Coiling mists rise above a forest thick with shadows. Air heavy with moisture claws through the dewy leaves obscuring the creatures that hide within. Heavy smells of decay and rot slink through the inner workings of trees heavy with fruit, so plentiful in this place the animals gorge themselves to fulfillment and still don’t finish scouring one tree in a day. However, for what the shadow forest gives it expects far more in return for its generosity. Like most forests, this one allows not one exception to pass, for the laws of nature kneel to the power of tooth and claw. Heads bow to the clap of lightning and the roar of thunder thumping in the beats to a war drum in our breasts. So let us never forget! Never forget the lessons we have been taught in that ancient darkness that now lies dormant in our breasts! Cry! Cry! Cry-out and when you listen to hear any reply darkness will be your only answer in the deep.

A beast squeals and spits breaking the silence of the thick morning air. It’s course brown fur is covered with smears and streaks of dirt and muck. Hooves and tusks scrape at a tree trunk–spraying hunks of bark to the forest floor. Above cowers the creature responsible for the beast’s ire. It happened upon the beast’s nest and escaped into the tree to avoid it’s angry stabbing.

Time does not exist in this world of chaos. Only the rise and fall of the sun is noticed for fear that it will never return and relief when it does. For the darkness brings, larger beasts that can creep comfortably then feeding loudly until the return of the light. Therefore, the only way to tell the passing of time for the quivering creature in the tree is the pain of hunger. It is not as mobile in the trees as some of its fellow forest dwellers. It does not have wings to fly or claws to fight. Nor does it have fangs to bite or arms for swinging from branch to branch. And so, it waits and waits while the beast below ruts and scrapes unable to let the matter drop.

The sun is at its highest making the forest rise in temperature creating a suffocating sauna affect. The trapped creature perspires and rests on a branch, dehydrated and exhausted from hunger. A screech and whirl of flapping wings starts the dozing animal. Searching, it does not see the beast and begins to climb down to find food before the light disappears again. It has been too long since the lanky animal has had meat and instead could only scavenge for eggs, roots, and some rotten fruit from the forest floor. Meat and fat were needed to keep up energy, which was in short supply.

The instant the long limbed animal touched its toes to the leafy ground the waiting beast charged through the bushes breaking branches in it’s path.