The still night was broken by a shrill shriek, ending as abruptly as it came. The chirp of a lone cricket far off lured in a single bass note from a toad in the nearby undergrowth; which in turn triggered off a full scaled concerto. A soft breeze blew through the vegetation, and it was as if Lady Night started breathing again. Life stirred and flowed through the forest, even as one was lost just a few seconds ago. The soft rustling of grass shushed the immediate area, cowling the proud performers to silence as a dark shadow glided over them. As soon as phantom passed, the singers resumed singing in gusto as hastily as they could, as if doing so would erase the embarrassment of the cowardly display.

***

The sun hung up high on the horizon, shining heartily and generously, joyous that it brought about a new cycle of life again – little did it know, how many lives ended while it was absent. A scrawny girl laid, curled upon a pile of leaves at the foot of an ancient tree, shivering slightly in her light slumber. A soft moan escaped her lips and she packed herself tighter into a ball. The adolescent hare last night was not enough protein to support her body; it was barely even enough to keep her going. Of course, she could slip into her other form; which meant she could control her metabolism much more effectively – but to do that would mean that her base metabolism would increase in the first few hours.

Cracking her eyes open, she sighed and sat up tiredly. She had no choice but to get to the market and to enter civilization. Why was prey so scarce and hunting so hard these few days? She would have to move on sooner than she expected. Donning her pale and thin oversized dress, she trudged her way forwards, hugging her stomach hard and swallowing her saliva.

***

Whispers filled her ears as soon as she stepped into the crowd. Everyone noticed her. Some rude ones gestured at her without concealing, others just darted their eyes toward her periodically. Pointedly she ignored all of them, walking slowly from one stall to another, noticing the different merchandise on display upon the wooden stalls. Some disgusted store owners waved her away, spewing rude remarks out of their mouths at how unsightly she was. Others ignored her and a couple offered her food. It was the last that got her attention. She bowed and accepted the food, thanking them with actions and gestures while not speaking out – she hated speaking. Assuming her to be physically challenged with the capability of speech, a few more pieces of scrap meat and hot buns were pushed her way. A kind lady gave her a cheap basket and an apple, in which she placed her rations before retreating from the noisy and populated area.