She lifted her nose to the darkness and called softly
Ears lifted, listening, silence
She called again, softer still
And from deep within the wilderness
Something called back
Gentle, Wild, Haunted
The Echoes in the Dark

It starts as a quiver
In the legs, in the chest, in the neck
Stomach drops
Eyes wide, ears upright
Breath trembling, throat closing
The Dread rising from deep within
Ever consuming

Little jelly on the beach
Jiggle jiggle jiggle
As the tide rolls in
Jiggle Jiggle Jiggle
As the tide rolls out
Jiggle Jiggle Jiggle

The seagulls circle but never descend
The sun beats down and the sands warm your belly
So Squishy
So jiggly
Such a happy little jelly

She felt her heart breaking in her chest as she listened to the story pouring from the grief stricken doe before her. This does mate, the love of her life, had been attacked and killed by a pack of dangerous kin deep within the swamp. She comforted her as best she could. His body was still gone. It was too dangerous for the small doe to go after them, to find his body and bring it home. "I will go." The Totoma said suddenly. She felt a hot flash of anger welling up inside. The injustice this doe and her mate had suffered would not go unpunished. "Prepare the ground for your lover. We will give him the burial he deserves."

Off she went, into the darkness, into the deep of the swamp. And when she found the kin who had wronged the innocent couple so deeply she made sure they would never forget the consequences of their actions. They barely made it out alive. Limping with haste into the night as quickly as they could. She found the body of the Kimeti buck and lowered her head respectfully. A tragic scene. This poor broken soul. Using her horns she maneuvered him onto her back and carried him out. Back to his mate.

The tearful gaze of the doe greeted her as she made her way up the steep bank. The rain, soft at first, began to pelt down.. as though even the MotherFather could feel and share their pain. Careful not to lose the precious cargo upon her back she climbed the slippery bank. Several Kin had gathered to help. Removing his body and sliding him gently into the grave which had been hoof dug by all. The doe approached and whispered softly "Goodbye.. my love." And all began to bury him. With mournful eyes she nodded her head in thanks to the Totoma. Unable to speak further.

The rest of the kin began to depart, bumping against the side of the Totoma in thanks as they passed. One kin, an elder looking Kimeti smiled up at her. "Lovers Revenge... that's what you are. I bet you made sure those kin learned a lesson about revenge they won't soon forget."

The Totoma, her face solemn, spoke softly. "I am happy to help those who cannot. If I must be their revenge so be it. No-one should feel the pain that doe feels now. I will do my part to ease it." The elder nodded appreciatively and bumped her side. "A Lovers Revenge is an especially harsh lesson indeed. We are blessed it is wielded by such a kind soul."

Clouds rolled in over the horizon
Large and looming
Pregnant with rain and rage.
As they spread over the land
Covering all in dark shadows
The first shock of lightning ripped across the sky
Crawling like a great beast
Flashing in and out of existence in a single breath
Another crawled after, and another
The storm birthing Pandemonium
Thunder growled deep in the belly of the clouds
The world below bathed over and over
First in light, then in darkness, repeating endlessly
The smell of rain washing over
The winds whipping into a frenzy
He turned his face to the sky and breathed deeply
His lungs filled with chaos
With the fear of the storm that shone in the whites of the eyes
Wide and wild
As the storm flashed in the eyes of those who fled