12-02-2020, 12:20 AM
Pearly foam from the turquoise sea tickled his nose, stirring him from a deep, dreamless slumber. Black, tiny specks of sand fell in a sheet when he finally stood up, and as he turned a very slow circle to try and figure out what part of Tephra he had woken up in, he gave a small, confused whimper. This could not be the same place where Mama Isilya had already taught the young sapling so many things at Elementree school like: walking, running, growing, laughing, and loving.
However, this place was still very beautiful, he thought, once he had rustled enough courage to pass the strange wooden things that looked as though that had bits and pieces purposefully carved out of them. Grove felt unstable as he considered that these sticks with faces might come Alive and try to grab him, but that was plain crazy, because he was a horse and horses are stable animals. Yet for the sake of safety, and just to be sure, he gave the totems a wide breadth of space as he moved beyond into the waiting flora, enthralled by the rainbow striped tree that he resembled so closely.
Limbs feathered with rainbow colored leaves reached for him, and grazed his back and shoulders as he gawked beneath them. Vines and brambles hung low to the ground along his chosen path; if he wasn’t careful, he knew that he could easily get caught or tangled there. Not unlike the poor creature that thrashed madly about just up ahead.
It’s coat was long, wavy and curly in some parts, and glowed from its brilliant white coat. Aspects of certain areas on the creature most closely resembled a whitetail deer: the angular face, the cloven hooves, and antlers as sharp and pointed as the toe of a winklepicker. Ears long and floppy like a lop eared bunny framed the wolfish lips that pulled back to reveal a set of equally wolfish teeth. Regally, a thick mane like a lion’s protected it’s neck, and travelled along its top line where it ended in what looked to be a tail also similar to a wolf’s.
<b> “Fuhflah,” </b>Grove said as he stepped closer to the panting animal, giving it a name reminiscent of the glowing fireflies that his Ma had taught him about back home. Whatever the Fuhflah had been doing, it had gotten trapped in doing so with vines wrapped snuggly around his antlers so that he couldn’t free himself.
Snarling, it made a show of wanting to remain undisturbed, but Grove forced himself to ignore the fear that was steadily rising in his chest. Daringly, and very slowly, the boy made his way to the Fuhflah’s crown, speaking soft sounds between chewing and grinding the vines until there was enough slack for the creature to break the rest of his binds on his own.
Quietly, they stood there for a moment gazing at each other, until their frantic breaths slowed and steadied, <b> “S’ok, Fuhflah.”</b> Maybe, with any luck, the beast might know he could trust him now, and better yet, maybe be able to help him get back home to Tephra and to his mom.
However, this place was still very beautiful, he thought, once he had rustled enough courage to pass the strange wooden things that looked as though that had bits and pieces purposefully carved out of them. Grove felt unstable as he considered that these sticks with faces might come Alive and try to grab him, but that was plain crazy, because he was a horse and horses are stable animals. Yet for the sake of safety, and just to be sure, he gave the totems a wide breadth of space as he moved beyond into the waiting flora, enthralled by the rainbow striped tree that he resembled so closely.
Limbs feathered with rainbow colored leaves reached for him, and grazed his back and shoulders as he gawked beneath them. Vines and brambles hung low to the ground along his chosen path; if he wasn’t careful, he knew that he could easily get caught or tangled there. Not unlike the poor creature that thrashed madly about just up ahead.
It’s coat was long, wavy and curly in some parts, and glowed from its brilliant white coat. Aspects of certain areas on the creature most closely resembled a whitetail deer: the angular face, the cloven hooves, and antlers as sharp and pointed as the toe of a winklepicker. Ears long and floppy like a lop eared bunny framed the wolfish lips that pulled back to reveal a set of equally wolfish teeth. Regally, a thick mane like a lion’s protected it’s neck, and travelled along its top line where it ended in what looked to be a tail also similar to a wolf’s.
<b> “Fuhflah,” </b>Grove said as he stepped closer to the panting animal, giving it a name reminiscent of the glowing fireflies that his Ma had taught him about back home. Whatever the Fuhflah had been doing, it had gotten trapped in doing so with vines wrapped snuggly around his antlers so that he couldn’t free himself.
Snarling, it made a show of wanting to remain undisturbed, but Grove forced himself to ignore the fear that was steadily rising in his chest. Daringly, and very slowly, the boy made his way to the Fuhflah’s crown, speaking soft sounds between chewing and grinding the vines until there was enough slack for the creature to break the rest of his binds on his own.
Quietly, they stood there for a moment gazing at each other, until their frantic breaths slowed and steadied, <b> “S’ok, Fuhflah.”</b> Maybe, with any luck, the beast might know he could trust him now, and better yet, maybe be able to help him get back home to Tephra and to his mom.