[ WP ] An animal ( bird , stray cat , bug ) witnesses an execution .

Fleeting life, constant thirst. Larger creatures are oases of sanguine sustenance. Chemical signals waft in the hot summer breeze. Attracted to the hot, moistened skin are first the few, then the many. Land with a whisper. Lift off again; violent thrashing disturbs the ritual. The large, hairless creatures often swipe away the voracious thieves. Not this time. This creature is higher off the ground than usual. This first confuses the winged feeders, but not for long. Fly up. The thrashing slows. More sisters follow the chemical signals and land on the deliciously exposed torso, on the swollen neck and face. 
 
 Alight softly upon the cheek. Ease the syringe into skin, carefully, with a bump of numbing saliva. The pulse is strong. Hot blood flows through the capillaries, dilated and ripe for feeding. Draw the blood meal. A sudden final thrash; take to the air. Return once more, this time on the neck. The pulse is slowing; inject more saliva to aid the flow. The creature now slowly swings with the gentle breeze. Finish the meal, uninterrupted. Satisfied and filled with sustenance, lift off, borne away with the wind.
