I’m the Prey!

I’m the Prey!

It is late at night. The weather is very cold by the river. I breathe cold air into my lungs. I am hiding under a tree that a beaver cut down earlier today. This tree will be part of a dam tomorrow, but for tonight, it is my safe place. The water moves very fast in the river, and it is hard to hear any predators around me. Suddenly, I see them. Fangs! It’s a snake. I run as fast as I can, down to the river. I am standing on a rock under the moonlight. The snake is coming right at me. It’s almost here! Can I fend off a snake? No way! And I don’t plan to. I want him to see me. I want him to chase me. He’s here. SNAP! He tries to bite me, but I jump into the river. He comes after me, but I am already out of the water and running up the hill. He saw me! He is coming up the hill, too, and he is really fast. If I can wear down the snake, I can get away from him and sleep safely tonight. I go back to the tree, my shelter. The snake knows I am here, but he is tired. He is not moving. I run up the hill a little more. The snake climbs up a tree to see where I am going, but I am too far away for him to see. Snakes can see in the dark, but not from more than one metre away. I am 10 metres away. I am a little mouse with black fur. I dig a little hole under a rock, go to sleep and dream of cheese.