A country garden, filled with sun-spotted leaves, luscious green grass, vibrant blooming flowers and the gentle humming of spring bees. A time of life, growth and joys of a new day. A pounce, announced by the puff of a dandelion, brought the delighted twitching of white whiskers of a small, silky black and white cat. A flash of brilliant blue caught her eyes attention. A butterfly, its wings dancing against the green. In an instinctual leap, she began the chase, with her agile paws barely disturbing the soft ground. The whimsical blue guide, dancing here and there, led her past the familiar rose bushes, beyond the old stone wall and into the whispering edges of the forest. Each rustling distraction and playful bug coaxing her deeper and deeper into the dark forest. When she finally stopped, the damp earth and scent of unfamiliar flora filled her nose. Where was the comforting and familiar aroma of home? A shiver went down her feline spine. Panic set in as a knot in her tiny tummy, and began to tighten. She was lost.
Twilight mottled the sky in bruises of purples and oranges as the forest grew colder and menacing. Shadows grew longer, and unfamiliar sounds bombarded her ears. Frightening shadows darted between ancient trees, causing her blood to run cold, and a thin layer of cold sweat broke out under her fur. She darted through the undergrowth, relying on instinct to guide her, as she was driven by a desperate urge to escape the unfamiliar and lonely terror of the night. Her small body trembled when she stopped for breath. Unseen movement in the dark, whispers on the wind, all made her trembling worsen. She pushed herself onward, paws aching from effort, until she reached a spot in the forest that felt calm. As she released her tension, an eerie quite settled around her. No rustling of tree leaves in the canopy, no chirping crickets, only an oppressive and empty stillness. She noticed her breathing, thinking it sounded too loud in the silence, but hopefully having escaped the dangers of the night, it did not matter. Slowly, a weighty exhaustion settled on her, and a realisation dawned. She was even more lost than before.
The silence of the forest pressed in again. That was when she saw it. A large, hulking shadow, barely discernible against the darkness of the trees. She was in the nook of an old trees mangled roots. It was a small, vulnerable crevice and there was no escape. The large, shadowed mass of a bear became clearer, immense and shaggy, with a musky scent to him, which filled the air. Primal and powerful, he filled the space in front of her. Her tiny heart pounded furiously against her ribcage, a furious rhythm against the stillness of the night. Then, with a sudden, terrifying movement, the bear stood up on his hind legs, a colossal figure against the moonlit canopy, and let out a guttural roar that shook through the very ground.
Just as the roar resounded, a flash of red fur and sharp teeth darted from a nearby bush. A fox, startled and fleeing in terror from the mighty bear. The cat’s mind, racing with newfound trembling information, understood. The fox must have caused the sudden, eerie silence, chasing away the sound from smaller creatures, and she herself could have been its next meal. Now, a far more formidable threat loomed over her. The bear landed back down on his heavy front paws with a weighty thud, shaking the ground. The cat was overtaken by fear for her tiny life.
The bear moved forward in certainty, his massive head lowering. A rumbling breath, warm and heavy, blasted her face as he lumbered nearer. His enormous nose sniffing, taking in her scent. Then, with an unexpected, almost clumsy movement, he flopped down next to the tree. His vast body creating a crescent shape that encircled the front of the tiny cat. A protective barrier against the now unseen forest. That cat sat warily, her tiny mind wondering why this giant had done her no harm. She was, she thought, a delicate morsel for a hungry forest animal. As she thought, a profound warmth began to radiate from the bears rough fur, a comforting heat in the cold night. Her instincts, long supressed by fear, started to yearn for a cozy warm spot.
Before she could fully give in to the allure of warmth, a though emerged. The great, big, brown bear had actually chased away the fox. He had roared, not at her, but at the danger that threatened her. Could he have protected her? Surely not, he was such a formidable, stinky beast. Tentatively and against her better judgement, she crept closer to the radiating warmth. With surprising gentleness, the bears giant paw pulled her closer, dragging her over the forest floor until she was fully in his vast embrace. The bear let out a relaxing, stuttering sigh of contentment. It somehow made her feel at peace. She decided then, to nestle in and embrace the powerful warmth. It flowed through her, a comforting protection against the night. She looked around and noticed the scars etched into his thick hide, testaments to a difficult, ferocious life in the wild. Yet, here he was, encircling her in safety. A profound realisation settled in her. He was not bad. With a gentle sigh, she drifted off into a deep, peaceful sleep.
The sun, golden painter of mornings, began to streak the forest with light. Shafts of sunlight pierced through the canopy, illuminating slow dancing dust motes in the air. Curled up tightly, the cat purred softly with satisfaction. The bear, the gentle behemoth, was gone. Blinking her eyes to wakefulness, she noticed that she was sleeping in a depression of pine needles left by the bear’s once restful mass, with a freshly caught fish lying next to her. In the heart of the wild, amidst the ancient trees, bathed in the morning’s golden embrace, the world seemed beautiful again. Perhaps, she wasn’t so lost. Perhaps, she had a friend.
Waylen Ashwood 