A Squirrels Tale

This is a short story I had written while working through a writing challenge. I wanted to write about a battle between two foes, I ended up with this.

The trees were very tall and very green.  Large leaves spread sparsely across their long dark limbs.  A small gray animal ran quickly from the river’s edge and nimbly climbed the thick trunk of one of the enormous trees.  It's large dark eyes constantly glancing about for any sign of an enemy.  It was always on the lookout for predators, whether it be a hawk from the air or a wild cat from the ground.  The little creature made its way to the first level of branches and there it stopped at the base of a large branch and hunched over.  It started to convulse mildly and looked as if it were about to vomit.  However, it wasn't putrid bile that spilled forth from its small mouth.  Instead, the little creature brought forth two small acorns from folds within its cheeks.  Holding one of the nuts with its finger-like paws, it settled in and started nibbling . 

 

It was a small, but delicious  meal which it was enjoying immensely - too immensely in fact.  For in finding his joy in this humble meal, he had lost all of his worry regarding the enemy predators in the area.  He was just swallowing the first savory morsels when fear suddenly shot through him like a bolt of lightning.  For at that moment a terrifying scream fell on him from above.  The echoing scream was like the summons of death itself.  It was a hawk and it was quickly descending upon him! 

 

Unlike most times he settled down to enjoy his meals, he had not made an escape plan for such an event.  He had gotten lazy and now it has cost him greatly.   His mind went numb with fear.  Should he run up, down....jump to a branch?  The small creature started to the left...then to the right...but with the cold clutch of horror running in his veins, he was not able to think - or react.  In just two heartbeats the small creature felt the cold pinch of strong talons  sink into his soft flesh.  In another heartbeat he found himself air born - a captive at the mercy of a killer.  The hawk had strong wings and the tiny animal soon found himself rising high above the treetops. 

 

He looked around and watched his home swiftly disappearing below.  He was sad, in great pain and scared.  Hope drained from him and he knew his doom was neigh.  What else is there to do, but wait.  He was soon to be the morsel of delicious food for this hawk -  just as the small acorn was for him just moments ago.  The flap of the hawks wings and the sound of the cool air rushing over his fur caused the small creature to grow tired.  In a short while he had surrendered to his fate and there was nothing else for it, but to wait until the hawk finds its home or some other place that it would prefer to enjoy its prize meal.  The small animals fear subsided as he resigned himself to his destiny.  He slowly closed his eyes to sleep. 

 

As he started to enter the world of dreams his mind flashed back through various memories of his life.  How he loved climbing those tall trees and jumping through their branches.  It was as if, like the hawk, he too could fly.  He remembered all the delicious nuts that he made meals of and how he loved chipping away at them with his sharp teeth.  Sharp teeth?  TEETH?  Yes!  That’s it! His eyes shot open wide as he became totally alert. 

 

He did have a means to escape!  The hawk hadn't killed him so it must not have considered that the small animal had his own weapon!  His teeth! They could cut through bark, nuts, almost anything!  He could simply take a deep bite out of the talon of the hawk and it would surly disengage its talons and free him.  He looked down.  Though it was dark, he knew he was still very high up in the air.  His mind raced as he forged a plan.   It wasn’t a great plan, but he came to the conclusion that it was the only plan that might work.  It was the only one way out of this demise so he would have to chance it… and he would have to time it all just right. 

 

So with his plan in place, he waited.  The hawk flew on tirelessly as the small animal fought hard to keep the rhythmic lull of the beating wings from rendering  his eyes to heavy to keep open.  He knew that falling asleep would spell sure disaster for it would mean that he would not be awake to put his escape plan into action.  Hours seemed to pass by and the little creature soon saw the first rays of sunlight breaking the horizon.  "How far have we flown?", wondered the creature.  It had to be very far and he had no indication whatsoever  of the direction they had flown throughout the night.  He now knew that he would never be able to make his way back home again.  But he did have the chance of staying alive and that hope alone would sustain him. 

 

The morning grew brighter and he could now see the ground below.  They were still very high with clouds just above them.  He looked below and noticed that the trees were much more sparse than in his home land.  He could also see a large river snaking through the terrain below.  His eyes and ears perked up as he noticed that the river was running in the direction they were flying.  He glanced back and found that it also trailed behind them from the direction they had come. The little creature had no doubt:  they have been flying along this river the entire time!  This caused even more hope to well up inside him.  He knew that hawks have extraordinary eyesight and that the flying beast  had probably been soaring along this river the entire night.  This river! The very one that flows right next to the great tree that the little creature calls home!  He’s in a strange and distant land, but he’s not lost after all!  He knows the way home!  He just needs to escape. 

 

He continued to wait and struggled against the sleep that was fighting so hard to overtake him when, quite suddenly, the rhythmic flapping of the hawks wings stopped.  It started gliding and circling slowly.  The little creatures heart started pounding as it realized that they had started descending.  The moment of life or death was quickly approaching.  Timing was everything.  If he acted too soon he would fall to his death.  Too late, and he would not be able escape the wrath of the hawk.  He watched intently as the brownish earth and rocky hills drew closer.  A new worry filled the little creatures mind.  He had assumed the hawk lived atop a tall tree.  However, the nearby cliffs looked a likely home as any for this cruel flying beast.  His heart sank.  If it's a cliff, there will be no escape for him. 

 

However, the hawk continued to circle downward and along the inside of a cliff that ran next to the river.  Tall trees ran between the edge of the river and cliff.  The trees were not quite as tall as the ones of his homeland but they were still a very welcome sight to see.  His heart was beating even faster now and felt as if it would burst out of his chest  at any moment for he was still unable to determine their destination.  Would it be the cliff and certain death or the trees and hope?  Something in him snapped just then and fear fled from him as darkness flees from light.  His jaws and teeth ground together and he prepared to strike.  Dread no longer dominated him.  Only the pure primeval will to survive abided in the center of his being.  He would survive.  He would make sure of it.  This hawk had plucked him out of his home and carried him away from all that he knew.  The actions of the hawk would not be without recompense. 

 

Suddenly, the hawk started banking to the right and towards the cliff.  Their destination was decided.  The small creature remained steadfast in heart.  If he was going to die he would leave his mark on the hawk.  The air born beast would always remember the small creature with regret.  However, to his delight the hawk continued to bank right.  It was circling back around towards the river...and the trees!  It started to descend even quicker.  The small captive thought the hawk must be eager for its home and to relish its prize meal.  The moment was coming quickly. 

The totality of his resolve and his burning fierce anger had, in his mind, altered him from a small grey creature to a mighty beast to be reckoned with.   His heart turned cold.  His vision turned red and narrowed.  All sound faded as his entire being focused on this one event.  This one moment that would determine his fate.   He could now see their destination.  It was a large nest made out of sticks and bits of shrubs. It resided high on one of the taller trees and was rapidly approaching.  He opened his mouth wide.  His sharp teeth glistening  like tiny daggers in the morning sun. 

As the hawk glided near to the nest, it prepared to land by making powerful forward sweeps of its wings to slow it’s momentum down.   THAT WAS THE SIGNAL!  The small creature flipped it's head around and sank his long sharp teeth into the fleshy part of the hawks upper leg.  The hawk shrieked in pain.  The flying beast would have normally lowered its head and sunk its powerful beak into the neck of the small animal, thus making a killing blow.  However,  because he was in mid-landing and flying too slow, he was  unable to retaliate on the little creature.  The great hawk decided that the merciless teeth of his would-be meal gnawing on his leg was more pain than it was worth.   The hawk swiftly opened its mighty talons. 

 

The small grey animal, being released from his captor, found himself air born now and still in forward motion.  He had expected this though and simply reached out with his nimble finger like claws and caught one of the branches.  He found his legs quickly and lightly ran the base of the branch to the trunk of the tree.  "What a delight!" the small animal thought.  "The bark is even thicker than my home tree and so much easier to run down!".  

 

The little creature found his way to the trunk and quickly to the ground.  His large bulbous eyes scanned the treetops for the hawk, but he knew he was safe for now for he could still hear the hawk far above screaming in agony as it nursed it’s wound.   The little creature headed  home.  He traveled  quickly along the river, moving from tree to tree " and never again forgetting to be vigilant, even while eating the most delightful of acorns.

Author's Note

I had written this to try to describe thoughts, emotions, and thought processes while in a dire situation. Any criticism on any aspect of this story is more than welcome!

Reviews

[fiery-san]

Such a nice fable to read... Which is quite unexpected really, I don't come across fables that often...

Your descriptive style is a treasure as well, for I rarely see it in this era where people prefer to get to the point of things rather than look at the details...

May I suggest though that you put spaces after the paragraphs... one disadvantage when it comes to the descriptive style is that it get bulky and stains the eyes, hence why some use spaces after the paragraph so as not to tire the eyes... that or you could shorten your paragraphs to about two to three sentences...

Anyways, enough about the layout, it's time for the content, I liked the lesson it tells, be prepared and ready when trouble comes... never give up and fight to the best you could... Also I like squirrels, they're cute little guys...

Overall, good job. Keep up the good work and may I get to read your novel someday... ^_^