Feast for the Beast

North Carolina has a backwards agriculture. The mountains are still mountainous, but if the right money is passed through the right hands, then someone can build a house on a mountain ridge and break up the beautiful scenery. The beach is about the same way. Building on the sand dunes is prohibited, but that doesn't stop some people.

With so much construction, one has to wonder what gets displaced when the territories are moved around. Eventually the predator has to find a new place and a source for food. People could very well be on the menu.

Down the mountain the predator goes, stalking through the brush and looking for something fat and slow to sink it's teeth into.

A visiting tourist maybe? One must be careful, one cannot get caught.

That's the ticket. The loud mouth woman who just threw all her trash in the brush as if it would go away. Perfect. Disrespect my property, pay the price.

The creature stalks the woman as she moves sluggishly behind the others. She obviously doesn't want to be here. She hates anything green. Yeah, it helps her to breathe, but she prefers the hot asphalt of pollution filled cities.

This one won't be missed. The creature stalks closer, its natural camouflage helps it blend in. The woman has no idea what is coming to get her.

The woman stops and stomps her foot against the ground, "I'm tired, Randal! I'll stay here until you come back down! This place sucks!"

The group of humans leave the woman behind and the creature grins. It can feel its teeth aching to cull such a disgrace to a species that could have done so well for everything. Yes, this one won't be missed.

The woman sits on a stump and grunts as she starts smashing bugs and crushing flowers. She suddenly shudders and looks around as the forest suddenly gets quiet. The woods holds its breath. The birds watch in a silent jury as the verdict gets passed.

It is over quick. The beast has its feast. No hair, no drop of blood, no scrap of clothes is left behind. The woman disappears as if she never existed. The beast is sated for a while and slinks back into the wilderness. The natural chorus starts back in its overture.

"Carol? CAROL? Where are you?!"