I crept forward, my hind foot stepping gently on the branch, careful not to slip. I could see it just below me, completely oblivious to any danger, burying its head among the flowers. I rocked back onto my hind foot, feeling the muscles tense. Now was my moment. I launched myself forward, propelling myself down below and towards my quarry.
The bird screamed, taking flight in an instant, wings beating the air in mad panic. But my hands grabbed it tight, claws piercing through feathers and ripping skin. The bird thrashed wildly in my grip as for a moment we both began to plummet towards the earth. But I felt no fear of hitting the ground, for I was prepared to catch myself before then.
Forelegs were thrown outwards, the digits spread wide apart as the folds of skin caught the air, acting as a net to catch that air. With a twisting of my forelegs I used that net, to push and turn through the sky, forcing myself back towards the nearest tree trunk. A hand reached out to grab the bark, claws aching as they dug in deep to finally stop my fall. And in the other, a dead bird was clutched, passing it to my jaws as I used both hands to pull myself up to the nearest perch to feed in peace.
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A New Perspective of the Far Off Future
Short StoryA collection of short stories all of which take place in the far future, close to 200 million years in the future. Humans have long been gone and life has long since moved on, with a myriad of new fantastic forms having evolved. This new era of life...
