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The Hunt
He knew he must keep very still while he waited….
Any movement could ruin an untold amount of planning, and this was not something he could afford. Too much was at stake.
This was what he had been waiting for. It seemed like it had been ages since he embarked upon this venture. It had been so long that he had a great deal of difficulty in remembering what had started the whole thing.
Nevertheless, it had all come to a head. Now was the time, here was the place, and he would NOT fail this time.
He COULD not fail. Too much depended on the outcome.
Off in the distance he heard a sound. It was a familiar sound, and he knew what it meant. In normal circumstances he would immediately move in the direction of the sound, but not this time; it had to wait. This was far too important.
He watched and waited as his prey moved slightly. He tensed up and prepared to make his move. But, alas, it was a false alarm; his victim was still again, unaware of his presence. Unaware of its impending demise.
He knew soon he would need to act, that at any moment his mark could bolt, making the hunt more difficult. But he also knew that each time his prey moved was reason to for him lay still longer. If HE moved, it would surely signal his prey to jump.
The anticipation grew stronger, the will to resist the urge to act too soon became weaker. His body trembled as he fought off his yearning to execute his plans immediately and with force… But this was not yet the moment…
He heard the sound again. It only fueled his impatience. It was becoming harder and harder to resist the desire to move instantly, directly. But now the distraction added confusion as well. Should he leave his prey, knowing he may not get another chance in favor of responding to what he knew was a guarantee? Or should he persevere, hold out a little longer and – with any luck – capture his ever-elusive prey?
The decision was not an easy one, but he chose to wait just a few more moments, as he felt that any second now…
It moved again! His body could not hold back any longer! He pounced!
NO! It had jumped out of the way just at the right moment.
He was frantic now. Everything was falling apart! All of the planning and patience, gone!
It moved again, and he gave chase.
Once more the sound. Oh, why could it not wait? Why does it torment him so?
He pounced on his prey, but at the last moment it moved again.
He heard new sounds, but they were not the sounds that tried to entice him from his hunt. No, now they were sinister. Sounds of laughter, of jeering and taunting.
His hunger grew, and he chose to abandon his quest. He followed the earlier sounds.
“Next time, red dot,” he silently vowed. “Next time…”
© Erick Pratt
Any movement could ruin an untold amount of planning, and this was not something he could afford. Too much was at stake.
This was what he had been waiting for. It seemed like it had been ages since he embarked upon this venture. It had been so long that he had a great deal of difficulty in remembering what had started the whole thing.
Nevertheless, it had all come to a head. Now was the time, here was the place, and he would NOT fail this time.
He COULD not fail. Too much depended on the outcome.
Off in the distance he heard a sound. It was a familiar sound, and he knew what it meant. In normal circumstances he would immediately move in the direction of the sound, but not this time; it had to wait. This was far too important.
He watched and waited as his prey moved slightly. He tensed up and prepared to make his move. But, alas, it was a false alarm; his victim was still again, unaware of his presence. Unaware of its impending demise.
He knew soon he would need to act, that at any moment his mark could bolt, making the hunt more difficult. But he also knew that each time his prey moved was reason to for him lay still longer. If HE moved, it would surely signal his prey to jump.
The anticipation grew stronger, the will to resist the urge to act too soon became weaker. His body trembled as he fought off his yearning to execute his plans immediately and with force… But this was not yet the moment…
He heard the sound again. It only fueled his impatience. It was becoming harder and harder to resist the desire to move instantly, directly. But now the distraction added confusion as well. Should he leave his prey, knowing he may not get another chance in favor of responding to what he knew was a guarantee? Or should he persevere, hold out a little longer and – with any luck – capture his ever-elusive prey?
The decision was not an easy one, but he chose to wait just a few more moments, as he felt that any second now…
It moved again! His body could not hold back any longer! He pounced!
NO! It had jumped out of the way just at the right moment.
He was frantic now. Everything was falling apart! All of the planning and patience, gone!
It moved again, and he gave chase.
Once more the sound. Oh, why could it not wait? Why does it torment him so?
He pounced on his prey, but at the last moment it moved again.
He heard new sounds, but they were not the sounds that tried to entice him from his hunt. No, now they were sinister. Sounds of laughter, of jeering and taunting.
His hunger grew, and he chose to abandon his quest. He followed the earlier sounds.
“Next time, red dot,” he silently vowed. “Next time…”
© Erick Pratt
