Digging out the deepest part of the burrow, Mike turned his body around to face the entrance, ready for whatever might crawl in. He lay still in the dark, the strange sounds of alien life echoing above.
His thoughts drifted to his wife Kelsey.
That trip to the mountains. Walking the trails, watching her smile as the wind swept through the trees. It had been one of the few times he felt free, away from deadlines, phone calls, and obligations.
He missed that smile now. Missed her comforting voice at the end of a bad day, the silly memes she'd text to break up the monotony of work. Her hugs. Her laughter.
Lying in the dirt of a foreign world, he wondered if he'd ever see her again.
The pain of that thought was enough to reignite the fire inside him.
He clenched his claws into the soil.
Kill everything. Get stronger. Go home.
He repeated the mantra over and over.
Eventually, exhaustion won. He drifted off to sleep, while the alien orchestra of shrieks and howls played overhead.
A rustle.
Quick breaths.
A sound like sniffing something his dog used to make.
Mike snapped awake.
Light filtered dimly into the burrow. A snout, long and narrow, pushed through the entrance. It twitched and snuffed at the air, probing the dark.
Mike didn't move. The creature sniffed for what felt like minutes, then slowly withdrew.
More light seeped in.
Today, Mike thought, I figure out what's changing in my body and how to keep growing.
He crawled forward cautiously, inching toward the entrance. At the threshold, he paused, scanned his surroundings, and then emerged into the light one careful step at a time.
As he cleared the burrow, an alarm flared deep in his gut, an instinct screaming Danger.
A vibration. Breathing. Behind him.
Mike turned to run, but too late.
Pain exploded in his tail.
A creature that looked like a coyote, but with reptilian scales patching its legs, face, and spine, clamped down on him and flung him into the air.
Mike twisted, slashing wildly with his front claws, aiming for the creature's face. His claws connected with its snout, and he snapped his jaws forward, tearing into its muzzle. Blood sprayed as the beast yelped and thrashed, trying to shake him off.
He crashed to the ground.
The creature stepped back, snarling. Mike scrambled to his feet, facing it directly.
It was smaller than he'd feared about his size. After yesterday's growth, Mike estimated his body was three or four feet long, and eight to ten inches tall.
I can kill it, he thought. If I get its throat... I can eat it. I have to get stronger.
He circled slowly, keeping his eyes locked on the creature.
It lunged.
Mike dove under its snapping jaws, pressing his body low to the ground. He twisted upward beneath its neck, clamping his teeth down just below the jaw. His claws dug in from all limbs as he slashed furiously. Blood gushed from the wounds. The coyote-creature shrieked and bucked, but Mike held on.
He didn't let go until the beast collapsed on its side, eyes dimming, breaths fading. When it stopped moving, he stepped back.
He stared at the corpse, panting.
For a moment, a memory surfaced: a nature documentary he once watched with Kelsey.
He almost laughed.
I'm the honey badger lizard, he thought.
Refocusing, he dragged himself forward and began his meal, wondering what new strength this one would bring.
As he finished his meal, Mike felt his muscles grow tighter and limbs longer than before. He feels the strength difference when consuming stronger foes but also how dangerous the battles to come will be.