Leo crouched under a large leaf. He held himself still as the shiny black beak probed into the foliage. The movement was furious and aggressive as its owner hunted. Could the beast smell him, Leo wondered?
Rachel towered above the low-lying bush. Her gaze fixated on the shadows, attempting to bring into focus the delightful delicacy that she knew was hiding within. She roughly ruffled the leaves, hoping to startle it into sudden movement. But there came no sound, no indication of the hidden creature frozen in fear for its life.
Lacking defenses to ward off an attack, Leo had no choice but to wait, hoping hunger would compel the beast to move on to find another victim.
As the sun traveled gradually across the sky, a chill began to sink into Leo. His hiding spot in the shade of the leaves caused his temperature to drop. He knew he needed to move. Twitching his head slightly to the left, he saw that the shadow of the hunter was no longer present. A hopeful thought skirted across his brain: had it gone? Leo took a step forward; his body felt heavy and stiff. After detecting no movement above him in response to this action, he boldly took another step, followed by several more. Within moments, he was out of the shadows. The warmth of the sun liquefied his blood, and it began to flow through him, loosening tight muscles and tendons.
Rachel stood for a long time in the bush, quiet and still. Eventually, it would need to come into the light, and she was not in a hurry.
A feeling of intense distress gripped Leo. The realization that he was being attacked swiftly filled his being. He spent what felt like an eternity fighting to escape. The powerful beak of the beast held him firmly. Twice he managed to wriggle free, only to be snatched back again by the hungry beast.
The scuffle had injured Leo, and he knew that even if he managed to fully escape, he would not survive. The right side of his body was crushed, and his back bore several holes wrought by incessant pecking. Subdued, he lay prone in the creature’s beak.
Rachel was pleased with her prize and looked forward to bringing it to her nest to feed her offspring. Ensuring the meal was firmly in her beak, she took flight.
Leo felt himself being lifted from the ground. The heaviness of gravity that surrounded him dissipated. Surrendered to his inevitable death, Leo looked around in wonder, free of fear or apprehension. His awareness expanded with every upward inch. He saw the place on the ground where he had been moving away from him. He saw that what was familiar to him was but a small part of a much bigger place. And that in this bigger space there was an unimaginable myriad of creatures and beasts. In this vast diversity, he saw an interconnectedness of every living being and the endless exchange of energy. A wave of understanding washed over him as he became aware of purposes and roles. And in the flash of his death, Leo knew all and was pleased with the part he played.
Rachel felt life leave the creature. She took its life essence into herself as she presented the carcass to the two hungry babies begging from her nest.
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