#writephoto: The Lookout

My contribution to Sue Vincent’s #writephoto for this week…

The moss covered arch provided the perfect lookout post. He hunched his body down, feeling the greenery tickle his chin but this was no time to laugh. Enemies were everywhere and his job was to warn the others. He knew he might not make it out alive, but he was no coward. He would stick to his watch until the very end.

Soon the soothing sound of the fast water running beneath him lulled him and he dozed. A whirring overhead snapped him awake and he looked up in fear. But this time, all was okay, it was just a bird off in the distance. Sometimes his acute hearing was more of a curse than a help. He breathed easier and settled back down. It could be hours before his replacement arrived.

A cool breeze flowed around him.  He relaxed, enjoying the sensations against his skin. He wasn’t like the others. He had never cared too much sun, just enough to wake him from his sleep was all he needed. His many relatives loved to bask (and bake, to his mind) in the brilliance and warmth. he might be different, but he loved his family and would give his life to protect them.

The afternoon rolled forward into the coolness of dusk and although it impaired his vision, his other senses were heightened. It had been a quiet watch, no signs of an enemy, but dusk was the time they were most apt to strike.

His eyes closed as he yawned and tried to stretch without giving away his location-

The hawk swooped in and flew off with the lizard in his mouth, proud of the dinner he could provide his family.