The Smell of Copper

Word Count: 628

      The smell of copper.  It made his skin tingle and saliva run from his lips.  The intoxicating aroma drew him closer to its source: a human corpse lying on the cold, steel floor of the corridor.  Even in the dark he could practically see the body, for its scent was so deliciously strong.  Dissent had erupted amongst those on the ship since he had broken free from his prison.  Dissent led to fear. Fear made the humans turn on one another which resulted in lovely gifts such as the one before him.  He had instigated it all by killing the male in the cargo hold and leaving a husk devoid of the precious internal organs, then a female who had strayed from the remaining group into the engineering bay. 
         His hunger was endless; a painful gnawing at his stomach that had begun the moment he had awoken.  The humans were perfect cattle, their fragile minds housed in soft, savory bodies.  He relished his good fortune as he tore into the belly, the flesh tearing like wet tissue paper.  The body was still warm and surprisingly so.  Steam rose from freshly exposed bowels and filled his nostrils with the smell of hot, bloody meat.
         A curiosity came to his mind, one that seemed to wave a flag to his dark intelligence.  He paused in his feast to inspect the corpse more closely, using his tongue to feel along in the darkness.  There was only one wound on the body: a single, jagged cut that ran from one side of the man’s neck to the other.  He licked up the still-wet blood around the wound then continued his post-mortem examination. The sensitive nerves on his tongue found no bruising on the flesh. No abrasions.  No other marks of any kind.  The man had been killed without a fight. 
         He raised his head and flared his nostrils, inhaling deeply, but all he could smell was the wet, warm aroma of his feast.  In the darkness, his poor vision was useless and the sound of liquids and gases passing through the pipes overhead was all he could hear.  He took a step back from the body and sniffed again, but found himself still overwhelmed with the scent of blood.
         A faint vibration in the steel floor registered in his mind a moment too late as pain shot through one of his hind legs.  He screamed out, a hideous howl that reverberated through the corridor as he lurched forward.  His right, rear leg responded clumsily and sent flashes of burning pain through his body as he tried to flee.  The tendon had been severed making the leg useless and painful to stand on.  As he pulled himself down the hallway with his powerful front legs and the remaining rear one, he cast his head backwards and inhaled.
         The predator was human, though its scent was faint.  The smell of blood mixed strongly with that of sweat and human skin.  The human had covered itself in the blood of its kill to mask itself.  Such ruthless cunning sent a shiver through his spine.
         The human threw itself on his back and the blade used to sever the tendon of his leg dove into his neck.  It bit deeply, the burning pain gradually replaced by a numbness which spread and made his whole body seize.  He slumped to the floor with a low groan that turned into a gurgle as the human threw its weight down on the blade, opening his throat.  The human climbed off, leaving him in the darkness upon the cold steel floor, just as it had its previous kill, the one used as bait.
         A warmth crept beneath him, spreading from his neck towards his mouth.  Once again, he smelled blood.