Bolt's 'Antidote'
(This story is for the Disney movie, 'Bolt', and starts at the part when Bolt is really hungry for the first time.)
_ Bolt's 'Antidote' _
By: BrentonDeja
* * *
Bolt gripped his midsection with his arms as it gurgled in protest, and exclaimed, "What is that?!"
Mittens had backed up to a safe distance after the dog had flipped out over the Styrofoam. She had already been questioning the dog's sanity after being tied to him by his leash and all of the other crazy babble he spouted, but now she was slightly concerned, as he seemed to be in pain. Staring at him uncomprehendingly, she asked, "What?"
Another gurgle rose from Bolt's stomach, and he replied, "That!" He fixed Mittens with a glare that was a mixture of anger and desperation as he demanded, "All right, you've got two seconds to tell me what you've implanted in me, cat! Poison? A parasite? Poison?" He frowned, "No, wait, I already said that, didn't I... See, I'm all discombobulated! I can't think straight!"
Mittens' concern quickly faded as she sighed to herself, "I don't believe this..." She looked at the dog and spoke forcefully, hoping he wasn't too crazy to understand, "You're hungry."
Bolt looked confused, "Hungry? No no, I've been hungry before, but it's nothing like this."
"When's the last time you ate, hmm?" Mittens asked. "Probably been at least a day or two, right? Maybe longer? You're just really hungry. You need food, that's all." She half turned away and muttered, "Can't believe I'm having this conversation..."
The cat seemed sincere about this; Bolt wondered if she was telling the truth. He hadn't eaten since before he and Penny made the raid on the green-eyed man's fortress; in trying to track her down, he hadn't stopped to find anything to eat. He felt his stomach rumbling, and he realized that all he could think about was food. The cat was telling the truth, at least this time.
The cat... Bolt had never spent this much time in a cat's company before. As he looked at her, his stomach rumbled again, demanding food; he was so hungry, he could eat anything. His nose began to take in her scent, and instinct was telling him that the answer to his problem was right here. He got back to his feet and sniffed the air again. Mild as it was, the scent of the cat was captivating, and he began entertaining thoughts of... He shut his eyes and thought, You're crazy, Bolt... C'mon, get it together, focus...
Mittens frowned and walked up to him, "Hey, are you listening? You just need food, and since I do too, I can help you find it, all right?" When the dog didn't respond, she added, "Dog?"
"Please, just..." Bolt replied, without opening his eyes. "Just, gimme a minute..." He tried to think about other things; it was all he could do to keep himself still. He tried to think about Penny, about the green-eyed man, anything but this cat.
"A'right, that's it," Mittens said. "Snap out of it, already." She didn't get a reply again, and this time, she slapped him across the face with her paw, "Snap out of it, dog!" Bolt was taken aback by the sudden slap, his eyes flying open. He growled and snapped angrily at her paw, clamping his teeth on it for a moment and drawing blood. Mittens yelped, pulling her arm away and retreating to a safer distance, grunting, "O-ow! All right, I'll give you a minute, fine? Crazy mutt..." She coddled her paw, examining it to make sure the bite wasn't too bad.
Bolt felt a bit ashamed at first for snapping out like that, and apologized, "I-I'm sorry, I..." A moment later, he caught the taste of blood in his mouth, the flavor seeping across his tongue. It was delicious, and he wanted more. He never before considered the idea of eating anything aside from his usual food, let alone another living creature. It felt so strange, but at the same time, so enticing. His stomach growled louder, and he decided enough was enough. He glared at her and continued what he was saying before, "I'm sorry, cat. I'm sorry, but I have to do this..."
Mittens looked up at Bolt when she noticed he was approaching her slowly. "What?" she said, alarmed. "Have to do what?" The dog didn't say anything, but she didn't like the look in his eye. She started to back away, but he anticipated this and slammed a paw down on the leash, jarring her to a stop. Stunned, she exclaimed, "Y-you stay back, you hear me? I've, ah... ah, I've got claws! You stay back, or I'll..."
Before she could finish the thought, Bolt pounced on her, pinning her to the ground. She yelped again, cursing herself for the bluff not working. "What are you g-gonna..." she started to say, but then the dog reached down, sinking his teeth into her shoulder. She let out a loud cry as he pulled away, tearing a bloody chunk of flesh away with him. She was in a panic now, trying desperately to struggle and get free, but he was far too strong, and she wouldn't have been able to get far anyway due to the leash.
As Bolt hungrily gulped down the chunk of flesh, he immediately started to feel bad about it. This isn't right, he thought... I'm a hero, and this doesn't feel heroic at all... At least it was a cat, a degenerate creature of darkness; that made him feel a little better; at least it would mean one less evil creature in the world. It wouldn't matter soon anyway, as the taste of the raw flesh and blood was so overwhelming that it was rapidly replacing all doubt with a sense of euphoria.
Mittens couldn't believe what was happening to her, but the pain in her shoulder told her it was very real. The dog finished with the chunk he had removed, and she stammered, "N-no, c'mon, l-let's just talk abou-wwww!" She was cut off as the dog bit her across the chest, feeling his teeth crushing against her ribs, and with another tug some of them were ripped free, tearing her chest and midsection open. As the pain shot through her, she wailed loudly and gasped for air, no longer being able to muster the strength to struggle.
Bolt was even more satisfied with the second bite than he was with the first. It seemed like every part of the cat had its own unique flavor. He was suddenly seized with a desire to try them all, to see which ones were his favorite. The cat was trying to talk him out of it, but he was beyond caring. She was no longer a cat; she was just a meal now. He spotted the various organs inside her midsection, laid out like a buffet, and hungrily dove in after them next.
It was apparent now to Mittens that the dog was no longer listening. Her heart was beating loudly, pain shooting through her with each beat. She could still see and feel what he was doing, watching his jaws clamp into her belly and grab hold of something. His head lifted back up, jaws dripping with blood and a string of intestines dangling from them. The dog looked so pleased, gulping down the organ with zeal as she sobbed and pleaded, "P-please... no more... s-stop..."
As Bolt enjoyed his newest prize, he glanced down at Mittens' face, looking into her tear-filled eyes, and for a moment, part of him wondered what he was doing. How could he make anyone suffer like this? He was a hero! Granted, it wasn't the first time he had killed... Dozens of the men in black working for the green-eyed man had fallen to his powers. So why did this feel different? Every time his thoughts drifted, though, they were quickly overpowered by the sheer pleasure of the taste of cat meat. It put the unpleasant thoughts out of his mind, at least for now.
The pain never seemed to subside; Mittens could barely utter a sound anymore, and prayed she would pass out or something to bring it to an end. She wished she had never helped this dog, that he would have just dropped her from the highway overpass during their first encounter. At least then she would have had a quick, semi-painful death getting hit by a car, instead of this. All she could do is watch through teary eyes as he pulled free another chunk of some organ she didn't recognize due to all the blood. He gobbled it down and then leaned forward, casting a shadow over her face as he bit her chest again. She could no longer feel the painful beating of her heart, and realized that it was because it was no longer attached to her. The last thing she saw was the dog chewing on her heart before mercifully she lost consciousness at last.
After Bolt had his fill, he sat back, cradling his belly and letting out a burp of contentment. As he gradually came back to his senses, he looked over at the eviscerated corpse of Mittens, blood pooled around her body. He looked down at his own blood-soaked fur and felt regret for what he did. He wondered if Penny would be ashamed of him, or if she would understand it was to survive. Unfortunately, it wouldn't matter since without the cat he no longer had anyone to lead him to the green-eyed man, and therefore no way to find Penny.
That's all right, he suddenly realized, with a slight smile... There are plenty more cats out there...
_ THE END _