Broken Forest 

The shadows blended with the wolf’s pure black fur. Her paw steps could not be heard as she stealthily crept through the woods. She carried on in her silence, pondering her purpose as she stayed shrouded by the shadows. She let out a soft whine and sat down heavily, though the action did not break the echo of silence that rang through the forest in slumber. The black wolf leaned to her side and let her head rest against the lush undergrowth. She breathed in the scent of new greenery and decaying leaves which left her black nose tingling. She closed her eyes as she basked in the peace of the broken forest, finding safety in the undiluted purity of silence. Life could be felt pulsing through the forest, barely brushing her pelt as it flowed past her. She felt her soul tug near her heart and sighed peacefully.  The silence was a drug to the wolf, as she came here when she could no longer stand the tainted world and heartache of her life as a human. Still, even in her land of peace, she yearned to share it with someone. A black wolf lay in the forest and she thought. She allowed her human memories to flood her wolf being.

Heartache and heavy want hit her hard and her eyes shot open, a wild light escaping through her gaze. She scrambled to her paws before forcing herself to sit down. Her head hung low and her tail brushed soundlessly along the ground. Silver gray rays washed over her body, making her dark fur glisten with moonlight. She threw her gaze up into the sky and sat in wonder as she stared at the moon, entranced by its beauty. She knew the ache in her heart would never leave as long as she kept herself in the forest, but she could not leave; could not face the p*censored*ing of time. She hoped he could hear when she lifted her muzzle to the night sky, closed her eyes, and let the sound of her soul part from her jaws.

The howl that filled the night sky seemed to make the stars glitter and shine even brighter than before. In a burst of energy, the forest sprang to life and the wolf raised her snout even higher as the melody of her cry rose. Crickets added to the rhythm of her song while the night birds crooned and provided her with a soft beat. The paw steps of the creatures were unveiled and the animals of the night mingled their own songs with her howl. She felt the pure essence of the forest drown in her song and fill her very being. The last of her cries echoed into the night and while the last breath pa.ssed through her jaws, the forest’s tune dimmed. When she lowered her snout, the forest was swallowed by silence yet again.

The wolf’s eyes matched the shine of the stars as she relinquished in the few moments that helped to keep her sane. She laid her head down on her paws as she sank to the ground, not wanting to release the bliss of the moment that still clung to her fur. At last, she closed her eyes and let her being leave the broken forest; her forest. She knew she would return soon to feel the thrum of the forest beneath her paws and the feeling of freedom as she escaped her troubling thoughts. She would be back and she would tilt her head to the sky and release her love within her song.