• I froze, ears alert, eyes darting across the damp, green forest floor. The smell of death was in the air. I crept silently up the trunk of a mighty oak tree and waited to see if the predator was still there, planning every minute, ready to attack. The thought sent shivers down my spine. I flattened myself across the branch I waited on, and listened for any sound of life in the dead silence around me.

    The only common predators in this forest are foxes, owls and occasionally wolves, but something told me it was something much more sinister. I wrinkled my nose as a musky smell met my nose. Did this new creature hunt squirrels, such as me?
    I was so focused on figuring out whom or what the stranger was I didn’t sense something else approaching me.

    I nearly jumped out of my skin as a blue jay flew onto the branch I was on. I relaxed, relieved knowing a blue jay was no more danger than a pinecone. Paying the bird no more attention, I decided I needed to figure out what this strange thing was doing in my woods. I followed the smell hesitantly until I found the source of the stench.

    Careful to hide myself, I observed in horror as a huge towering beast, holding some sort of long black stick pointed it at a rabbit. The beast only had two legs and was staring unflinching at the rabbit. The rabbit, quite far away and unaware of this new beast, sat nibbling on some green leaves. An earsplitting bang filled the crisp morning air, scaring me half to death, much more than the unexpected blue jay.

    I sprinted away as fast as I could, but not fast enough to avoid seeing the now dead rabbit’s body go limp and lifeless.

    Since my first instinct was to get as far away from danger as possible, I ran until my feet ached. I stopped to catch my breath, but the cool moss that oozed beneath my paws was enough temptation to rest for a bit.

    After I calmed down and was positive that there was nothing unsafe were I was, I found a nut and begun cracking it open. A million thoughts were whirling through my head, each one as terrifying as the next. Did this two-legged thing eat squirrels? A thought frightening enough to make me want to find out.

    The thing must have poor hearing, if it didn’t sense me coming. After all, I was pretty close to it. So, tentatively I raced retraced my steps back to the place of the rabbit’s death. As I approached I realized that even though the same smell of the monster was here, it was stale. That meant the monster was gone, but in its place another smell wafted through my nose. The smell of dead rabbit.

    It was one thing to hunt and kill for food, but to leave the prey there in the open for anyone to see? If he was coming back for the rabbit he should have buried it. That was when a dreadful thought filled my mind, what if this monster hunted for fun, and not food? And even more… who was his next target?

    I was exhausted and scared so I decided to go back to my comfortable tree hollow.
    Once I got there I snuggled up in my warm, cozy moss (that felt heavenly after what had happened). I got lost in my thoughts and eventually drifted off into sleep.
    When I awoke in the morning I felt rejuvenated and ready to figure out the mystery of the two-legged monster. I wandered around the forest trying to pick up the musty smell I remembered all too much from the previous day. Just when I thought the monster might have gone back to his own home, I picked up a faint trace of his smell.
    Slightly disappointed, I followed it until I came to the peak of the stench. I looked through the brambles in front of my trying to catch a glimpse of what the beast was doing. To my astonishment there were THREE monsters! All two-legged and carrying long sticks. Suddenly the forest felt hard and cold instead of warm and welcoming.
    I crept up further toward the group of monsters and felt dry eaves crinkle under my feet. I flinched at the sound hoping the monsters couldn’t hear it. As I got closer I saw one of the monsters point his deadly stick at a small squirrel many trees away. The squirrel was nibbling on a nut and did not realize the monsters were creeping up on it.
    After a split seconds hesitation I bounded in front of the monster pointing at the squirrel. Bang! I dodged around zigzagging through the bushes. The other squirrel obviously heard the earsplitting sound and dashed away. I ran and ran in every direction possible until my feet were so sore I could run no longer.

    Apparently there were more monsters than I thought, and probably more than I saw! I had to get away from here. Somewhere far, far away where no one can hurt me. Then it was decided, in the morning I would change homes find somewhere more suitable where I didn’t have to live in danger everyday. I was, of course, in no state to even walk that distance so I made my way back to my tree hollow and slept until the birds began to sing again.
    My paws were still tender in the morning, but I had no time to waste. There was only one other forest I knew of. Through the forest, past the fields and over the river, lies my ultimate destination. My mother used to tell me stories about it. It was exhausting just to think about how far away it was, but I had to do it.

    I set off through the forest that no longer felt like my home, at a steady pace, since I could sense no danger nearby. Thankfully I got through the forest alright. But now I was at the edge of what seemed like a never-ending field of tall plants. I snaked my way through them, as a sinking feeling spread throughout me. I’d never been this far away from the forest before.

    I pushed the thought from my head and scolded myself silently. That was no longer my home, I was going to a new, better place.

    The fields proved easier than I thought which was perfectly fine with me. Though it took a long time and I was quite famished afterwards, I was proud of myself.
    Once I saw the river I hurried over to it as fast as I possibly could, forgetting about my hunger and fatigue. I drank deeply and nibbled on some plants growing near the rivers edge. It didn’t fill me up very much, but across the river I could see dark trees waving in the wind. I found a shallow place in the river to cross, and shook myself dry.
    Though I was still hungry, once I got into the forest I decided to find shelter first, then food in the morning.

    I found a vacant tree and settled down to once again rest after a long day.
    I woke up feeling happy and content. Just as I was about to gather some food, I heard the sound I never wanted to hear again. A sound that haunts me to this day.
    Bang!