Lightning wasn't enough of a warning for the booming thunder that followed with how close the storm was now. Right overhead, it seemed, though Clam hadn't caught where the bolt had struck. Still, the crashing thunder hurt his ears and he pressed them back against his head, a quiet snarl on his lips as if he could scare off the raging storm. Springtime was nice because the winter chill and snow slowly left, freeing up the lake to fish from, bringing back the plants and smaller animals to the forest that didn't seek shelter over the dark months. But it also brought storms like this that kept Clam awake through the night. Bothersome to say the least.Another growl left him as he felt water start to drip on his rump. His little den was nice for when it was mild, but now that torrential rains were pouring down the loosely packed roof was leaking terribly. He was already pushed back as far as he could go into the little root den that had been made when a large rock had tumbled down the hillside and into the lake, leaving behind a very nice cavern for Clam to call home. But with the way the rains were coming down and the water was streaming by on the hillside Clam knew this would probably be the last night he'd spend here. The roof would be ruined unless he tried to rebuild it but in his experience it was usually better to simply find a new home.
Another flash of lightning and almost simultaneous thunder made him jump, his lean body pressing against the roots at his back as his hind end continued to grow damp. Even if the storm blew over quickly there was no way he'd be sleeping tonight. Blue eyes peered out through the driving rain to the lake below where whitecaps broke over the bay, the wind whipping the waters. He knew beneath the waves it would be calm and the animals that lived there hardly cared about the storm raging above and he wished for a moment to be like his namesake, a clam huddled in the muck below the water, oblivious to the noise and welcoming the wet.
Huffing softly, Clam tucked his nose under his paws to try to block out the wind and rain that was slowly soaking his fur. The mud beneath his paws made him whine softly, thinking about how long it would take to get it all out of his fur. A quick bath would set him to rights but after being wet all night he knew it would be a real effort to willingly get wet again tomorrow morning.
The storm did roll over, though it lasted longer than Clam wished it to. But eventually the lightning was distant, the thunder was a low rumble, and the torrential rains gave way to a light sprinkle that slowly abated, the leak in his roof stopping. Clam let out a slow breath of relief and shut his eyes as he tried to get some sleep, knowing tomorrow he'd have a lot of work to do if he wanted a safe place to sleep again.
WC: 532
