Part of the food chain

When: During the first night on the planet

I’m with Jay
Naked
Gazing up into his eyes
Our gasping rhythm builds and our sweat mingles as I breathlessly cling to him
I’m close...
Digging my nails into his back
I’m…
So...

Light suddenly blazed, burning ever brighter, until all Cass could see was a brilliant, stark whiteness, which in turn faded to nocturnal shadows almost as quickly as it had appeared and leaving her lying startled, but fully clothed and alone in the tropical undergrowth

Sitting up, Cass stared in perplexity around her surroundings, feeling frustrated and utterly, utterly cheated – She had been enjoying that!
What the smeg had just happened?
She was down on the planet in the jungle, but where was everyone else?
A crunching blow from behind ruined her skull and dashed bone and brain out across the dead leaves on the floor, pitching her over sideways to sprawl in the dirt amidst her own pooling blood
Paralysed and impossibly still conscious, Cass felt herself roughly manhandled and hauled over onto her back, her immobile eyes staring up at Jaxx’s hideously grinning visage as one of his huge hands dipped into her broken skull to scoop out a ruined handful of her brain which he stuffed with glee into his mouth
She couldn’t move!
The shriek of horror welling inside her couldn’t get out!
Jaxx licked his lips with an inhumanly long, black tongue and grinned
The last thing she saw was his gaping maw, replete with an array of vicious teeth, descending towards her...

“Mmmph!” Cass jerked awake, dazedly scrabbling upright and gazing in déjà vu tinged confusion around her unfamiliar, starlit and leafy surroundings, wondering where the hell she was
“Shit...” she breathed, her adrenaline fuelled, wildly hammering heart, gradually slowing as she took in the slumbering forms of her compatriots, realisation of what had just happened, slowly dawning “Shit...”
Another smegging nightmare!
Taking a deep breath, Cass let loose a long low sigh
Just another bad dream
Shaking her head at her foolishness, she dug into her jacket pocket to drag her cigs out and light one with shaking hands
Just a dream...
“You alright?” Alex asked in a low voice, making her jump – She hadn’t seen him sitting watch in the dark at the edge of the encampment
“Mmph” Cass shrugged and tossed him the cigs and lighter “Bad dream” she murmured
“Yeah, I figured” he replied, his face briefly illuminated as he lit a cig “Wanna talk about it?”
Cass caught the cigs as he tossed them back, and looked away
“Not particularly” she sighed unhappily, slowly shaking her head
“Suit yourself”
They smoked together in awkward silence for a few moments
“Alex...” Cass began suddenly “Look...”
“Quiet!” he hissed, suddenly on his feet, his long rangy body a pale flash of white in the moonlight
“What?” Cass mouthed, but he waved her silent
“Hear that?”
Listening carefully, Cass shook her head
“Exactly - Everything’s gone quiet, even the insects!”
They both started at the sound of a branch snapping nearby, Alex wheeling in the direction of the sound, his eyes searching for any sign of movement out in the undergrowth as Cass gingerly stepped over the slumbering bodies to begin trying to shake Jay awake
She could hear something big, breathing out in the undergrowth...

<tag>
What’s hiding out in the undergrowth?
How big is “big”?
What happens?
</tag>