The Dance of Nature

I saw a cat catching a moth and eating it in the parking lot the other day. It happened in a couple of seconds, but I thought it might be interesting if I could break those seconds down into a story

The light shone down on him, illuminating his silhouette and casting long shadows along the wall. It was the light that he was attracted to. He couldn't explain his attraction. Perhaps the light symbolized the sun - all-reaching, life-giving, immense. It really put it into perspective just how small the rest of us really are.

And so he danced, under the light, like a ballerina on stage with a spotlight shining down on him, exposing his imperfections. But he didn't care. He was in ecstasy, spinning, flitting, weaving, it felt so natural, so beautiful, to be part of the rhythm of life.

He was in a trance-like state when he noticed he had an audience. It was an audience of one, but that didn't matter to him. While he did not notice her sneak up on him, there was no denying her presence now that she was in front of him. She sat there silent, her emerald green eyes piercing right through him. He knew he had to dance for her, and dance for her he did.

For some reason he felt that he had to give this particular dance his best. With a twist of his body, he exploded into action. He spins were never more perfect, his flits were fairy-like, and he weaved like a seasoned boxer. So natural, so beautiful.

However she did not react to his performance. The audacity.

He decided he had to be bolder, and so he brought the dance closer to her. He darted, he bobbed, he cut in from impossible angles, but not once did she blink or even offer up the ghost of a smile.

She looked away and her mouth stretched into an unmistakable yawn. The insult!

He had to make her notice. He couldn't explain why, but it was something he felt he had to do. With a beat of his wings, he flew straight at her, and that's when he knew he had made a mistake. Muscles rippling through her entire feline body, the cat pounced with her razor sharp claws extended and her paws reaching out towards him.

He tried to change course but it was too late, she had him in between her paws. He struggled violently, valiantly, vainly. He managed to slip out of her grasp, but even as he did, he knew this was part of the game and that he had only escaped because she had willed it so.

She pounced again and this time she had him. She dragged him to the cold hard cement and before he could regain his senses, he felt a row of sharp teeth sinking into his wings, tearing into them as if they were made from paper. Do insects feel pain?

Blinding flashes of pain shot through his entire body. The pain was exquisite. He thrashed wildly and somehow managed to wrest himself free from the jaws of death, but even then he knew his end was inevitable.

He was spiralling in the air as one wing lay there limp and useless. It was almost comical. If animals could express empathy, the cat did not show any signs. What kind predator would have empathy for their prey? These kinds of complex emotions were best left to humans.

She watched him lazily before reaching a paw out and batting him down once more. He felt her teeth rip into his other wing, the working one, and this time he did not struggle. He was too delirious to even feel the pain when she ripped it clean off his body.

As he lay there convulsing involuntarily from the pain and delirium, he felt her breath on the back of his neck, hot and heavy, like a lover. He felt the brush of her whiskers against his body as she whispered, "I've always noticed. It was a beautiful dance." With his last ounce of strength, he whispered back, "Thank you..."

Her head snapped forward, quick as lightning, biting him into two. There was no applause, no standing ovation, no curtain call, and no encore. End scene.

Author's Note

I write news for a living but I'm trying to break into fiction. Feedback and critique is more than welcome, as long as it's constructive :)

Reviews

[Shyrsiew]

What occurs to a man's heart once tarnished by a woman's carelessness are so eloquently put into words here. I do believe that men share the same allowance with women to feel broken, at times, hurt by those careless others that has so often over-meddled our fragile hearts.

Very good piece, I enjoyed it immensely.

[Woody]

veeery nicely narrated. a 2-second scene turned into a short, detailed story. I liked it.
I think I undestand Marie's feelings. it's the violent aspect of it, the death element. it was a tad gross, for me. nonetheless, beautifully observed.

[justtyler]

Thanks for review! Hmm I guess I never really saw it as being a violent piece. To me it was just about a predator catching its prey, but I appreciate you seeing it from another angle, something to be more aware about in the future.

[Woody]

oh no! I wish you didn't. continue to be the way you are. that's life, after all. there will undoubtedly be squeemish readers on this site. reminds me of National Geographics. they do show graphic scenes of predators. beautifully filmed but not for the faint-hearted.

[justtyler]

True. Well I didn't mean that I would censor myself, it's more like "Ah, I didn't know it could impact my reader that way." More about self-awareness if anything.

[Marie]

I don't like this subject matter, but as far as the writing goes, it's good. I have no suggestions to make it better.

[justtyler]

Hi Marie, thanks for the review. May I ask in what way does the subject matter not appeal to you? Is it just personal preference?

[Marie]

Well, I have three cas, and the idea of a cat eating a moth just does not appeal to me, even though I realize it's the way of the world...

[justtyler]

Ah fair enough, but thanks for clearing that up for me, it was a little ambiguous.