Meat dreams

I'm running. Catching up but just out of reach, I envision my canines sinking into my quarry. I anticipate the warm pulsing taste and crunching sound. If only I could get another few inches, a little faster, a spurt of speed... but it turns right, then darts left. That fluffy tail deceptively hints one way, while my quarry goes the other way. I wish I could run up the trees like he does. What magic does he have? Maybe that tail holds all the magic. If only I had one of those. If only.

Escaping into a tree, my quarry suddenly appears twenty feet behind me. His magic tail turns to wings. But I know it's him.  I'm not so easily fooled. I bolt straight at him like an arrow. I fly, only brief moments does the ground contact my paws. Both front legs in sync, with my back legs following closely behind.  I see my teeth reflected in my quarry's eye. But magic saves him. He disappears behind the cape of wings and is gone.

With watering jaws, I find myself lying on my side in the sun.  I'm at my lookout spot. The portal to the outside is creaking open. The bringer of meat has arrived. The master hunter, who always has fresh quarry. Sometimes after his fill, he shares his plunder. I ask him for meat. He understands my desires and asks me to worship the God of the Hunt, Ball. I retrieve the idol so we can begin the rites.

He takes the idol, gives it life. It flies and bounds. I give chase. It veers and tries to allude me, but I catch it mid leap. I hold it until it dies. Sometimes it feigns death and breaks my vise-like hold and gets free for a short time. Not this time. I bring it back to the master. He once again brings it back to life.

The ceremony goes on endlessly, until it ends. Maybe the master has run out of magic. Maybe he needs meat to make magic. Or maybe the God of the Hunt has been satisfied and delivered us manna, Greenies.   The master goes to the window to watch his quarry.  His paws twitch a lot while he looks out the window.  Maybe his clicking noises bring the quarry to him. I've heard the quarry making noises too. They are not really the same.  His paws continue to click.  Someday I will learn that magic.  My master will stare out his window forever.

I want meat. I better get back to my lookout. Maybe magic will take me outside to the chase and the meat of my quarry.  I rest and await the magic.