Old Frank carried Salty the Third down a stone-paved path and into a low, flat building.
The interior wasn’t exactly a sight to behold.
It had some basic fixtures, but the walls were speckled with peeling white paint, giving the place an undeniable air of desolation.
The floor, however, was spotless, looking as though it had just been heavily scrubbed.
The layout resembled a long corridor.
Large, square windows lined both sides, utilizing thick, transparent glass to separate the indoor walkway from the outdoor enclosures.
Old Frank carried the baby crocodile to the first glass pane on the left, right near the entrance.
Old Larry was already standing there.
He seemed deep in thought, holding a thick permanent marker and a blank wooden plaque.
“What are you doing?” Old Frank asked.
“I was thinking,” Old Larry muttered.
“It is fine for us to call him Number Three since we are family.
But what if we actually get tourists in the future?
I have to put on a bit of a professional show.”
“You are way too much trouble.”
Salty the Third ignored Old Larry’s antics.
He focused his attention on the enclosure behind the thick glass, taking in the sights of his future home.
It wasn’t massive, perhaps measuring sixty by sixty feet.
The area near the back wall was mostly flat grass, dotted with a few scrawny saplings in the corners.
A small man-made lake sat right in the center of the exhibit, featuring a tiny island in the middle.
A fallen, hollowed-out log served as a makeshift bridge connecting the island to the shoreline.
The island itself was covered in smooth pebbles of varying sizes.
For some inexplicable reason, those rocks looked weirdly appetizing to the baby reptile.
“Done.”
Old Larry grunted in satisfaction.
He capped the thick marker, admiring the bold black letters on the wooden board.
He quickly hung it on the chipped concrete wall right next to the viewing glass.
[ Titan ]
“Chirp!”
I want this!
I definitely want this!
Salty the Third squeaked in excitement.
His little claws dug lightly into Old Frank’s fingers, giving the older man a slight scare.
“Oh, look at that.
The little guy approves,” Old Larry said, a smug smile tugging at his lips.
Old Frank was far less amused.
“Doesn’t that just prove your first name for him was absolute garbage?
Whatever.
Forget the sign.
The little monster looks hungry, so open the door and let me toss him in!”
It was painfully obvious that Old Frank was terrified of Titan biting his hand off.
The absolute second Old Larry unlatched the heavy iron access door, Frank unceremoniously chucked the baby crocodile onto the grass.
Thud.
The iron gate slammed shut.
Titan lay frozen on the lawn, blinking blankly as he looked left and right.
Hey, where did my personal transportation go?
The baby crocodile turned his head toward the massive glass viewing window.
The two middle-aged men were peering through the glass, watching him intently.
After contemplating his current situation, Titan opened his jaws as wide as he could, trying to signal that he was ready for dinner.
“Oh man.
This guy seriously wants to eat me,” Old Frank muttered, stepping back slightly.
He nervously wiped his hands on his trousers, watching the baby crocodile breathe heavily against the glass.
“Hurry up and grab the long feeding tongs,” Old Larry instructed.
“Right, right.”
Old Larry didn’t feel threatened by the little guy in the slightest.
Based on the baby’s initial instinct to flee when picked up, he clearly had an avoidant personality.
Animals like that were usually the easiest to handle.
They generally had good temperaments and rarely went out of their way to hurt people.
The baby reptile and the two old men stared at each other through the thick glass.
Eventually, Titan grew bored.
He snapped his jaws shut and looked away.
Maybe I should go take a dip and explore?
His golden eyes shifted toward the small, artificial lake.
He pushed off the ground with his four stubby legs, lifting his belly off the dirt while dragging his tail behind him.
He slowly lumbered toward the water’s edge.
Left front, right back.
Right front, left back.
Perhaps his brain was still slightly scrambled from that past-life bullet to the head.
Titan’s walking rhythm was incredibly abstract and uncoordinated.
Dragging his heavy tail, he finally reached the edge of the lake.
He lowered his head, fully intending to admire his own handsome reflection in the water.
Instead, he completely misjudged the distance and dunked the very tip of his snout directly into the pool.
…
I seriously doubt I was ever a crocodile in my past life.
Titan’s clumsy maneuver sent ripples cascading across the surface of the lake, entirely ruining his reflection.
However, the water was significantly deeper than he had initially estimated.
The lakebed didn’t slope down gradually from the island.
It dropped off like a sheer cliff.
Fortunately, the shoreline extended just below the water’s surface, ensuring his short, stubby legs could still easily climb back out.
Alright, not too bad.
Titan eagerly slid into the water.
He instinctively began to undulate his body, sending fresh ripples across the previously calm surface.
Swoosh.
To his utter surprise, the entire process was remarkably smooth.
A crocodile’s first swim was incredibly intuitive.
Aside from needing a little extra effort to turn his body, gliding through the lake was basically identical to lying completely flat.
It required practically zero energy.
With a focused thought, Titan tucked his head down and fully submerged himself.
A tiny splash flowered on the surface of the water behind him.
He didn’t instinctively squeeze his eyes shut.
His body automatically reacted to the moisture.
A nictitating membrane instantly slid across his eyes, acting as built-in goggles that allowed him to see the entire underwater environment with crystal clarity.
The only issue was the strange sensation of water flooding into his mouth.
That was definitely going to take some getting used to.
Gurgle.
Titan let out a low, bubbly growl beneath the surface.
He opened and closed his jaws, playfully snapping at the water.
His long, flat tail swayed gently side to side, propelling him down toward the concrete bottom of the pool.
This is actually pretty fun.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
The sudden, sharp sound of metal striking metal echoed through the water.
It was accompanied by human shouting, though the thick water completely muffled the words.
“Dinner time!”
Titan immediately broke the surface, popping his tiny head out of the water.
With his dark green scales slick and wet, he looked exactly like a piece of dead driftwood bobbing in the lake.
Old Larry stood on the grass just inside the iron gate.
He carried a plastic bucket in one hand and wielded a long pair of metal feeding tongs in the other.
“Come here, buddy,” Old Larry called out with a warm smile, setting the heavy bucket on the ground.
He used the long tongs to fish a thick chunk of meat out of the bucket.
He extended it gently toward the water’s edge.
Drip.
Drip.
The fresh meat still bore traces of raw blood.
That metallic, primal scent instantly hijacked Titan’s senses, awakening a deep, long-suppressed hunger within his tiny body.
He practically scrambled ashore in two steps, suddenly realizing he hardly even needed his feet to propel himself out of the water.
Old Larry relaxed his grip on the tongs, allowing the bloody chunk of meat to drop onto the grass.
He subconsciously took a half-step backward.
Thankfully, Titan skidded to a halt the absolute second he reached his prize.
Snap!
Titan tilted his head slightly.
His razor-sharp baby teeth lunged toward the meat.
However, a crocodile’s unique eye placement created a massive blind spot right in front of his snout.
He completely missed his first bite, snapping at thin air.
Adjusting his aim, he bit down again.
Blood coated his jawbone.
The chopped meat slid past his tongue and straight down his throat.
The sensation of his stomach filling up was immensely satisfying.
After savoring his first meal, Titan looked up at Old Larry.
He plopped down on the grass and opened his jaws as wide as he could, patiently waiting to be spoon-fed again.
“Heh.”
Old Larry chuckled softly.
He used the tongs to grab a second piece of meat, dangling it right above Titan’s gaping maw.
This time, however, the old man didn’t drop it.
He seemed intent on waiting for the baby crocodile to bite the meat and tear it away himself.
Huh?
Titan didn’t quite grasp Old Larry’s intentions.
Wasn’t this guy just scared a moment ago?
Why was he suddenly holding his ground?
Regardless, Titan rose up slightly on his front legs.
He lifted his head and gently clamped his jaws around the dangling meat.
Instantly, Titan’s pupils contracted to vertical slits.
When a gentle tug failed to rip the flesh free, ancient, primal instincts violently awakened within his bloodline.
That’s right!
It was time for the signature move.
The Death Roll!
Whoosh!
Startled by the sudden movement, Old Larry immediately let go of the tongs.
Without any resistance to anchor his spin, Titan’s awakened bloodline maneuver came to an abrupt, humiliating halt.
He barrel-rolled aggressively on the spot, flipping entirely upside down.
He landed flat on his back, his head pressed into the dirt, with the chunk of meat still stubbornly clamped in his jaws.
Titan squirmed furiously.
His stubby little legs kicked straight up into the air, swaying wildly left and right.
No matter how hard he wiggled, he simply could not flip himself right-side up.
Oh no.
Guys, I’m stuck like a turtle.
“Hahaha!”
Old Larry managed to keep a straight face, but Old Frank was an entirely different story.
The man was standing outside the glass enclosure, laughing so hysterically he was gasping for breath.
Not even the thick, soundproof glass could fully block out his sinister, mocking cackles.
Titan glared upside down at the window.
He seriously wondered if there was a deep, fast-flowing river near Old Frank’s house.
Just asking for a friend.