A gray wolf lounged contentedly on the shore, stretching out his paws and sighing in delight as the sun warmed his fur. The air buzzed with the chatter of distant birds, and the rhythmic hush of the waves lulled him into a peaceful state. Nearby, a crab scuttled past, ignored by the wolf in his blissful reverie.
A massive white pelican, eyes sharp and beak gleaming, swoops down with astonishing speed. Before the wolf can react, he is scooped up in her cavernous beak, the world spinning as he is jostled high above the coastline. The wolf’s yelp is muffled by feathers and the echoing chamber of the pelican’s pouch.
"Let me go! I’m not your usual catch!"
"Hush, little morsel. You’ll make quite the meal for my nest."
With a deft tilt of her head, the pelican empties the wolf onto the coarse tangle of her nest. The wolf’s legs wobble as he struggles to stand, the dizzying drop making his stomach lurch. Nearby, two curious pelican chicks peer at him, their beady eyes hungry and unblinking.
The pelican opens her beak wide, attempting to maneuver the wolf down her gullet. She gags, her throat stretching but refusing to yield. With a disgusted shake, she spits him out, feathers scattering and the wolf landing in a heap, dazed but unharmed.
"Guess I’m not quite bite-sized,"
"No, but I have ways to make you fit," she replies, her eyes narrowing with resolve.
The pelican grips the cleaver in her beak, testing its weight. The wolf scrambles backward, claws scraping on the nest, but there is nowhere to run. The air crackles with tension as the pelican advances, her shadow looming over her prey.
"Wait! Surely there’s a better meal than me!"
"Nonsense. I’ve never let a feast escape," she croons, raising the cleaver high.
A hush falls over the cliff as the deed is done. The pelican, satisfied, arranges the neatly portioned pieces for her hungry chicks, who chirp approvingly. The waves below crash endlessly, indifferent to the drama above, as the sun dips lower, painting the sky with streaks of crimson and gold.
