Moss and Silver with Hollow Eyes

A group of my friends and I walk through the woods to reach a town on the other side. So far, it's been a peaceful trip. Sky blue and sunlight peeking through the trees, which shielded us with shade. Birds chirping in their nests, animals scurrying far and near, and the sound of a flowing river every now and then.

Mike stops to take pictures of the plants while Jen complains about the bugs again. Sarah and Tina chat like normal besties and share the wildlife experience together. Kevin tells us stories of his camping trips from childhood and gave us tips. Jeff tries to scare Jen with a lizard he found, which resulted in Jen punching his arm. Greg was our guide with the map and lead us with confidence and care. I walk last while listening to my friends and enjoying myself blissfully. This is nice, I thought.

However, from the corner of my eye, I noticed something pink on the earthen ground. I stop and went closer to it and move the leaves and grass aside. A small, fragile baby bird without any feathers, had fallen from its nest. How sad, but it was still alive. I've never touched a forest animal before, but I don't want to leave it alone. It's a life, right? Strangely, I knew I couldn't just casually touch this featherless bird directly. So I gently scoop up the dirt underneath and pick up the bird on its earthen bed.

Suddenly, I hear all my friends screaming.

I rush ahead as carefully as I could, avoiding rocks and logs, but immediately froze by the scene before me. My friends scatted yet entangled by thick roots constricting them. Everyone frantically screams while the roots slowly wrap around their mouths and faces. But what made me froze was not the roots. It was the THING controlling them.

Towering over us humans was a giant moss-covered creature, at least 8 or 9 ft high, with blackish claws, wood-like antlers, and a snake-like body that shimmers from the sunlight. It has an elk's skull for a face and behind that vine-like hair are two glowing eyes. Those eyes lit up with rage in those hollow sockets as the creature roars in fury, shaking the earth itself. A monster in the forest?! For real?! My brain tries to process this, but a silly yet hopeful idea comes straight to mind.

I ran toward the monster and slide down on to my knees and kneel. This time, the monster froze. I raise the baby bird over my head and with a trembling voice, I pleaded.

"P-Please . . . Find its parents . . ."

My head hung low, my heart pounding, and the monster unmoving as a tree. Everyone was quiet until the roots start unwinding themselves. One by one, my friends fall to the ground finally able to breathe again. The roots return to the soil while I pray for the creature to leave. I hear it moving again as it gently scoops up the baby bird from off my palms. The creature turns its back on us and slithers away. It leaves the area and we remain unscathed.

Sarah faints.

We quickly rush to her side but could not easily forget about that encounter.