cornucopia

It was just out there. I leapt at the chance. Anyone would have. Tail squirming in delight. Around and around.

It was out there, a light over it. The exhaust was running. It was kind of humid. Not too hot. Just the right kind of temperature.

It was out there, it smelled delicious, I could hear the yeast bubbling. If you were just close enough, you could hear it. Frothy. Fizzling. Like a well shaken bottle of a fizzy drink.

It was out there, it smelled delicious, I leapt at the chance.

I was gobbling away, when lo and behold, the gods from above decided to send me a cornucopia. There was acidic tangy flavor, there were spices, there was salt. There was cheese. The last was teeming with beautiful, beautiful snacks. My eyes were wide, my stomach swollen. The hunger had not abated. It had been a while since I had forged myself. It had been a while since I had had any sort of acceptable meal.

The lights were shining bright on me, I could see them through the red gauze of tomato sauce. Then the giant lifted the tray. I kept slithering through my food, digging holes, consuming all the chattering, bubbling yeast I could find. Who knew when I would get such a meal next. This was incredible though. It was pretty phenomenal.

The heat struck me first. Then came the noise. A sliding, a whoosh of hot air, as if tumbling out from a container. Different kinds of lights, these weren’t coming from above but from the horizon. I slithered onwards. Food was the only thing on my mind. The air was hot, and kept getting hotter. I could hear some metallic sounds, knob, knob, something being turned. The yeast sighed in sweet relief, right before I gobbled down on it. I hit a block. The ground beneath me was not like the one it had been before. I touched it tenderly, with the tendril of my tail, it was hot. It felt painful. I withdrew my tail with a snap, looking woefully at the burning end. That was the first sign. I didn’t think too much of it. I kept eating. The yeast had fallen silent, as if in reverent awe. Inspired by divinity. Prostrating in silence. I kept eating my way through. It was hard, the dough was starting to get harder, starting to turn into walls. I strained more and more with every passing minute. Food. I must get food. A groan. A creak. A splash above me. The solid cheese was starting to turn into liquid. That was the second sign. A small drop of cheese dropped right next to a hole I had made, blocking my exit. No matter. I could make another one. But that was the second sign. Before the third could come, I was burnt alive. I hadn’t noticed how hot it had become. My heart stopped.

It had just been out there. The dough. I had leapt at the chance. Hunger and greed had led to me becoming an unwelcome, unknown ingredient in the pizza.