"Mother"

The first thing I remember was my mother's hands. Long. Black. Slender claws lining the outskirts of

my bed.

Causing an undeniable warmth to encircle me. 

   Waking up to the sound. of an array of sounds ranging from birdsong to the rustling of leaves.

You try to move your tiny bare limbs to walk and grab some berries, and bugs from the earth.

The wind from the trees ravages on my bristled skin. The earth makes known its displeasure

in the bats and the owls that swoop down to peck and bite at my tender flesh.

I called out to my mother. Then, she comes thrashing and swatting the fallen creatures out of the sky!

I was so happy I ran to mother to the warm safety of her arms. While mother was carrying me

to our home, her long lanky body swirled with anger.

At what? I did not know. I began to cry. For what? I did not know that either.

Then mother saw this and spoke with a voice that can only be described as, a river meshed

to flowing birdsong.

Mother's voice calmed me down. The wind whistled past my ears, making me shiver from its cruelty.

I huddled closer to Mother's bosom. The quiet fear of the forest grew. 

   “Why do you fear the forest, child?”

“The forest hates me! The earth hates me!” 

“No child. You are of me, the forest does not hate you. You need to learn to live in it.” 

But I was not the best student. Mother would dig massive tunnels with the smallest amount of power.

I would use up all of my energy digging a small hole. Then she taught me to live in the trees.

Her massive scaly body intertwined itself in the tree limbs. But my body could not move like mothers.

The time had come for the hunt. I was guided in front of a massive black bear. Fearsome.

The short black limbs held undeniable power and its presents commanded respect.

It launched at me I fell down and began to quiver in fear.

The animal was close to me. I screamed out in fear. 

“MOTHER!!!” 

Her voice rang through the forest.

“I am here my child.” 

Her slender arms grabbed me and pulled me to her chest. Large white teeth lashed out as if cutting 

at the bears' life force.

The beast fell. Once back in the cave, we eat the meat we stripped off the beast. 

“Mother, will I ever be able to live on my own?”

“You have no need to live on your own I am here and I always will be.”  

Taking this as a sense of comfort. I closed my eyes and once again fell asleep in my mother's lap.

Waking up the warmth that a child so covets was gone.