William St.Romain

Child Of Fear

Issue #4 (June 2008)

She wanted to see their nest better. She spotted an old pine nearby which would give her a better position relative to the hole. It was a dead tree, half tilted over the edge. In her eagerness, she failed to use the careful skills of observation her parents had instilled in her. She moved to an advantageous branch, failing to note it was chewed through by worms, not to mention too thin to hold her weight in any event. She stood upon it, steadying herself against the trunk. A moment passed. She heard a crack and realized what had happened. By then it was too late. She started falling and made a desperate attempt to grab hold of the trunk. The bark was just as worm eaten as the branch and came off in her hands.