Predator or Prey

My decision was made for me when I felt a wave of pain originate from my stomach, using my new fins I swam out of my cave and started to swim towards one of the large fish I saw. I used my six legs like oars as my two large fins were suited for short rapid bursts. Lunging through the water my mandibles sunk into the tail of the fish, not letting the fish go I started to thrash making the water turn red with its blood. When the fish stopped moving I let the corpse float to the floor before eating, swimming out of the red cloud that surrounded the area of my recent victim I searched for new prey.

For the rest of the day, I gorged myself on anything that came in reach of my mandibles, at first I let some escape but eventually, I was able to kill every fish that so happened to gain my attention. As I swam back to my cave I made sure to stay out of sight as it was later in the day and I had seen shadows of creatures much bigger than me, but I only knew it was a matter of time until I could easily kill them. My vision was suddenly obscured as the sand in front of me exploded, using my wings I push myself to the side avoiding the largemouth that tried to swallow me.

As the cloud cleared my attacker was revealed, the fish was unlike anything I had seen so far. Instead of swimming, the fish walked on two stubby fins. I felt a strong pull from the water as the fish opened its huge mouth to try and suck me in, my antenna writhed in frustration how could this thing dare to try and eat me. I stopped resisting the pull of the fish as I turned around as sped towards the grotesque creature, I watched as it's small black eyes seemed to delight in the prospect of eating me.

As if it would have the honor of eating me, flapping my wings to the side I used my newly gained momentum to break from the vortex the fish had created.

Swiming around its large body I tore into the skin near the base of its head, the fish writhed in agony as more and more flesh disappeared until I felt my mandibles close around it's and with a satisfying crunch the fish stopped moving.

I took pleasure as its blood filled my mouth a fitting end for something that dared to try and consume me, not wanting to waste a source of food I grabbed the fish by one of its fins and started the long trip back home, collapsing to the floor of my cave I looked around at the various chunks of my recent prey.

The thing was too big to fit inside my home so I ended up butchering the creature into smaller parts. Walking towards the back of my cave I buried myself in the sand before falling asleep, the next day I didn't go outside my cave as I had more than enough food to last the day. While I rested I was even able to catch a few smaller fish as they were attracted by the smell of blood coming from my cave.

I ate to my heart's content from the safety of my cave, after a day or two I had eaten through my entire stockpile of food. After eating the last chunk I felt my self become sleepy again, moving aside some sand I buried myself as I evolved.

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After an indeterminate amount of time later I felt awareness return to my body, climbing out of my burrow I looked into the pearl to observe how I changed. My body had grown another 6 inches one of the other changes was my mandibles had retreated back into my face so they could be retracted and extended at will, the last change was the tree small slits along my thorax.

While I could already breathe underwater there was a small tube connected to my mouth and my gills it was a form of jet propulsion by swallowing a large amount of water I could release at will in one powerful burst.

My cave was now a little small for my size I had to twist my body to fit through the opening, I needed to find a new place to live. Exiting the cave I was large enough that most fish swam away from I didn't give chase as I would need to eat fifty of them to satiate my hunger. Though I did grab one or two just to snack on, after an hour of searching I finally found a large cave it was the skeleton of a large brain coral there was a large hole that seemed to be brutally chiseled out.

I was cautious anything able to live in there was able to breakthrough coral and was as large or larger than me.

I needed to get all the advantages I could get, swimming away a few feet away from the coral I dove underground and started to dig underneath the soil around the front and around the coral. It wouldn't collapse under its own weight anything that happened to walk on it or move a couple of grains would be covered in a sand cloud. Moving on top of the brain coral I landed on top of it waiting to see if any creature would come in or out.

I waited all day until the sun disappeared I was beginning to doubt whether something lived inside when I felt something bump against the coral.

Getting to my feet I watched as a large shrimp walked out of the cave it had a lobster-like body but shorter and bright green in color. The main difference was the shrimp had large eyestalks and two arms shaped like clubs that came down in front of its mouth, a memory from my past life surfaced. It was similar to a peacock mantis shrimp I knew I had to eat it if I could get it's ability to punch at bullet-like speeds I would be unstoppable.

My focus was drawn back to the shrimp as it fell into my trap, it was time to attack.