Random Poems and Short Stories

Second Young Author's Entry (from this year)

There was no reason for Eaton to attempt it. Amunet was going to die, and there was nothing he could do. Her muzzle was lying upon her meager paws, waiting. Her frail bones ached from the cold atmosphere invading the thin walls of the rocky cave. His heart was pounding inside his chest, and he felt like his stomach was going to crawl out his throat. Pain welled inside him as the thunder roared louder than his ears could bear.

Lightning flashed on the outsides of his eyes as the clouds engulfed the lunar. Praying for her life, he lied right beside her the whole time. Her breathing coming in short gasps, she rolled over. She was trying to ease the pain in a different position. The pain in her chest was beginning to make her lightheaded, but she said nothing. He already had too much to worry about. Her pain was his pain. The rain pelted at his ebony fur. Where was the sun when she was most needed?

There was his hope, but he blinked too fast to see it. Her life flashed before her closed eyes. Her only hope was that she could open them again. Hours crawled by as he waited. She had to make it through this. They had made plans to get away from here, but if she doesn't live... he did not want to think about it. Maybe there was the slight chance she could recover.

"If I don't make it through this, I just want you to know something. I've always wanted to die in the snow. It means that I'd go to Heaven. I think it would mean the world if they knew where I went," Amunet said as she licked behind his ears. This was the hardest thing he had ever done. Hopefully, there would be one survivor.

Her growl turned into a moaning squeal as the climax of the storm hit the cave. Her pain was the worst yet. He paced the perimeter of the cave; he knew nothing about what he could do to save her. Glancing downward, Eaton saw the first pup. Immediately, love flashed in his eyes. The second one will be more painful. The first pup’s pelt matched his own ebony black one. The little one begged for milk, but his mother did not have time; the second pup was here. The second pup looked identical to her mother; white. Licking their pelts dry, he glanced at Amunet. She was barely alive.

“You made it,” he said as he watched Amunet lick the pups’ pelts clean. Their eyes were still closed. She urged them to nurse, as any mother would. He decided to scout the area for a few weeks, just to insure they were safe.

“I’ll return to bring you food every day, alright?” He asked as he exited the cave, fully aware of the dangers he has put his new family in to. He did return every day with meals, but the one day he missed, he’ll never forget.

He returned nearly four weeks later to find Amunet’s chest still, her body cold. Tears ripped his eyes as he realized what had happened; she was gone.

“Mommy has not said anything for a while. I think she’s sleeping too much,” the back pup with grey eyes said as he paced around his mother. Eaton immediately carried them down the steep incline; He had to properly bury their mother. Glancing around him, he saw the first snowflakes of winter spot the grass. She had died the way she wanted, he remarked.

After the grave was finished, he placed her into it. Why hadn't he done anything? There had to have been something he could have done. He hadn't even told her that he loved her! Why should she have lost her life for him? Filling the grave with soil, he looked at their pups. The snow now covered about a half an inch; up to the pups' noses. One by one, he carried them up back into their birth cave. He licked them dry before speaking.

“I hope that you are looking down on these pups, Amunet. I give you the names Fallen and Saviour. I hope that you understand what this means," he finished as he laid his muzzle lightly upon their shoulders. Fallen, the black pup, looked directly at him. The hunger in his eyes shined. Eaton decided to leave and try to catch some small prey, hoping they could eat it. It was hard for him to leave them unattended, but survival was his main concern at the moment; he made sure they were asleep before he left.

Bringing back a small rabbit, he tore it into little pieces. Fallen ate the meat with no trouble, but Saviour had her difficulties. She choked the piece out, and refused to eat it. Worry shined in Eaton’s eyes as he made desperate attempts to get her to eat it.

"Please Saviour, eat it. You're the only things I have left to live for!" he howled as Fallen chewed up Saviour's piece. He then spitted it out. "Here you go, Try to eat it now. Maybe it won't get stuck this time," Fallen mumbled. Saviour tried to eat the pre-chewed meat, but it didn’t work so well. Coughing fiercely, she spit it out; she looked around franticly.

“I’m sure there is something Father can do for you,” Fallen stated as he paced the cave. Inside his young mind, he searched for answers. There had to be some way to save his sister!

“She doesn’t talk or hear very well,” Fallen stated as he paced the cave, hoping his father would have a way to save Saviour.

About a month later, Fallen was sharing his piece of prey with his sister as Eaton was searching for more prey.

“Here you go,” Fallen said as he ripped some meat off. He was growing quite fast.

“Did you say something? I see your mouth moving, but I can’t hear you!” Saviour squealed.

"Saviour, hey pal. Look at me,” Fallen said calmly. He wagged his tail. Saviour did not move.

“Why can’t I move?” Saviour cried, fear evident in her voice. Truthfully, no one knew.

Their father had good timing; Fallen reported what had happened, and Eaton tried something.

“Can you hear me?” Eaton asked, but Fallen already knew the answer. It was not surprising when his sister did not react.

“We’ll have to kill her,” Father stated. Saviour saw his mouth move, but there were no words. She saw Fallen raise his tail to his neck, and he moved it swiftly in a slicing movement; this meant her death.

“Am I going to die?” Saviour asked, knowing she couldn’t hear the answer. She was as good as dead. Why had her mother had her? There was no hope for her.

The next morning, Fallen awoke to find Father and Saviour gone. Panic rippled through him. There was a half-eaten rabbit beside him, which was coated with his father’s scent. Where was Saviour?

He decided to eat the rest of the rabbit as his father limped inside the cave, breathing heavily.

“Where is she?” Fallen asked, knowing that his father had chased her off or worse, killed her. He snarled his words.

“She ran off…” his father lied.

“Are you sure?” Fallen interrogated him. Fallen was intelligent enough to be able to tell that his father was lying straight to his face, despite his young age.

“Positive,” his father answered, licking his paws. “Son, you know I did it for –“

“You ran her off to make your life easier! Forget I was even born!” Fallen growled as he left the cave; he didn’t look back to see the tears in his father’s eyes. He really tried to save her, but he couldn’t take care of Fallen with her as a burden. It was true though, these were remarkable pups.

Many moons later, Eaton perched on the hanging rock above his den. Gazing at the night sky, his ears pricked at a familiar howl. It sounded like Amunet’s, but it was significantly younger sounding. It did not occur to him that the howl could be Saviour’s. He was unaware that his son had become the leader of the first wolf pack in the area: His daughter had regained her hearing by eating some type of herb. She was serving her pack as deputy.

Fallen had made a life for himself and the pack. He and his mate Sierra gazed up at the same sky. Her white pelt sparkled as they soaked in the moon’s light. Fallen knew that his father was out there somewhere, but part of him did not want to find him.

Sierra wrapped her tail around his, “Hey, you’ll be fine. He didn’t want you to die. That did not give him the right to send Saviour off though. Just push him out of your mind.” Somehow, Sierra’s blue eyes were not that reassuring. His father would find them again.