[mature] (Open) The Macabre

[Kradle]

I don't feel enough for you to cry
here's a lullaby to close your eyes

The morning air was damp and chilled, the Sun, having just awoken, was peaking over the mountains. Its light gently fell over the tops of the trees; however, did not yet reach the ground. Closer to the dirt, fallen leaves, and pine needles, darkness still lingered ever so lightly, not fully engulfing the forest, but reluctant to let the night slip away, leaving room only for the soft blue hue of the early morning.

The thick forest was still and silent, save for the occasional rustling of branches and the morning song of a stray bird. The young avian flew low, staying close to the lower branches and dipping close to the ground here and there in an attempt to grab its breakfast. As the bird landed upon a low hanging branch, something within the shadows shifted. The morning dew seeped into the fallen leaves, making them soggy, which in turn caused them to produce less sound as the figure drew near.

Unaware of the mysterious creature lurking behind it, the bird returned its attention to its hunger, twisting its head this way and that, settling its gaze upon a struggling beetle before quickly swooping towards it, deftly snatching it from the ground and returning to the tree. A movement nearby caused the feathered creature to cock its head in confusion, peaking into the shadows of the foliage. The shadow had moved again, this time sinking behind the bushes. Tense silence hung in the air for a few minutes before the bird decides there is no threat, and wastes no time feasting on its catch, quickly cracking open the fragile exoskeleton and beginning its breakfast.

At this time, loud thumping quickly makes its way towards the corvid, a dark blur descended upon it, sharp teeth hastily snatching their prey. The peaceful atmosphere was broken by loud screeching, accompanied by the frantic flapping of dark wings, and black feathers flying out from the carnage and falling to the ground. The struggle did not last long, there was a sickening crunch and a final weak cry from the avian before its blood stained body hit the forest floor, joining the feathers it had lost in its battle. One by one, sharp teeth retreated back into the body of their owner, leaving behind equine teeth of average appearance. Blood and scratches now covered the soft velveteen muzzle of the predator.

He stood over the body, his black coat almost as inky as the furthest depths of the forest surrounding him. Morning was already here, and the Sun had risen more now. Time was of the essence, so he began making short work of the corpse below him. Teeth gnawed and gored their way through warm, twitching flesh. Tendons and connective tissue ripped and snapped as he violently pulled at his meal, yanking his head upwards with each bite to effectively rip it from the bones hidden beneath. Violent whispering barraged his ear drums as the carnage progressed, and as much as he tried desperately to ignore them, the mixture of dead words and his own uncontrolled spasms caused his meal to take longer than he had hoped. Soon enough though, the mangled carcass of the bird was little more than bones and dirtied, scattered feathers. Finished with his meal, the stallion finally lifts his cold eyes from his victim and scopes the area. It is getting even brighter now, and it was time for him to slip back into the dark of the foliage, covering himself in their shadows and darting around the beams of light that had begun to flaunt their beauty around him. Silence fell once again, but he did not travel far.

Kradle