Chapter 5

Zailah

Pain, so much pain vibrated in every cell of my body—unbearable, blinding pain. I opened my eyes but didn't recognise where I was. I began to sniff the air. There was someone else’s scent. It was foreign to me. When I lifted my head from the ground, I tried to groan, but a growl came out of my mouth. I froze and looked down at my hand. It was covered in fur, and my fingertips had long, sharp claws on them.

In the distance, I could hear footsteps. They were coming fast down a set of stairs. My ears pricked up as the footsteps softened before more sounds and heavy footsteps down more stairs until they bellowed in my ears. I clawed at my ears to make it stop. The noise only added to my pain.

“Aren’t you a fine specimen,”

a voice bellowed in my ears.

I didn't think but reacted as I used my hind legs and sprung into the air with my claws out to end the noisy being. My mouth opened as I anticipated biting into the flesh, muscle and bone. It looked so good.

Something stopped me and yanked me back. It burned my neck, and I collapsed on the floor with a whine.

It began to laugh at me, and I curled up before covering my ears. The pain never stopped, but then I smelled something tantalising. I pulled my deformed hand away from my head and pulled myself closer to where the scent was. It was food, and I was ravenous. The food was soft and bloody, and I barely had to chew it as I swallowed it.

The pain in my neck was still there, but the rest began to ease. I moved towards the wall and curled up beside it. Nothing made sense, it was all wrong, but with a full belly and exhaustion taking over, I closed my eyes.

◆◆◆

My eyes shot open as I felt my body jerk. I was unable to control my body as it rolled around on the floor. There was a loud cracking noise as I felt something in my spine snap into place. I howled with the pain that followed. I scrambled around, but there was something around my neck. It burned my skin. When I heard the footsteps coming towards me this time, I remained calm because the noise no longer hurt me.

A man stood in the doorway with a container in his hand. He didn't stink as badly today. He didn't move, and I began to growl because the hunger began to gnaw at my insides. Although I could focus on my vision better, the colour seemed wrong. After taking the man’s appearance in, he looked padded enough to make a good meal. I moved back a few steps with my claws scraping the floor. He needed to come closer for me to take a bite out of him. I lay on the floor and put my head on my front paws.

“Good girl. Your behaviour is much better today,”

he said, and although his voice seemed loud, it wasn't painful like before.

I watched him as he removed the cover from the container. My tail began to move as the rich scent of meat filled the air. Drool began to run from my mouth and onto my paws.

“Yeah, you look hungry, girl. I need you fit and healthy,”

he said as he moved closer.

My eyes remained on him as my heart beat faster. The excitement of taking down prey overwhelmed me, but he stopped and put the container down before moving back. I snarled with a sudden rage bursting inside of me. He had me trapped, and I should be free to hunt. I stood up, but the ache in my belly took precedence.

The chain burned as I approached the food. My eyes remained on the man who stood quietly and watched me. The food was devoured, but it wasn't as fresh as the food he’d brought before. I didn't move back even though my neck ached. So I settled down and waited. I wanted fresh meat.

When he approached me, I remained still, but as he got close enough for me to swipe a claw at him, I realised from his scent that he wasn't food. I lifted my nose in the air and began to sniff. He took the container and left.

He smelled like me.

◆◆◆

Sleeping. It was all I ever did. Sleep and eat. Confused. I didn't belong here. Confused as to what I was. Strange images of different humans, but they were food. They were prey. The man who fed me might smell like me, but he kept me confined. No matter how he tried to coax me with his soft voice, I didn't trust him.