A
Arianna
Guest
A winter wind tugged and pulled at the dusky hour. As whiskered noses and bright shining eyes gathered to watch the tiny soul wriggled about on the soft cornsilk straw.
“Another one! How wonderful!” father beamed with pride.
“Yes…wonderful!” the rest chanted in unison.
“Wait!” exclaimed mother. She looked curiously about the den and then at the bundle of new life which was now clamoring to feed. She made a face..and whispered,
“Something’s wrong.”
All went silent. Ears stood erect, intensely attuned to the direction of the wind. An empty soda can rolled to and fro just outside the nest. Nervous energy could be felt vibrating through the burrow.After a moment..father broke the silence with his calming voice,
“It’s nothing, he replied, just the wind.”
Mother grabbed onto the tiny blob of pink skin and whispered back,
“No…it’s a sign.”
She sensed about with a twitching upright nose.
”Somehow this is…I don’t know…different.”
Then tucking her tail around the baby...she curled up to go to sleep.
As time drained slowly down into the den. The newest addition learned to walk and talk. At times..to the dismay of so many others..
“It’s always..why..why ..why?” the leader bellowed. He was losing his patience with the one crouching before him.
“Exactly!”
“Exactly what?!” he demanded.
“I want to know why?” the small creature glared back at him in defiance.
“You’re not..I mean..we’re not meant to have all the answers. It’s as simple as that!” he replied.
And then with an angry nod .. he dismissed the entire crowd.
His nose twitched furiously, “Go back to your work!” he commanded,
Then over shadowing her with his size.. he hissed,
“And stop trying to escape over the wall..or else!”
Her dark eyes blinked against the heat of his words as she turned to scamper away. A mind reeling with questions. Her mother always said it wasn’t her fault that she could sense things.
“Hey you!” someone shouted.
She stopped still in her tracks…her body stiffened.
“Are you speaking to me?”
“Yes..you!” came the sharp reply.
“Do you know what time it is? Well..I’ll tell you! It’s time for you to stop fooling around and get down that hole to collect the food!”
Relenting for the moment..she turned and joined the others in their endless routine.
Scratch..gnaw…burrow! Scratch..gnaw..burrow! Scratch..gnaw..burrow! This went on for several hours until she was certain she was alone.
“OK!” she thought to herself. “This time I am not going to fail. And I am not going to stop unless they drag me away!”
She looked around for something to use and found several large pieces of rock and wood. By strategically placing the objects on top of one another..she built a makeshift ladder and carefully climbed her way to the top. However, another obstacle stood in her way. The damp earth had made the wall and ceiling too heavy to push apart with her nose. So she began to dig.. and dig.. and dig some more. Hours past. Then days slipped quietly into weeks and weeks into years. The creature grew older as the time past. Pausing only once to wonder why the others hadn’t missed her. While an enormous power kept pushing her forward. Nothing else mattered…nothing.. except the answers. Her claws bled from the years of digging..but her spirit thrived as each ounce of dirt fell way bringing her closer to her desire.
It found her lying crumpled and dirty on the tunnel floor..exhausted. Her body ached, as she stole past consciousness into something warm. Unfamiliar scents played and wiggled just past her nose. She opened her eyes to light for the very first time in her life.
In one last effort...she gathered all her strength and climbed the ladder to peer over the wall. The sun was shining brilliantly against a kaleidoscope of colors. She felt the warm sting of salty tears cascade down her face.
And she smiled.
“Another one! How wonderful!” father beamed with pride.
“Yes…wonderful!” the rest chanted in unison.
“Wait!” exclaimed mother. She looked curiously about the den and then at the bundle of new life which was now clamoring to feed. She made a face..and whispered,
“Something’s wrong.”
All went silent. Ears stood erect, intensely attuned to the direction of the wind. An empty soda can rolled to and fro just outside the nest. Nervous energy could be felt vibrating through the burrow.After a moment..father broke the silence with his calming voice,
“It’s nothing, he replied, just the wind.”
Mother grabbed onto the tiny blob of pink skin and whispered back,
“No…it’s a sign.”
She sensed about with a twitching upright nose.
”Somehow this is…I don’t know…different.”
Then tucking her tail around the baby...she curled up to go to sleep.
As time drained slowly down into the den. The newest addition learned to walk and talk. At times..to the dismay of so many others..
“It’s always..why..why ..why?” the leader bellowed. He was losing his patience with the one crouching before him.
“Exactly!”
“Exactly what?!” he demanded.
“I want to know why?” the small creature glared back at him in defiance.
“You’re not..I mean..we’re not meant to have all the answers. It’s as simple as that!” he replied.
And then with an angry nod .. he dismissed the entire crowd.
His nose twitched furiously, “Go back to your work!” he commanded,
Then over shadowing her with his size.. he hissed,
“And stop trying to escape over the wall..or else!”
Her dark eyes blinked against the heat of his words as she turned to scamper away. A mind reeling with questions. Her mother always said it wasn’t her fault that she could sense things.
“Hey you!” someone shouted.
She stopped still in her tracks…her body stiffened.
“Are you speaking to me?”
“Yes..you!” came the sharp reply.
“Do you know what time it is? Well..I’ll tell you! It’s time for you to stop fooling around and get down that hole to collect the food!”
Relenting for the moment..she turned and joined the others in their endless routine.
Scratch..gnaw…burrow! Scratch..gnaw..burrow! Scratch..gnaw..burrow! This went on for several hours until she was certain she was alone.
“OK!” she thought to herself. “This time I am not going to fail. And I am not going to stop unless they drag me away!”
She looked around for something to use and found several large pieces of rock and wood. By strategically placing the objects on top of one another..she built a makeshift ladder and carefully climbed her way to the top. However, another obstacle stood in her way. The damp earth had made the wall and ceiling too heavy to push apart with her nose. So she began to dig.. and dig.. and dig some more. Hours past. Then days slipped quietly into weeks and weeks into years. The creature grew older as the time past. Pausing only once to wonder why the others hadn’t missed her. While an enormous power kept pushing her forward. Nothing else mattered…nothing.. except the answers. Her claws bled from the years of digging..but her spirit thrived as each ounce of dirt fell way bringing her closer to her desire.
It found her lying crumpled and dirty on the tunnel floor..exhausted. Her body ached, as she stole past consciousness into something warm. Unfamiliar scents played and wiggled just past her nose. She opened her eyes to light for the very first time in her life.
In one last effort...she gathered all her strength and climbed the ladder to peer over the wall. The sun was shining brilliantly against a kaleidoscope of colors. She felt the warm sting of salty tears cascade down her face.
And she smiled.
