Monster in the Cave

This cave has been my home for this sleep cycle. My last meal was quite large and I slept well afterward. I have been dozing now for a bit and I just haven't quite made it out of bed yet. I am not yet hungry, but I am interested in seeing what has changed while I slept. The world is so full of short-lived species who have much shorter personal cycles than mine, and the humans were particularly interesting in my last few wake cycles.
While I am curious, it is not enough to drive me fully awake. I enjoy this quiet time to doze in and out of slumber. When I hear a noise at the entrance to my cave though I do come fully awake quite quickly. It is simply not safe to drift when something approaches even if the steps are shuffling, awkward and quiet.
I open my eyes the barest slit and see the human that has intruded. It does not seem to be wearing anything to protect itself. In the last wake cycle, they covered themselves in metal and brought a variety of tools to do damage. This boy comes in with nothing but the clothes on his back. I call him a boy but in most respects, he has reached adulthood. I can tell by the smell that he has reached puberty; though there is an atrocious smell attempting to hide the scent. It's so strong it nearly makes me gag.
He is hunched in on himself and obviously terrified. I can see his hands shaking and he keeps as close to the walls as he can. His eyes are wide, so unless the basic physiology has changed in the last hundred years, I doubt he can see in the dark. He doesn't have a light source. I listen closely to see if their kind has developed some kind of echolocation. It appears that they have not, though I can hear harsh, cruel-sounding laughter from the mouth of the cave.
I being to understand. Humans, as I knew them, were a cruel species. They mocked and used each other for their own gain. This man was obviously made to enter by his supposed superiors. He was told to enter and face what lay within and was not even given implements that might help him to succeed. He was supposed to fail. As I have been asleep, I found myself wondering if tales of me had persisted through time, or if they thought something else would happen to this man.
It doesn't really matter, of course. Their intent was to do harm. How delicious!
The frightened human does not see me even as I open my eyes fully. He has no allure for my kind. I slowly move past him down the tunnel to the entrance. He cannot see me but he shrinks in fear and curls into himself against the wall. It's probably better that way. He won't want to witness what comes next.

You've lived in this cave for hundreds of years. You know every sound, every disturbance. You can hear the footsteps, a young human. He thinks you’re asleep, you observe. His steps are mousy, they tremble with fear. His posture speaks of abuse. It's obvious that someone else put him up to this.

---

#writers#writers on tumblr#writing prompts#writeblr#writing inspiration#writing-prompt-s