Little Inklings 2023

THE MONSTER By: Noa Garcia ’27 My eyes slowly open as I awake. My eyes focus and I take in my surroundings. It is still early and the sun cannot yet be seen through the thick forest. I try to stand up but wobble on my still unsteady feet and fall onto the soft forest floor. I look around and marvel at the beautiful jungle that I have not explored. What is out there? My mother is still asleep, with her trunk wrapped around me. I carefully stand up, so as to not wake her, and step out into the forest. I shiver as I lose the warmth of my mother and meet the cold brisk air. Carefully, I step over a fallen tree and out into the forest. The trees lurch overhead and I can hear the slow rushing water of the river my herd often visits to drink. I look up as colorful birds swoop through the trees catching bugs. I keep walking, farther than my herd has ever let me go. As I continue, I notice the trees getting slightly more barren and they can no longer shield me from the harsh sunlight. I see a red blur through the trees getting closer to me and growing. It feels warm as it spreads through the forest. It gets hotter and hotter and quickly covers everything in its path. I begin to grow more scared as it leaves the forest in ruins behind it. I call out to my mother and my voice echoes through the forest. I start to back up, but trip over tree roots. I shout out more and more. Above the red flurry, something metallic is shining in the sun. It is larger than the trees and faster than my herd. The monster tram- ples and pulls the trees up, demolishing the beautiful forest. It is loud and I cannot hear or feel anything, except fear. All of a sudden, I hear loud footsteps approaching and my mom calls out to me worriedly. I shout back. There is smoke coming from the red flurry and I cannot see anything, but gray haze. It fills my eyes and nose and I struggle to take breaths. My mother appears through the haze and helps me up. The herd forms a circle around me. Suddenly, I hear a shot ring out through the forest. The herd surrounds me tightly. I don’t move a mus- cle. Through the smoke, I notice the monster has stopped and some foreign creatures have gotten out. I have never seen them in the forest before. More shots ring out as the creatures move closer and closer. “Poachers!” my herd shouts. I look around frozen with fear and my pack surrounds me and the other young elephants closely. Another shot. My mom cries out. I look around as the forest is demolished. 13