Over The Brick Wall ~ Chapter 4

Instructions

Over The Brick Wall I woke to my stomach growling. Actually, not growling, more like snarling. Ugh. Now I had to find food. I stood slowly, the pain from my stomach overcoming my whole body. I scrounged for what felt like hours before finally finding something: a dead thrush. It was dead when I found it, and obviously rotting. The only thing that mattered was that it was dead, and edible. I think. I could finally eat. I bent down to sniff it. Yuck. It smelled like decomposition... well... whatever that meant. But I had to eat something. I pulled away again at the horrible stench. Why does a rotting thrush have to be my first meal of freedom? I took a deep breath and bit into the rotting carcass. Finally, something was in my stomach, but gosh, it tasted horrid. I finished the bird, scraping dirt over the remaining scraps and bones. I trembled back to my tree den. I felt nauseous. I curled into my mossy bed and tried to fight the urge to throw up. I woke up at sun high the next day, a terrible, churning feeling in my stomach. I needed help—now. I trembled as I stood up from my moss nest, limping out of the small entrance where sunlight was streaming out from. As I stepped out, it just felt... wrong for the sun to be so happy and bright while I'm out here struggling to survive. My thoughts were interrupted by an intriguing scent. I bent low to the ground, following the trail. The farther I went, the less I could smell. instead, the delicious scent was replaced by one that was like fresh moss and healthy leaves-- a lot like how I was starting to smell after living in the arch of a fallen tree. My thoughts were interrupted by rustling coming from the bushes many tail-lengths away. I crouched, eyes locked on the leaves that were vibrating as if a finch had gotten stuck in a maze of branches and leaves. I saw a flash of gray-green fur (much like mine) burst out from the bushes, chasing what looked like a cardinal, the bright red unnatural against the muted colors of the trees. I leapt behind a tree, poking my head around just enough to see what- or who- was chasing that bird. I heard a hiss, then claws scraping wood. I leaned over the tree just enough to fully see who was sitting there. I yelped as I saw a tom-cat who looked like my reflection in a puddle stare back at me.