Dark Forest

• Jubran Sayegh, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2022

I rambled through the forest, the animals scurried as I strutted in their direction. the scattered rough tree bark on the ground painfully pricking my toes, I inhaled the earthy air that hinted lavender. The moon had been shining brighter than before. The moon was a silvery-wraith disc that hung in the deserted sky. The trees clashed and smashed against one another like huge drumsticks. I picked at the wild onions and took a bite off a chunk. My tongue cried in agony as the irritating taste of the forest onion invaded my taste buds. I quickly spat out the onion. I sighted some sort of creature in the corner of my eye. It seemed to be a human.
He was waving a shiny silver object at me in an attempt to take me down with a weapon that small. I cried out as I glared down at the despicable man in front of me. Who does he think he is when he waves that bright object around? He can't win against me. I chuckled just a little. He would be my entree, I decided “ why have an onion when you can a have a fresh ripe human”?. A soft breeze touched my roughneck's scabby skin. I lunged at the man as he moved and yelled. My horns were lodged deep inside the large oak tree as I crashed into it. I pulled and wrestled until my horn snapped off with a startling sound. I lost my footing and fell onto my back. As I slammed against the jagged woodland floor, leaves flew with a loud whoosh and twigs stabbed me in the back. I cast my eyes to my right. As the person struggled to get the horn out of the tree, my eyes became wider. In a fit of terror, I stood up and moved to approach the person. Unexpectedly, he had removed the horns from the trunk with a loud grunt. I screamed bloodily as he drove the horn deep into my chest, and my back once more became attached to the earth. My body's energy seemed to be dwindling quickly, and I was in excruciating pain. I marveled at the stars Beyond the moon's corona, in an unending arch of void-black, stars flashed at me. They were gorgeous and birthstone blue in some spots, sparkling in their glorious finery. The ones farthest away were like flashing pinpricks amid a shroud of blackness, nearly beyond the range of human cognition. They appeared to be the faraway, dazzling sparks from angel fire and had a slight silver color. Before I knew it a wave of darkness had to overwash me.