Blood, Guts and Redemption

I spent my first night back at the cave feasting on the bear I had found in my home. Honestly, it tasted great. I never thought bears would be so damn tasty. It took me roughly two and a half hours to pick the bones clean of any flesh. And for the rest of the night, I slept. I wanted to have the energy to go out in to the sun once again.

When I woke up, I grabbed the sheet I had used the previous night as a cloak and tossed it around myself yet again. I was excited to see the sun again after who knows how many years. I would've have smiled, but alas I couldn't. I made my way to the entrance of the cave and stepped my foot out in to the sun.

I could feel it's heat and it was wonderful. I stepped further out until my entire body was bathed in the warm light. The trees broke apart perfectly so that the sun could shine down on this one spot. I tilted my head to the sky and relished in the feeling.

My moment was interrupted by a small needing in my stomach and the back of my head. I was hungry again, even after eating an entire bear in one night. I sighed and began to walk through the forest in a random direction. I listened to the sound of animals all around me. I heard the birds above me, squirrels scampering up and down the trees. It was lovely. The forest was alive, just like me.

The sound of running water came from in front of me. I quickened my pace towards the sound. After just a few seconds I saw it. The river I was all to familiar with. It had been a long time since I had seen a body of water like this. Without a second thought I ran to the rivers edge and stuck my mouth in to the water. I took in one gulp of water, then another and another. I only felt better than ever. The river brought back so much nostalgia. Not all of it good. I shook those thoughts away and looked at my reflection in the water. My skull face had been stained red with the blood of the bear. With a quick chuckle I crawled in to a shallow area of the river and began to bathe myself.

I felt so much better after that little bath. My face was its usual off colour of white again and I felt at peace. Well accept for my hunger which demanded to be satisfied. I continued my strole through the forest until I came across a peculiar sight. Two ponies where having a picnic in a sunny clearing. To was rather odd to me as ponies used to never enter rhe forest, yet here was this couple eating sandwiches and kissing.

My stomach growled, yearning to be fed. I crept closer to the clearing and crouched low to the ground. All the sounds of the forest had stopped, as if the animals knew what was coming. The points took note of the sudden lack of sound as well and had started to look around. Thankfully both their backs were turned to me. This only made what I was about to do much easier. I began to move out of the bushes and in to the clearing, trying to make as little noise as possible.

There was a small crack then a sudden snap from under my foot. I looked down to see I had stood on a branch. My eyes darted to look at the ponies. They were now looking at me in wide eyed horror. As soon as the rest of my head came up to look at them they both let out a scream and sprinted away from me. I let out a sigh and stood up straight. I walked to where the couple had been eating and began to search the basket they had brought.

A few sandwiches, a couple apples, some grapes and two chocolate bars. But no meat. Not that it surprised me of course. I took the white and red blanket that they had been sitting on and stuffed it in to the basket before picking it up and walking back the way I came.

When I entered the trees all the sounds of the forest came back. I was slightly disappointed that I couldn't catch a meal that would satisfy my hunger, but I was grateful I didn't have to kill anyone. I began to walk back to my cave my mouth drooling at the thought of eating chocolate again.

While walking back to the cave I decided to take a slightly longer route. I wanted to make up as much time as I could. I made sure to sniff every new flower I saw and brush my hands across the trees.

My nice walk came to a sudden but surprising stop when I saw something most strange. A wooden cabin, or was ot a cottage? It doesn't matter, what matters is that it was just out in the middle of the forest. My curiosity got the better of my and I approached it.

As I got closer I noticed that the front door was sealed of by yellow police tape. I extended my free hand towards the tape before retracting it. But once again curiosity won. I ripped the tape away and entered the wooden building. Thank god for that broken antler or my head wouldn't have fit through the damn door.

I took in my surroundings and noted that everything was rather messy, but not in the traditional sense. The wall looked as if they had been ripped apart by something and there was an ominous brown streak across the floor. I slowly followed the streak in to a nice open room. At the end of the streak was a massive brown stain.

I slowly backed out the room, realising I had just tampered with a rather serious looking murder scene. I made my way out the cottage and decided to go straight back to my cave. I didn't want to poke around that place anymore than I already did.

The journey back to the cave was rather uneventful. As I got closer a familiar smell caught my attention. The all to recognizable smell of blood was in the air and it was coming in the direction of my cave. I quickened my pace to a light jog.

Once I arrived I found what was making the smell. There was a rather fresh looking dear carcass at the entrance to the cave. It didn't look like it had been eaten but rather just had it's throat slit and it's stomach sliced open. I noticed all its legs were tied together with a rope that was also formed in to a bow. It was like somekind of sick and twisted present. Despite my hunger craving meat, the carcass didn't take my fancy. I stepped right over it and in to the cave. I would deal with it later, but at that moment, I was fixated on the picnic basket.