of him.

"Did it just speak?"

We are talking out loud.

Oh.

"Yes, I spoke. I'm a human. My name is John Wade Wilson. What's yours?"

      I hesitate. I know I wanted to talk with a human but he was inside my cave. He must have seen the skull! And Selicia! But he has a rifle and a pistol and he isn't taking those out. In fact, his hands are up in the air. It clearly is a sign of trust. You know what? Screw it! It was one of my objectives to talk to a human and make it back to society again so now that the opportunity presents itself I am not backing down! Here I go!

      I walk out of the bushes. He flinched in surprise before regaining his composure.

"H-hello. My name is Ellie Windogo. S-sorry for sounding so n-nervous but I haven't talked to another human for a while."

"Alright. Sorry about entering your cave. I'm gonna assume that was how you found me."

"In a way. I knew something was there but I tracked you down by smell and your tracks."

"Tracks? Smell? I have a masking cologne on and I made sure not to leave any tracks."

"H-huh? Everything leaves tracks. Little nudges of leaves, tiny change in temperature in sticks and such when something stands over them for a while, tiny faded or covered up footprints, slight changes. Also, you smell delicious, not gonna lie. I smelled your blood instead of your actual smell."

      And now John is giving me a look like I am doing real magic. Great.

"Oh! If this is about the fact that I said you smell delicious then I'm sorry! I don't like to lie but you see I smell by blood you know, and I'm not sayin you look tasty but you just smell good...wait no! I'm not saying you don't look good cause I mean you're handsome but your not like good to eat or-"

      John cut me off with a wave of his hand. He shook his head and chuckled.

"So you're actually British?"

Ack pissy!

"Don't worry about what you said. I know what you mean. What I'm amazed about is your tracking ability and the fact that you smell by blood."

"When you say that do you mean you hunt animals down by the smell of their blood? Even if they aren't injured?"

        I nodded.

"I was confused at first but it helped me hunt. But yes, even if the animal isn't injured I can still smell their blood. It makes hunting easy."

"I see."

He has pretty brown eyes.

He seems like a good person too. He looks a little old but his voice makes him sound young too. He is in good shape too. That backpack he is carrying that we thought was fat must be heavy.

Yeah. I hope he can help us.

"Wait...can you help me and Selicia?"

"The girl that is frozen solid? I can try but may I ask why some of her is eaten?"

      It was an indirect question of did I eat her. I knew this was going to be hard to explain but I didn't expect I'd have to explain it so soon.

"I did. She told me to. And after a while of starving, I gave in and ate some of her. It tasted terrible so I was glad when I woke up and saw her trapped in ice. Then the cave we were in opened up and there was food outside. Ironic, isn't it? One more day and I wouldn't have to eat some of her."

"Of course if she had just managed to make it two more days she would have been fine too. In the end, I still think it should have been her to have made it and not me."

"So she died before you ate her?"

"That's what I said."

"And when you ate her and got out you started becoming like thi- the way you are now?"

      I nodded and stood up on my two feet. I was tall but still shorter than John.

      John let out a small grin and shook his head.

"Now ain't that something?" He whispered to himself. I cocked my head before sitting down on my haunches kinda like a dog. It was more comfortable this way and if anything happens I can move instead of being in a position where dodging is hard.

"So Ellie, what do you do out here?"

Didn't he see my cave? He should know.

"You know. Hunting, killing, you know, the normal stuff. I find pleasure in hunting and killing. It's a good way to spend time."

"You do know the circumstances of Amy's Woods, right?" John asked, his face suddenly serious and he wasn't giving me a good look.

"What does circumstances mean?"

      John didn't answer but instead shook his head.

"You hunt for sport and for pleasure?"

Oh. But I don't.

"I hunt for food."

"You have enough food in your cave to feed a small army."

"I know I have food at my cave but like I said I don't hunt for pleasure or to pass time really. I hunt because I am constantly hungry."

"You see, no matter how much I eat I am hungry and after a day I am starving if I eat nothing. One time I found out that I was eating my food all by myself and eating way too much for my body weight. I threw up the meal and went to sleep. When I woke up I was hunting something and starving. In my daze, I convinced myself it was a monkey and attacked and ate it."

"As you saw the skull you may have guessed but...that was no monkey. Since then I tried my best to never go hungry again. Fresh prey fills me up more than scraps and calms me down. I get...antsy and restless when I don't hunt and kill so in order to avoid me killing a "monkey" again I hunt and kill. Like I said, I don't really kill for pleasure and to pass time, I mainly kill so I don't lose myself."

"I see."

      John was giving me a look of newfound respect. I assume I have won back his favor.

"Oh! Can you try and keep the fact that I killed a human a secret?"

"Sorry kid but I can't keep that a secret. I can however put in a good word for you. I'm pretty influential so I hope that makes you happy."

"Better than nothing I suppose."

"Well sorry for intruding in your cave. I didn't want to take any chances so I just hid."

"Well okay. Apology accepted. Besides, if you hadn't found my cave then you wouldn't have been able to help me and Selicia. Soon we'll be back to society!"

"Have a plan for that?"

"Hmmm? Yeah. Just tell my tale and eat good food and sleep in a good bed and go back to school. Simple as that."

"That might be hard with that, you know."

      I flicked my tail into view. I stared at it for a while. If I go out will I be called a monster because I have a tail? No. No that can't be the case right!? Surely not.

Then we stay here.

NO! I must escape this place with Selicia!

...Then the tail is a prop. Hide it the best you can and if it is spotted say it is a prop that you don't want to let go of as it is important to you and Selicia. It may be a lie but it is better than the truth.

Wow! You're right! I'm so smart! Thank you, me! You're a lifesaver.

"I know of my tail but I'll just hide it and say it is an important prop. See, simple and easy fix!"

"What about...never mind. I think that is a great plan."

"Really? Thank you, John!"

      John gave me a warm smile, a reminiscent look in his eyes.

"Well, I gotta get going. See you sometime in the future Ellie. That's a promise."

      I jumped up on a tree branch before turning to face John.

"Alright! Stay safe!"

      And with that, I ran off back to my cave.