A Mother

I don’t know why it came so close to my babies but I had to destroy it. I was full of fear but did not show it. I couldn’t, for the sake of my two little ones and for this colourful and unusual intruder. I felt flustered, I had not seen, heard or smelt this thing and as a result was angry at myself. I stepped toward my little ones to rush them to safety, but quickly understood retreat was not the answer. I turned back to face the threat and I saw shock in its pale face, as well I should have because I bounded toward it with such strides that I closed the distance between us in seconds. So fast that I soon realised I was closer than I wanted to be. I turned away at the last second, hoping my size would intimidate it and it would defer any ideas it had of attack. I knew I was kidding myself, the creature stood firm yet still held some fear in its beady little eyes. I myself was terrified, I ran again, this time I couldn’t stop. I must attack. I was closer to it than before when suddenly my eyes felt like balls of fire in my skull, my throat like dry sandpaper and my nose forced shut, little air could pass through it and if it did it burned deeply. I shook the pain away, I had to. After thrashing my head from side to side I could see a smudge of colour through the lens of water in my eyes. I tried to focus. I scanned frantically to see my two little ones, I couldn’t see them. The creature was still standing there, it seemed to be shouting something at me in its peculiar noises. It was a monotone sound although I could sense, with my one sense that hadn’t been crippled by this monster, that it was trying to mask its fear. I had shaken it. I had gained an advantage, as my mother always taught me to do. I had to finish the job. What if it did whatever it had done to me to my little ones? They would not understand this pain and I would not know what to do to help them. They are so new to this world, I must protect them. I ignored my lack of vision, forgot the agony in my nose and sprinted at the creature again. With every breath I drew through my nose came a flood of pine needles digging into my nasal canal. I put my head down and shut my eyes at the same moment I had been attacked before, at the last second I lifted my head and bounded through the creature. I knocked it over, it was lighter than I thought it would be and felt soft. I saw shapes fall off it in all directions, one looked like a short, stubby branch but had the colour of blood. A similar shape was blue like the sky and that exploded with water on impact with a protruding rock. So much happened so quickly. But the creature was down, and lay still. Had I succeeded? Has the threat been eliminated? I didn’t know. I walked over to its body and placed my foot on its back. My weight was much greater than the beast under my foot and as I pressed down upon it a bizarre sound was released. I drew my claws down its back and managed to pull away a section, but there was no blood and it didn’t feel like any flesh I had ever touched before. I shook it to the side and tried again, this time I saw its flesh peel back under my claws, so easily. Easier than the hide of a deer. More like a salmon. The creature howled like a wolf. It was still alive! I leaned down and enclosed my jaws around its head, I was surprised as to how much skull I could get into my mouth, I chomped down, my bottom tooth getting caught in what I think was its ear. It tore away with ease as I stood and turned back to my little ones. I saw them, finally, halfway up a spruce tree. Good girls, just like I had shown them. The creature lay still aside from a small twitch from its foot. I had experienced this before with deer, it was nothing to worry about. My smell had returned somewhat and I noticed from the part I had discarded emanated an overwhelmingly good smell. I tore at it, it was harder to pierce than the creature's skin. Inside were scraps of some food. Nuts with berries and also a strange concoction of flavours. Flavours I’d never tasted. I walked to its head again and rolled it over, it rolled back lifelessly. I felt accomplishment but more than anything relief. Relief that my little ones had gone unharmed and I had kept them from the danger of this beast.

I’d only ever once seen a creature like this from afar when we were ambling on the other side of the mountain. As soon as I knew that was its territory I gave it a wide berth, hoping it would give me the same courtesy, as is the way out here. I had always been so cautious with my little ones in tow and had never known what they were capable of. I’d heard ear-piercing sounds from its territory and witnessed it move across water and speeds faster than I could swim. Now, after this, it makes me wonder, perhaps I was wrong to be cautious at all. I feel I overestimated these strange beings. I wonder what I can take from them. Winter is coming, and I will need to fatten up my little ones before we head into our den for the winter. These creatures have a den of their own made of oddly stacked trees in the heart of its territory. I wonder what’s inside.