22
Renesa Farewell Edition 2021
Nice to Meat You Written By: Sumant Singh Dangi Illustrated By: Anusree Anilkumar
“As far as I can see, the ground is covered by trees, bushes, and dense leaves. What the hell happened last night?”
Ahhh, why is everything so bright? I groan. My eyes flutter open but instantly shut back to a close as they’re flooded by an angry beam of sunlight. I shield them with my hands and sit up straight, wincing as my head starts pounding. How late did I sleep in today? This is the 13th class I’m missing this semester. Harish sir will kill me. Expecting to feel the familiar plastic case in my fingers, I reach behind me for my phone. Third lecture must have started by now. Instead of my trusty phone, I touch something furry. “Squeak-SQUEEEEAKKK!” My eyes shoot open as the shrill squeaks of an animal pierce my ear. I watch in utter disbelief as a very terrified squirrel scampers up a nearby tree, squeaking as if he’s dying. What in the world is going on? I look back down at the place I was lying just a minute ago, fully awake now thanks to that adrenaline rush. No pillow, no bed. There are just
leaves and twigs there. I swerve my head around on both sides, my heart pounding against my chest. “Hello, is anyone there?” I bellow. I am answered by the chirps of a few birds. The sunlight is piercing through the canopy, illuminating a few sections of the ground. As far as I can see, the ground is covered by trees, bushes, and dense leaves. What the hell happened last night? All the memories seem so foggy. I groan again as my stomach rumbles loudly. I can’t remember anything from yesterday. I check my pockets for my phone. Maybe I left it there. My pockets are empty too. What do I do now? A sinking feeling sets in my chest. There’s no use sulking. I need to figure out where I am. With nothing but the clothes on my back, I set out to scout the area to find something useful. After walking around in what seems like circles for 20 whole minutes, the
rumbling in my stomach becomes unbearable. I’ve looked everywhere. No water, no fruits, no berries, no mushrooms. There’s nothing around to eat or even drink. I collapse on a large rock, devastated. I’ll never find my way back home. I start weeping. My emotional breakdown is interrupted by a series of loud grunts. I look up to locate the source of these strange sounds. In the distance, I see three little pigs walking around, grunting nonchalantly. My stomach growls again, much louder this time, and I wince in pain. I’ve never had pork in my life, but the prospect doesn’t sound too bad right now. I think back to all those Man vs Wild episodes I watched as a kid and ask myself, “Is this a sign?”. Maybe Bear Sensei was preparing me for this moment. I’ve never eaten a single animal in my life (my entire family is vegetarian). But right now, I don’t think that matters. My extreme hunger and primal hunting urges kick in, egging me on to take this decision.
