A Taste of the Deep

The air in the cavern was thick, carrying the damp, earthy scent of things long undisturbed. Kelly’s stomach rumbled, a hollow ache that echoed the gnawing worry in her heart. Her cubs, usually a boisterous, playful bunch, were subdued, their young bodies huddled close to her flanks. The soft glow of the phosphorescent moss, which had initially seemed so wondrous, now only served to highlight their isolation. They had eaten the last of the meager berries they’d carried with them, and the thought of their hunger was a sharp pang.

She nudged Milly, who was curled beside her, her small head resting on her mother’s fur. “Are you still hungry, my little one?” Kelly’s voice was a low murmur, a comforting sound in the vast silence.

Milly’s tail gave a weak thump against the cave floor. “A little, Mama.” Her eyes, wide and dark in the dim light, were fixed on her mother’s face, seeking reassurance.