Page 1 of Mushy Stuff
Chapter 1
IstretchasIwake for the night.
My den is dark, but light still streams in through the exposed roots of the tree that makes up the roof, so I know the sun has not yet set. I do not care for the sun, so I roll over and try to get more sleep; however, my stomach growls in protest.
I huff my irritation and scratch the fur on my stomach.
I suppose now would be a good time to hunt the small beasts with the long ears that hop through my woods. I do find those hoppers very tasty—the ears are a particularly nice treat.
I unfurl my body and climb the roots toward the opening of my den. My claws scrape and tear at the wood as I pull myself out.
The opening is small and well-hidden, but it’s also just big enough for my antlers to fit through without getting hung on a root. It is the perfect home to keep me hidden from any humans that stumble into our realm.
These past few moons, humans have been finding their way through thin places and wandering through my woods more frequently. I will have to do something about them before they become too much of a nuisance. Fortunately, they are easy to scare.
Foolish humans, wandering too close to the realm of the Fae. They do not know how closely they court death by those of us that are bound to the land at the borders. We are bound to protect it and nurture it at all costs.
The scent of a hopper draws me from my thoughts. Hoppers are my favorite prey to hunt because they are so fast and agile. It’s a challenge to catch them, and keeps my skills honed.
I pause as I scent and locate the hopper, then silently stalk it until I am a short distance away.
A tiny sound, or perhaps a scent, alerts the hopper to my presence. It freezes for a moment, assessing the danger; my muscles coil, ready to strike.
Suddenly it bolts away. I lunge after it. I give chase, but I do not run along the forest floor. My claws dig into treetrunks, and I use each tree to propel myself to the next. In a matter of moments, I am above the hopper.
I leap down, and in one swipe I grab the hopper and swiftly kill it with my claws. I bury my fangs into its belly, tear off a chunk of meat, and chew ravenously. I can feel the heat of its blood as it drips from my mouth onto my chest.
I once would have taken the time to properly skin and clean my kill, but that does not suit me these days. Now I eat like the beast that I am.
I crouch and continue to tear off mouthfuls of hopper until only the head and ears are left. The ears are my favorite part, and I always save them for last. As I’m about to take my next bite, I hear a faint noise, like a voice.
I stand and catch an unusual scent in the air. Something sweet and alluring.
I palm the hopper’s head, then climb the nearest tree to get a better view of the area, but I am not able to see anything unusual. I climb down and stalk the scent through my woods.
I must know what it is. I must have it. I feel this need to make it mine; a feeling I have never felt before.
I reach a clearing, and at the edge of the clearing is a human female. How can this be where that scent comes from? I have never known a human to smell like this.
I stalk closer and watch her. I am no more than two strides away from her, but she doesn’t notice me.
I quietly climb the tree nearest to her and find a stable limb to crouch on. I use my tail to hold myself to the trunk. Then I watch her as I finish eating the hopper.
She is looking at mushrooms and doing something with a small box that lights up. I have seen these small light boxes on humans before, but I do not know what they are.
She is human. I can scent and see that she is human, but she also has small antlers. How does she have antlers?
She begins talking to the small light box, but no one talks back to her.
I silently jump down to see if I can get a closer look while she is distracted.
I try to take in every detail about her. I watch the way she moves, and the way her hair floats around her.
Her hair is long and wild and free. Most of it is bright blue, but it fades to a warm brown near the root. I did not know that humans could come in these colors. I frown as I study the color. Not very good for camouflage.
I creep a little closer to her; I can almost reach out and touch her.
I can see now that she is wearing a small crown of false flowers and mushrooms. Her antlers seem to be a part of this crown, so they must be false too.
