It was like any other day this week in the swamp had been; hot, muggy, and gross. Shadow Lark could feel his fur clinging to him in damp patches. He was irritated because he hadn't been able to find any of his favorite food, the little blue berries that grew on thorny bushes. The buck knew of several spots where they grew, but all the patches he'd found were barren. Already eaten. There were none left for him.
He supposed he could eat other things. He'd grown to like flowers. Sweet, little buds were his favorite. But he had really wanted those blue berries! He stomped loudly as he stormed through the swamp. He was probably disturbing other wildlife, but found that he didn't care. No berries. No berries, no berries, no berries! What ELSE was he supposed to eat?
Up ahead he spied something shiny and blue on a thorny plant. Could it be, a patch of berries that he'd missed? He could admit that it was possible. He wasn't a great hunter. He tended to get distracted. Especially when he was distressed. It had been almost an entire week since he'd heard the voice, and the voice appeared most when he was stressed. Like now. When there were no berries to be eaten.
Shadow Lark nudged the bush with his antlers, hoping to shake some berries loose. He gave a startled grunt as a shiny, blue beetle landed on his face, and with a squeal he shook it off. His heart racing, he searched the ground for it, hoping that it was okay. So he hadn't seen any berries. Just the shell of a very bright bug.
Stupid, stupid, stupid! He sniffed the ground for berries, but found none. The patch wasn't even home to any blue berries. They were the little, sour red ones that he didn't like.
[to be continued...]
