TIGER TIGERA Story by Tina KlineThe tiger sniffed the air, its huge fangs gleaming in the moon's silver blue light. The beast was hungry, very hungry. It's white hide with black stripes helped the beast hide in the leafy shadowy forest. It's eyes glowed. The tiger opened its mouth and its tongue lolled out as it tasted the breeze for its prey. Tasting something it closed its impressive mouth, its jaws snapping as it's fangs came together. Its tail coiled and uncoiled then flicked once and the tiger was off, heading silently in the direction of its soon to be meal.
The hunter stood on the sandy banks of a winding river, small waterfalls dotted its length. The hunter held night seeing binoculars to his face as he scanned both sides of the river's banks, looking for the elusive beast. That one special beast no one else had brought down. He would. In his green jungle fatigues he started walking along the bank, ignoring deer that leaped into the forest at his approach, ignoring the huge birds of prey circling in the darkening sky overhead. Yes, he was one of the superb big game hunters and he would be the one who brought down this mysterious and elusive black and white saber tooth tiger.
The tiger moved in closer to it's prey. Overhead a large fruit bat winged by. Several more followed it. The moon's silver blue light lit up the forest, bathing the top of leaves and limbs with its luminous light. A large boar burst out of the shrubs ahead of it and then dashed away, its tail curled upward, fleeing certain death from this monstrous beast. The tiger wasn't interested in this meat but something else. Something sweet and delectable.
The hunter heard something crashing in the brush further up the river bank. He smiled and headed to that location, knowing the beast he stalked was there. His smile was broad, his confidence huge. Yes, his friends and the media would be hailing him as the greatest hunter of his generation and any other. His rifle was loaded and ready. Man was superior to the beast. Man would contain the beast and he would prove it once again when he brought this mysterious, elusive and rare beast down. His smile grew wider as he reached that place on the bank and started up the slope from the beach, smile gone now and replaced by his serious hunter look.
The white and black striped beast slipped through the foliage without making a sound. The scent of its prey was strong and stuck in its nose and on its tongue. It slipped the tip of its moist pink tongue out and tested the scent of its prey on the air. It was close. The tiger couldn't contain an excited little mew. Then it slipped to the top of the bluff and looked down. Its prey was approaching this very point. The beast watched and waited, its tail whipping back and forth in its excitement. Soon it would be feasting. It crouched a little, blending into the dark and light striped and dappled forest.
The hunter climbed up the slope, being as quiet as he could. At the top he was off balance just slightly and it only took a second for him to regain his balance. It was at that moment something roared and he almost fell backwards, the shock of hearing it was so overwhelming. As the hunter stumbled about he struggled to raise his rifle up. He had a certain feeling the roar came from the beast he was hunting. Looking up from his rifle he saw a huge white and black striped saber tooth tiger arching through the air at him, its huge paws wide and all its impressive and lethal claws out. The hunter yelled. He couldn't help it. He fired his rifle but the bullet sailed uselessly into the shrub. It wasn't even aimed at its target.
The beast came down from its grand arch onto its prey, dragging it to the ground. With its claws closing around its prey like it was giving it a hug, man and beast rolled down the slope to the river bank. The beast held onto its meal all the way down. The man started screaming, he knew he was going to die. He felt the claws digging in deeper and deeper. His screams increased in volume. Then he felt the hot breath of the tiger as it placed its open jaws on the back of his head and neck. And the beast's jaws were so huge the man's whole head ended up in its mouth. The man screamed for help even though he knew that it was stupid. There was nothing out here in the forest that would help him. If there was another hunter nearby there was no way he could reach him in time to save him. The hunter heard a loud incredible purring and then the jaws closed on his head. He heard a crunch, felt a brief intense fiery pain, then nothing.
The beast settled on the sandy beach and contently tore into his prey, pulling off the uneatable covering and then digging in, savoring the tasty sweet twang of the meat. It's purr was loud and it was fully alert for anything coming to disturb it. The beast ripped great chunks of flesh off it's prey and swallowed them. Another successful hunt.
© 2012 Tina KlineFeatured Review
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Added on August 20, 2012Last Updated on August 20, 2012 Author
Tina KlineORAboutWhen Venus gets too close catfish have been known to come up out of the water onto the shore, feed awhile, then go back in. It's business as usual in the Apocalypse. And business is very good right.. more.. |
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