The Last Look

“Come on, Moon, it’s time to hunt.”
Sunrise went first to check if there was any danger. Moon tried to go before Sunrise had said the coast was clear. Sunrise forced her back and said, “Wait until I say!”
He looked right, left, right again and then said, “Clear, lets go.” They sniffed for a good meal.
They sniffed and sniffed until Moon said, “Rabbits! 200 million of them!” They set off south, the first direction toward the rabbits. They turned west. Moon had a strange feeling that a person was watching her, she turned sharply, there was no one there. She continued to walk. Five minutes later they turned north-west.
They started to walk slowly and cautiously so they didn’t make the rabbits run off. Then they stopped. Moon went around to the other side. Next, they both nodded at each other and pounced. The rabbits separated and went everywhere. Sunrise caught two, Moon was a bit unlucky she only caught one. They ate a rabbit each then tore the last one in half.
Crack. A twig broke. Moon and Sunrises’ heads whipped round. They could see no one so they continued to eat.
Sunrise said, “You know this is a good life, just you and me. If you went missing, there would be no one else who could replace you.”
“Yes no one could ever replace you,” said Moon. It was sundown. Their paws slowly took them back.
BANG! “ What was that?” said Moon. “I don’t know,” said Sunrise. “We better go cautiously,” Moon said. They walked more slowly. At the slightest crack or rustle they would turn, even if it was just an innocent bird or leaf falling.
Their hearing seemed to be much better than before. They made it halfway to their den, no trouble. They started to relax. Suddenly, out the corner of Moon’s eye she saw a big black shape move towards them. But then it disappeared.
She thought it was nothing but it put her on guard. They were almost to their den when, Bang! The hunter had revealed himself! A man big and tall with a face like the sea on a stormy day. He wore big heavy clothes. The man charged.
He quickly took another shot, missing by inches. The two dingoes were running but, unlike the rabbits, they ran together. The man took one, two more shots at them. On the fourth, he grazed Moon’s side. The two dingoes hid behind a bare tree. They couldn’t hear the hunter anymore. They looked around and, Bang! They looked back. The hunter was standing there big and bold.
The time the bullet took to reach Moon was so long for Sunrise. Moon looked at Sunrise. She knew her time had come. She had one last look at Sunrise, before the bullet hit her. The last look that Sunrise had with Moon, he felt like his whole world was going to end. Sunrise laid down beside her.

Zoological Writing Competition winner Years 4-6