Greenwood

Breaths came heavy, carrying the wretched scent of sulfur. Steam puffed with each exhale into the clear night. Its fur stood on end, instinct raging with its pounding heart. It went from crouching on all fours to standing tall among the trees in its forest domain. Its eyes went black to absorb all light, and it hunted as it was meant to hunt.

It stealthily advanced toward the stench of its prey. Its mortal enemy was not much different than itself; tall, thick-haired, and rippled with strong muscle, but their smell was too offensive with which to exist. Its kind couldn’t be allowed to share those woods.

As the rancid odor filled its nostrils, it picked up pace; its massive legs lumbered between trees and through thick bushes. Leaves rustled ahead as the hunted beast chose flight. The hunter could barely stand the rank air it was forced to run through. The prey was nearly within sight.

With all its strength it pushed with both feet and leapt above what it intended to kill. Branches swayed with its powerful movement as it descended from above to tackle the frightened prey to the ground.

The unfortunate loser of the chase succumbed to fear and could barely fight back as the hunter slammed its giant fists down on its face. Its body convulsed as broken fragments of skull were mashed into its brain. A roar of fury erupted from the hunter in the otherwise quiet forest as it continued to pound its enemy’s head to pulp.

∼ Lee Andrew Forman