Luna's Book of Tails

Luna

Hello. My name is Luna, and I am a deer. I know, that was rather sudden, but I just wanted to get that out of the way. Anyway, I'm here to tell you my life's story, but don't worry; my life is anything but boring.

                                                                                                  *****

It all started during the early days of spring, when the air was still cold and heaps of wet snow still clung to the earth. I was born prematurely, which is basically a big word for 'I was born early'. When I was born, most deer thought I wouldn't make it. I was very small and altogether weak. However, there was one deer that never gave up on me, my mother. Nothing is like a mother's love. She was confident that I would grow up to be beautiful and strong.

I survived the cold and surprised many with my curious and wild personality. However, despite my spunky attitude, I was still small and weaker than the other children. So I was either coddled by the does, female deer, or shunned by the fawns, children deer. Whenever I needed someone to complain to, I went to my mother. She was beautiful, kind, wise, patient, and everything I wanted to be when I grew up. She would always listen and her advice would always be the same, "My little deer," she would say, "Someday you will be the most beautiful and strong doe in the forest. Until that day you must be patient."

Being patient was very hard for me, but I tired, for my mother. However, one day I snapped. I was playing out in the meadow by myself when I tripped over a root. "Oof!" I grunted as I hit the ground. As I got to my hooves, I heard snickering behind me. I turned around and saw the other fawns staring at me with evil smirks across their faces. In a mocking voice one of them said, "Aww. You poor baby, are you ok?"

I rolled my eyes, "I'm fine Amber. Thank you very much." I replied, exhausted.

"That's good. After all, we wouldn't want your boney little legs to snap." Amber teased.

I looked at the ground, slightly embarrassed and tried in vain to hide my legs. Even for a deer I was very thin. "My legs aren't boney." I muttered under my breath.

Amber lowered her head, "What was that?" She asked awfully.

"Nothing." I growled, trying to keep my cool, like my mother told me too.

Amber stood up straight and gave me a cold stare, "That's what I thought, you waste of space." Normally she stopped there, but today Amber must have been feeling especially evil, "You know, I feel bad for your mom." She remarked off handedly.

I looked at Amber, genuinely confused, "Why?" I asked.

Amber sighed, "Isn't it obvious, she has you as a child!" She cried.

Anger bubbled through my blood, "Hey! My mom loves me! She says-" Amber cut me off.

"Of course she 'says' she loves you. All mothers say that, so it either makes her a liar or just plain blind. After all, who could love you?" Amber spat, "You're small, weak, boney, and you never follow the rules set by Buck!" She continued. Buck was the leader of our heard, and he had set up rules to keep everyone safe. However, with my reckless and curious personality, I rarely followed those rules and it often got me in trouble. The other deer would complain that I was a bad influence and that I would get myself killed. My mother would defend me in public, but in the privacy of our home she would scold me.

"There are rules for a reason Luna. They're there to keep you safe." She would tell me. My mother would give me a stern and concerned gaze and I would always feel so horrible. I would apologize and promise to be better, but by the next day I would forget my promise and get in trouble again.