Short Stories

Tragedy Of The Commons

 Rise oh moon for it is time for the wolf to howl.

Time for the sky to be filled with his mournful song.

The wolf is awake, roaming and longing for your light to show him the path.

- Infant Pheonix

    Far away from your town, far away in a green gown. It used to hide innocence and acceptance beneath the sign reading 'Forest of Silentium.' Nowadays, the land constantly struggles for balance. Let me tell you a tale about the lives that were permanently changed by one animal.

     Most of the days were the same in the forest. Small rays of light and heat escaped through the leaves of the trees dressed in moss and birds sang songs to the light-blue sky with next to no clouds. The wind gently blew, commanding the grass to move left and right, and front and back.

Animals played in the trees and in the grass that surrounded their homeland. A squirrel happily chased butterflies while avoiding the curled up hedgehogs. The grass snake would speak just to see how the wood mice and rabbits ran away from him. Alongside them was, as always, the green lizard, anxious to show them who was the fastest runner. The sparrows, lapwings and woodpeckers danced and sang, switching from branch to branch, from tree to tree. The boars tried to seduce a cunning red fox and no matter how many times they got rejected, they kept their high hopes.

There were some days when the clouds gathered on the sky and shed tears upon the land. Its vegetation would release a strong scent in the air, geosmin to be precise, and accept the offerings from above. Some animals retreated under an old oak tree or in their nests. Others hid in underground burrows. From out of nowhere, snails, as slow as they were, moved around the forest. The grass snake slid around them in circles - that being his only time to play with the spineless creatures. The grass disturbed by him was the only thing audible next to the sound of raindrops falling on the ground. Once it had stopped raining, a few animals returned to their activities. They were the ones that haven't already fallen asleep due to the weather. The birds were surely to stay in their nests.

All the animals lived in harmony. No one judged another just from their aspect or behavior. They all believed in equal treatment among each other, whether it was about the smartest or the dumbest, the strongest or the weakest... until one night.

     Everything was engulfed in a dense fog. The full moon managed to pierce through with fragments of light beams. Nocturnal beasts crawled from their sleeping state. Hedgehogs were more active that time of the day. They grew more courageous to explore the land. Bats flapped their little wings in their search for food. Insects enchanted the forest with their serenades. Owls flew and sat on the branches of the old oak tree.

Out of nowhere, a grey wolf crawled from its burrow. He climbed up on the tree and released a howl, resonating in every corner of the forest. The owls screeched and flew away from the oak tree, except for one. One bird was unable to flap its right wing as it was wounded. The wolf picked up its scent and climbed further up the tree, reaching it. His eyes turned crimson before he ate the bird without any struggle. The wolf then released another howl, resonating faster throughout the forest. Some may say it met the noise he made not long ago.

The hedgehogs were too scared to move and instead curled up in their defensive form. One of them was so clumsy and hasty, he wounded himself. The wolf picked up its scent, descended from the tree and sprinted towards the hedgehog. His eyes turned crimson and he spoke the following: