Hunger
A mouse sat on the beach.
Small and full of want. Hunger
The sand was yellow, the water blue, the sky clear. The mouse tired.... and hungry.
As the sun ventured to meet the waves, a speck from the horizon grew larger. The mouse had to squint to see. The speck got larger. The speck turned into something black, then turned into a bird, which became even more distinct as the crow landed next to the mouse.
The mouse looked at the crow. The crow looked at the mouse.
The mouse looked at the sea. The crow looked at the sea.
"Are you hungry" asked the crow.
"yes" said the mouse.
A shiver tickled and trickled down the back of the mouse as it asked the crow "are you"?
"no" said the crow.
The mouse breathed out in relief.
"why don't you go for a swim" asked the crow.
"I am hungry" said the mouse.
"you are not eating" said the crow.
"no" said the mouse.
"go swim" said the crow
The mouse thought for a while. Slowly it moved towards the water. it swam past the ripples that lapped at the shore. Took a breath and dived... at least here the mouse was cool.
Under the water was coral. The mouse saw colours from the fish, the sea grass, the sand glimmered. The fish, innumerable siddled up to the mouse, curious to see this newcomer. Their colourful scales loosened and caught in the fur of the mouse. The fish swam past, nudging and twirling around the mouse until the mouse needed air, swam to the surface and pawed back onto the beach.
Exhausted the mouse slept.
The sun set, the stars shone, the moon opened the land to dreams. The mouse woke.
"how was the swim" asked the crow.
"wonderful" said the mouse, still hungry.
The mouse looked at the moon. The crow looked at the moon.
Something fluttered into the side of the mouse, then another...
The mouse looked down at its fur and noticed the colourful fish scales that still stuck to its fur. The scales shimmered in the moonlight. Small insects appeared to be drawn to them, where flying into them and landing on the ground. The mouse ate one then two. Eyes opened wide, joy mixed with hunger, the mouse ate and ate and ate.
Resting back to look at the stars, the mouse noticed the crow was gone.
