(no subject)
Title: A Bird's Calling
Characters: Younger Prussia
Notes: The forest was large as it was wide, a sea of trees and a world of wildlife as big as the heavens above.
The opening to the crowded forest seemed to call to him, and he stepped forward towards it. The house he had left was small enough for three, cows glancing out from their spots in the pasture to give him a friendly moo. The house itself was the place he didn't want to be. Didn't think he deserved to be there. His father and brother were inside, being happy without him there. He took one glance over his shoulder as he neared the woods (hoping that maybe, maybe someone had noticed his leaving), and walked through into the dark wonderland.
Shades of green blinded his vision as he got used to the surprisingly dark forest, the one his father had always warned them monsters lived there. Boldly, he strode farther into the forest than he and his brother had ever adventured together. He knew where he was going, he had found a spot he knew neither of them would look. If they cared enough to look for him. He crossed his arms as he sat down on the old stump he had found in the woods, moss creeping up the sides of the bark to where he sat, a comfortable pillow.
The sounds of birds chatting to one another high in the treetops caused him to look up, and silently he wished he could be a bird too. So he would be able to fly where he wanted to, away from the things that hurt like how the birds did when the coldness came creeping into their nests, stealing away any hope of survival for the birds that were not used to the climate. A sudden urge to see the flying animals sent him jumping from the stump onto a low branch close by, and he scrambled up to the highest point he could get to, looking out over the forest and was struck in awe by the enormousness of it, giant in its life and size. Tucked away in his heart was a feeling of utter aloneness, dread seeped into his mind.
He didn't know the way home.
The sun, which had once been high in the sky at the opening of the sun, was now dropping low under the treetops, casting an orange glow to each leaf. He scampered down, suddenly afraid of the wild beasts told as warnings against sneaking into the forest. Images of giant bears and wolves snuck into his mind, sticking themselves in so snugly he couldn't push them away. When he reached the bottom of the tall tree, he ran to where he thought he had come in from, the twilight twisting the memories of the flight into the forest before the sun had set, and everything seemed to change. the trees that had once looked so inviting now scared him with sudden shadows creeping through them, and he pushed onward, looking for any sign of light.
A tree reached out towards him and he bolted away, tripping over his own feet and curling tightly as the forest around him seemed to laugh at his existence. Look at how weak, how pathetic this one is! it cried out, reaching for him and pulling away. He pushed himself to his feet and ran, shoving past shrubs and dodging trees. Then he saw a light. It burned brightly as two figures, one tall and the other small, stood by it, watching the forest's entrance. He broke through the opening and ran into the giant's arms, biting his lip in an effort to keep the tears from falling. The smaller of the two was picked up as well, and he held on tight to his older brother, tears wetting the fabric he wore.
Later that night, as he was curled up between his brother and his father, the boy who had run away into the forest forgot exactly why he ran away from a family that, though unwilling to show it, loved him very much.
Characters: Younger Prussia
Notes: The forest was large as it was wide, a sea of trees and a world of wildlife as big as the heavens above.
The opening to the crowded forest seemed to call to him, and he stepped forward towards it. The house he had left was small enough for three, cows glancing out from their spots in the pasture to give him a friendly moo. The house itself was the place he didn't want to be. Didn't think he deserved to be there. His father and brother were inside, being happy without him there. He took one glance over his shoulder as he neared the woods (hoping that maybe, maybe someone had noticed his leaving), and walked through into the dark wonderland.
Shades of green blinded his vision as he got used to the surprisingly dark forest, the one his father had always warned them monsters lived there. Boldly, he strode farther into the forest than he and his brother had ever adventured together. He knew where he was going, he had found a spot he knew neither of them would look. If they cared enough to look for him. He crossed his arms as he sat down on the old stump he had found in the woods, moss creeping up the sides of the bark to where he sat, a comfortable pillow.
The sounds of birds chatting to one another high in the treetops caused him to look up, and silently he wished he could be a bird too. So he would be able to fly where he wanted to, away from the things that hurt like how the birds did when the coldness came creeping into their nests, stealing away any hope of survival for the birds that were not used to the climate. A sudden urge to see the flying animals sent him jumping from the stump onto a low branch close by, and he scrambled up to the highest point he could get to, looking out over the forest and was struck in awe by the enormousness of it, giant in its life and size. Tucked away in his heart was a feeling of utter aloneness, dread seeped into his mind.
He didn't know the way home.
The sun, which had once been high in the sky at the opening of the sun, was now dropping low under the treetops, casting an orange glow to each leaf. He scampered down, suddenly afraid of the wild beasts told as warnings against sneaking into the forest. Images of giant bears and wolves snuck into his mind, sticking themselves in so snugly he couldn't push them away. When he reached the bottom of the tall tree, he ran to where he thought he had come in from, the twilight twisting the memories of the flight into the forest before the sun had set, and everything seemed to change. the trees that had once looked so inviting now scared him with sudden shadows creeping through them, and he pushed onward, looking for any sign of light.
A tree reached out towards him and he bolted away, tripping over his own feet and curling tightly as the forest around him seemed to laugh at his existence. Look at how weak, how pathetic this one is! it cried out, reaching for him and pulling away. He pushed himself to his feet and ran, shoving past shrubs and dodging trees. Then he saw a light. It burned brightly as two figures, one tall and the other small, stood by it, watching the forest's entrance. He broke through the opening and ran into the giant's arms, biting his lip in an effort to keep the tears from falling. The smaller of the two was picked up as well, and he held on tight to his older brother, tears wetting the fabric he wore.
Later that night, as he was curled up between his brother and his father, the boy who had run away into the forest forgot exactly why he ran away from a family that, though unwilling to show it, loved him very much.