I still had no clue what I was looking for, but it was something that either resembled a rabbit that I could cook over a roaring fire (supposing I worked out how to light one) or a Pack-And-Save grocery store laden with fresh fruit and cream buns. Either one would have done, preferably the latter.
I picked up a rock and smashed it on a larger rock to get a sharp edge. It shattered into splinters, but a couple of the prices were sizeable enough and had a jagged edge to them. I used these to roughly hone down the end of my stick, which I was still carrying, into a point. I would use this to skewer my rabbit-food, or threaten the grocery store clerk if they didn’t let me eat food off the shelf.
About an hour into my trip I suddenly stopped to the hissing sound of air rapidly leaving a tyre. I looked around, and to my left there was a huge lizard. I have no idea how I had obliviously walked past it. It was about up to my hip in height and about three metres long. It was up on a flat rock, but stood up as high as it could, with a ridge of tooth-like bones standing on end on it’s back like the jagged edge of a saw. It’s mouth was partially open and a hissing, spitting sound issued out as a warning for me to clear off.
I gripped my spear in my right hand and backed away from it. It’s eyes followed every step I made, but it stayed rigidly still. It’s dark green appearance shined in the sun, and it’s scales reflected blues and light green back at me. I turned to face it once I was a few steps back. It obviously didn’t think this was enough and took a couple of rapid steps forward in an effort to drive me off. I raised my spear, ready to throw if it charged. It stood motionless, still hissing and baring it’s teeth at me. I stood as still as I could, tensed up, ready to strike at any moment.
Seconds passed. Suddenly there was a splash behind me as one of the dinosaurs lifted it’s head once more from the water. I twitched, getting a fright under the tense pressure of this stand-off. The lizard charged. I thrust my spear forward, not wanting to let go of my only defence in case I missed. It hit the lizard in the neck, hesitated on the hard scales, then sunk in with a sickening sucking sound. The lizard spun around and whipped it’s long, ridged tail at my legs, wrenching the stick imbedded in it’s neck from my hand. The tail caught my left foot that most of my weight was on, and took it out from under me. I landed, for a second time in two days, with a thump on my left shoulder. This time the wind was taken out of me, but I was aware of it’s tail coming back for another go the other way.
I rolled to my right and stopped with a sharp rock in the small of my back. The tail whipped past my right hip as the lizard spun back around again. I rocked up into a sitting position, now able to start taking my first breath. I lunged at my spear as the end of it came within my grasp, and shoved it in further. The lizard gave another gurgled hiss and started running for the trees. I stood up, and seizing a huge rock from the ground, hurled it at the beast. This hit it in the side and knocked it over. I grabbed the rock from where it fell and threw it down onto the lizard’s head as it thrashed it’s body and scrambled it’s legs for purchase. This made a sickening crunch, and the flailing tail went limp and fell to the ground.
I stepped over, still cautious in case this was just a trick. I edged closer, approaching from the back. Although I had taken a hit from the tail, I thought this to be less offensive than those teeth had been. I nudged the tail with my sore right foot. I had to keep the weight on my good foot, and was ready to spring away. Nothing. I kicked at it. Nothing.
Eventually I got the courage to reach down and touch it’s tail. The scales were hard and smooth. The fine scales on the tail felt like rough sandpaper. It was cold - well, the temperature of a rock that had been sitting in the sun anyway. I grasped the tail and pulled. Nothing.
I walked over to the head, and lifted the rock. It’s head was crushed and seeping blood onto the dark soil. The black eye stared up into space, lifeless, cloudy, void.
I stood there a moment. I hadn’t killed anything larger than a wasp before. And it shocked me how easily I had transformed into this animal killer. This instinct I had for murder was there all along. As I went about my daily rituals, suit and tie, shake hands, smile and exchange pleasantries, type screeds of documentation, drive car, eat and drink pre-prepared foods - all this time a savage creature with the ability to fight and kill, slaughter and crush, lurked there the whole time. I, with the aid of a stick I had sharpened with a rock, had slaughtered this miniature dragon! Had rendered it’s life to nought. Who had more right to live, him or I? I was the judge, jury, and ultimately, the executioner.
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