Hunger

By Rienne French

Desire. Need. Hunger. It gnaws at the creature like sand in a gale, consuming every thought of its bestial mind.

Even the gaping wound in its side is forgotten by the needs of its stomach. Hunger.

A thin sliver of motion catches the creature’s eye, and it lashes out with crystalline fangs at the silvery fish swimming just beyond its reach. They would be fat and ripe, their flesh easy to devour, but age and injury have robbed him of speed. Dark pooling eyes of the demon that belongs within the ocean’s deep gaze with lust and longing after the retreating school. Hunger.

He is alone. Cast from its pride by a usurper. Hunger.

A memory flashes from its infancy and the creature recalls prying fat mollusks from their shells just beyond the tide’s edge. They are a poor substitute for fish, but the mollusks would salve the longing of its belly. Hunger.

Slowly the creature drags its broken body toward the surface, one strong arm pulling against the ocean currents while the other floats limp at its side. The long tail snakes back and forth in propulsion but the movement is agony. Pain. Hunger.

Waves begin to push and twist the demon as it enters the shallows. Pain. Hunger. Pain.

Silt clouds the water and blocks visibility beneath the waves. The creature rises to the surface in a spray of foam as it tries to glimpse the rocks that house its next meal. Hunger.

All he can see is moonlit sand, and two living beings in the shadow of a great land kelp. Black eyes dilating in the bright moonlight it watches them. Hunger.

The creature has seen these beings before. Land animals that occasionally venture into the sea. Hunger.

They have hands like his, but their tails are split and move independently of one another. Hunger.

Once when the land animals were scrambling over the cliffs, he watched as one of them fell and was dashed upon the rocks. The smell of the blood brought saliva to his mouth, but the other animals came and carried it off. Hunger.

The creature watches as the land animals hunt for fish. They are strong. It cannot fight them for their catch. Hunger.

Perhaps he could call them away from it. Perhaps he could catch them in a snare of deception. Hunger.

The sea demon recalls the cry the land creature made when it fell. He can imitate it. Hunger.

Opening his jaws, he screams. Hunger.

The land creatures stop hunting. Hunger.

They stare at the waves as if listening. Hunger.

He screams again. Hunger.

This time, the beings call back to him. Hunger. Desire.

He screams one last desperate cry with everything in his marrow. Hunger. Desire. Pain.

One of the land creatures leaves the beach and swims toward him. Hunger.

It is bigger than he expected. Hunger.

But his need is great. Hunger.

He can smell its warm flesh in the surf before him. Hunger. Desire. Craving.

His caution is abandoned. Hunger. Emptiness.

Hunger. Strife. Hunger.

Satisfaction.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rienne French writes fantasy, sci-fi and horror. Being dyslexic, her stories start in her sketchbook, but whether she is inking an illustration or penning a flash fiction, it is the art of storytelling that she loves. When not writing or drawing, you can find Rienne playing games with her children or watching old monster movies with her husband.

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