It began with an eye.
Blinking first with a thin, translucent haw, the eye proceeded to close all the way. When it opened, the pupil constricted under a harsh beam of light, revealing the yellow aureole of an iris. The eye darted back and forth rapidly, alert as hell. It was not a human eye. Aside from the flaxen ring that surrounded the dark pupil, the pebbly quality of the skin around the socket was a dead giveaway that the creature was a reptile.
Only, it wasn't a reptile.
The creature moved closer to the rim of her small enclosure, staring out at the men who were scurrying to and fro. One worker got too close. The creature shrieked angrily, startling the wide-eyed man. He turned to his superior, who gave him new orders. The creature snarled.
And then she was moving. The dry, raspy sound of sliding metal filled the air as the cage was pushed by a dozen men. They leaned forward, grasping the side bars with white knuckles. The creature remained silent as the enclosure creaked shrilly and collided with another object. There was a metallic buzz, and a colored light appeared in front of her. The men stepped away from the cage. Their chatter was replaced by the sound of footsteps, which clattered up one side of the enclosure and stopped on the roof. The creature stared up at the source of the noise and began to purr with thought. Soon, the front wall lifted, and there was a clear path into the jungle.
It wasn't long before the creature worked out their ruse. Although she was facing dense foliage, it was not an open forest. The ground was too flat, and a white wall was visible through the pinnate leaves. Even so, an opening was an opening. It just needed to be moved to a more convenient location.
With a furious roar, the creature charged in the opposite direction, slamming herself against the back wall. The crate slid away from the deceptive gate, and something landed in front of her. She grabbed it. When it began to howl in pain, the creature realized that she had snagged one of the workers. She pulled him back, but he resisted. Then, electricity began to snap at her sides.
In the chaos that ensued, the creature's prey was grabbed by another man. He tugged fiercely, shouting instructions to his staff. For a split second, he made eye contact with the screaming monster. In that brief moment, she knew that she had won. Digging her claws deeper into the worker's flesh, she dragged him into the abyss.
Then, giving in to the crackling bolts of electricity, she collapsed and closed her yellow eyes.