Survive

Keep. Moving.
One foot.
In front.
Of.
The Other.
Keep.
Moving.
Water.
Water.
Somewhere.
Water.
Somewhere.
Food.

I crawled around the cage, time and time again. My tail dragging through the waste and blood of the unlucky ones. The ones who had succumbed to the lack of food and water too soon.
Their scales concaved into their skinny bodies. Wounds, bite marks, gnawed on limbs showed what the others had attempted to do to survive.

I could feel myself getting colder. The sun must be gone from the outside, with darkness that brought the death. Warmth. That too I would need to survive.
I curled up, as tightly as I could, huddling in a corner away from the others who had perished.
No water. No food. No warmth. I closed my eyes.
Perhaps...
Perhaps I should stop fighting.
Give up.
Like the others.
Die.

Movement,
Warmth.
Something picked me up.
I twitched, opening my eyes the barest of cracks.
Bright light.
Warmth below.
Sounds from above.
It was one of those odd giant creatures. The ones that occasionally stomped by, shaking the earth.
This one held me.
It was warm.
So warm.
It made sounds as it moved me away from the cage.
Placed me in warm water.
I lowered my head, opening my mouth to gulp down as much as I could.
Luxuriating in the sensation.

This....
Maybe....
Was this the beginning of more to life? To food and water? To heat? All the time?
I lifted my head.
Hoping so.
Survival would be easier if it was so.

-Inspiration from article online about ill treated animals.