I lie motionless on the cold stone floor, staring up into the darkness. The only light comes from the flickering torch in the hallway outside my cell, its dim glow barely penetrating through the bars in the heavy wooden door.
How many days have I been trapped in this tiny, windowless room? At first, I tried scratching tally marks into the wall to count the passing days, but my weak bony fingers belonging to a child could barely leave a mark on the hard stone. So instead I've been tracking time by the regular meals pushed under my door.
If I've been counting correctly, today will be the eighth bowl of thin, watery soup and stale crust of bread. Just barely enough to keep me alive.
My stomach rumbled constantly as it was never fully satisfied.
I was lying on the cold stone floor, lost in thought when a skittering sound snapped me to attention. Whipping my head around, I saw a massive centipede crawling across the floor towards me.
How did it get in here? There must be cracks in the walls, or, under the door.
The monstrous bug scurried closer, its antennae twitching. I recoiled in disgust, scrambling away, but it pursued me relentlessly. That's when I noticed more centipedes swarming the bowls I had stacked in the corner.
Of course - they were after the leftover sauce crusted on the dishes. And likely the remnants still clinging to my mouth and chin.
Revulsion clenched my stomach. These creatures saw me as nothing but an obstacle between them and their next meal. I had to get away.
Leaping to my feet, I rushed to the opposite side of the cell, flattening myself against the wall. The centipedes converged on the bowls, gorging themselves with sickening intensity. I shuddered. As long as I was trapped here, the cell belonged to them now.
I stare intently at the swarm of centipedes in the far corner of my cell, their long, segmented bodies writhing over one another in a seething mass. Their presence fills me with dread. As if it wasn't bad enough being imprisoned in this dark cave, now I have to contend with these venomous creatures that could attack me at any moment.
I press myself into the opposite corner as far from them as I can, watching their every movement. My empty stomach lets out a loud gurgle and I clench it with my hands, trying to stifle the noise. I haven't eaten anything in days except for the meagre scraps of food they've thrown into my cell.
The hunger pains are almost unbearable, but I force myself to stay focused on the bigger threat - the centipedes that could end my life with a single bite.
As the hours drag on, it becomes harder and harder to keep my eyes open. Exhaustion and hunger weigh down my limbs, my head nods forward against my will. But every time I start to slip into unconsciousness, I snap myself back awake, terrified that my lapse in vigilance could prove fatal.
The centipedes continue to churn and crawl over each other, occasionally venturing out in one direction or another, only to get called back by the seething mass. Their shiny black bodies glint in the dim light that filters in from the barred window in the cell door. I hate them. I hate this cell. I hate feeling so weak and helpless.
My eyelids flutter closed again and I jerk them back open, slapping my face to try to shock myself awake. But my starved, fatigued body can't hold out any longer. Against my will, my chin drops to my chest and my breathing slows as I sink into restless sleep.
My eyes fly open as I feel something skittering across my shoulder, making its way up my neck. I remain perfectly still, not daring to move a muscle even as my skin crawls with revulsion. The thing continues its march, tickling my jawline before I feel it crawl towards my ear.
That slight touch to my ear ignites my reflexes. I smack at my face, feeling a crunch beneath my palm as I make contact. Looking before me, I catch sight of a giant centipede writhing on the cave floor, its legs still twitching as its life ebbs away. Relief courses through me for an instant before fire explodes across my neck.
I clap a hand over the wound as agony radiates from two tiny puncture marks. My heart hammers against my ribs, sweat beading on my forehead. I grit my teeth against the pain but it only intensifies, searing through my veins like molten metal. I can't stop a ragged scream from tearing out of my throat.
But even as my neck throbs, a different sensation rises within me - the gnawing ache of starvation. My hunger pangs return tenfold, eclipsing the sting of the centipede bite. The venom must have triggered something primal in me because my thoughts narrow to one driving focus: I NEED TO EAT NOW!
My eyes dart around the cave, searching for anything even remotely edible. They land on a cluster of mushrooms sprouting near the wall. Hardly a gourmet meal but I'm past caring! I scramble over and start ripping them from the rocky soil, not even bothering to brush off the dirt before stuffing them into my mouth!
I hastily swallow one mushroom after another, barely chewing in my ravenous frenzy. Suddenly, I cough up blood. The fungi were toxic!
If not for these peculiar primal drives, I definitely wouldn't have risked eating those mushrooms. Now I'm certain I will die!
The hunger persists. It coils within my stomach, more forceful than before. I'm astonished that the primal instincts continued gaining control of my mind, even as the venom permeated my poisoned body.
My head shifts uncontrollably as the odd primal urges keep taking over. I frantically look around, searching for anything else I can force down.
My eyes settle on the scattering of centipedes along the cave walls. Disgust contends with desperation inside me. Could I really resort to consuming those vile creatures?!
But the venom and violent vomiting have drained my vigour. I need to eat to survive! My primal instincts whisper…
Hardening my resolve, I snatch a writhing centipede and lift it toward my mouth prior to having second thoughts. The creature's divided legs scratch and flail against my lips, injecting more venom into my body, but I tighten my jaw and bite down.
The bug's hot insides fill my mouth as I smash its body between my teeth. I retch but force myself to gulp down the repugnant bite.
The centipede's peculiar vitality seems to flow into me, dulling the vicious hunger pangs. I grab another, eating it with less hesitation.
Another quickly follows, then another. I consume every centipede I can seize, driven by primal urgency.
Finally, I sit back. The frenzied starvation has passed. I'm baffled by what just occurred. I feel sated yet also tired. My eyes drift closed.