The hunger gnawed at our insides like we hadn't eaten in years and the beast's mouth filled with saliva in anticipation. Appropriate since in all likelihood the beast hadn't had a bite to eat since its capture a little over six years ago. Eager to reach the nearby meal, it twisted our body around to face the wall of Indy's weakened barrier before sinking our claws deep into it. The beast tore it open in one swift move with an ease which put the hybrid monsters' earlier efforts to shame. Light flooded in through the new opening from outside and temporarily blinded us for moment after being so long in the dark.

      We quickly recovered from it though and then time seemed to slow down to a stand still as the beast's mind and senses went into a predatory overdrive. Through the hole it had made, I caught a glimpse of the hybrids standing just beyond the barrier. They had paused their attack the moment the beast made the tear and now appeared to be frozen in a state of confusion. Ignoring them for the time being, it kept its attention on the hole it had made. The initial tear wasn't quite big enough for us to get out safely so it went about enlarging it. With cool methodical movements, it carefully removed the loose pieces of wood and thorn studded vine from around the edge. The thorns Indy had made for barrier were rather nasty looking. Seeing them now made me very glad that the beast was taking the time to remove them as carefully as it was doing in spite of its desperate need to eat.

     When it was done, we emerged from the barrier and the beast looked around calmly at the transformed monster/human hybrids. It briefly examined each one carefully as if we looking at a herd of pigs and it was searching for just the right one to roast. Eventually, our gaze was drawn to a terrified teenager with short, bright red curly hair standing near a tree far behind the rest of the transformed pack. He wore a long, black, oversized trench coat, and a sturdy looking pair of work boots.

      The boy struck me as odd and the beast must have been thinking something similar as it ignored the rest and went straight for him instead. It eagerly sniffed the air while it took long, almost leisurely strides to get to him. As we got closer, the metallic scent of blood grew stronger and I felt a sense of hungry anticipation emanate from the beast's mind.

      When we got to him, it grabbed him firmly but gently by his neck and leaned down over him as if to smell a particularly large flower. It buried our nose in his hair and breathed in deeply, inhaling the boy's scent. Being this close to the source of the bloody scent allowed the black beast's sensitive sense of smell to detect it's component parts. Sure, it was still mostly the smell of blood which filled our nose, but it combination of old spoiled blood and fresh mixed with a somewhat familiar bitter scent and a sweaty meaty one that reminded me of my dad after he had been working out.