We continued pacing along the forest floor. Piles of leaves and dirt were blown over covering the road we walked on. I had never known a tiger to be so afraid or so stupid. When the fire was cremating his tail he moved not even inch. But still he is really brave. I try to recall the path in which I walked when I discovered Trek. I couldn't recognise the path anymore. We barely spoke whilst walking until we had to take a rest. We both perch at the base of a tree trunk, resting our backs on the trunk.
A strange animal confronted us. He stood a few paces in front of us and spoke in an unrecognisable voice. I'm sure that I knew who he was. The animal coated in black fur began to talk.
"Hello little ones. Why are some very vulnerable, young animals all the way out here in the middle of the forest?" His voice was quite and when he spoke his voice trembled.
"We got lost in a fire and we have been walking for hours without halting. We kindly request to rest for a short period of time and then we'll be gone."
I rose up and the curious animal questioned me.
"What did you say your name was and where did you say you were from?"
"We didn't. Thank you for your hospitality but we'll be on our way now." Both of us began to stride in the direction of where I faintly remember being home. The animal glared at us, his face was enraged.
"Trek, this is it. I'm home."
Before us stood a magnificent, bold tree filled with layers of pink and red leaves at different tiers. There was however a strange yet creepy silence in the small, empty village.
"Mum," I call. "Dad, are you there?" I now begin to focus on the sincere emptiness of the village. Our habitats empty with only one villager in sight. Me. I turn around to the west and begin to walk. There it was. The lake. I call out again for my parents. I can still remember dragging them both away from the gas that infected the lake but now the lake was pure and fresh water but I could still not find them. Trek walked in a different direction. He as a tiger had better instincts. He had found my parents.
They lay on the grass, completely caked in mud. I could faintly distinguish a head and body from underneath the newly grown pit of leaves. We both began to claw away at the leaves, revealing my parents. They were both there. I lifted my mum's head. At the back of her head was a red liquid. And the same for my dad. I looked over at Trek with tears welling in my eyes.
"Gray, I'm so sorry." I had no clue what he meant.
"Your parents are dead." The tears turned into a fountain of tears, pouring from my eyes.
"What do you mean?" I began to stammer and stutter. I couldn't comprehend the fact that the people I loved had abandoned me.
"How could this have happened!" I was now screaming. Trek was upset too.
"I never knew my parents either. I partially forgot who I am. It was a ravenous animal who killed my parents right before my eyes and he used the same technique as has been used here. I thought he was no longer alive. The animal was like no other. He dug his claws into the back of there head and stopped their hearts completely."
I didn't know that someone could be so horrible. Trek turned back to face me.
"My parents died!" Trek screamed louder than I knew possible. Whilst screaming, two large teeth pierced the side of his face. I gasped in shock. He was not a tiger but he was a sabre-tooth tiger. Trek slowly moved his eyes down, focusing on his newly grown teeth. He panted, gradually increasing the number of breaths taken.
"I'm even less who I thought I was. Now I am a new animal. I always felt as though I was someone else, in the wrong body."
"Trek, my parents have died. Can you help me bury them? We have to release them and let them be part of mother nature's plan, the plan for us all." Trek nodded I agreement.
"I can't stay here now. All of the other animals like me have fled and I don't want to have to face all of these horrible memories daily. We have to find somewhere else to live. What about down near the sea? There's lots of good places that I've seen before. Or the mountains?"
"Down by the sea is sounding like a good plan to me!"
Trek used his claws to dig a hole that was actually pretty deep. We lowered my parents into the hole using vines I ripped off of tree branches. I sobbed a lot but my feelings were uncontrollable. I couldn't help it at all. Once they were in the hole, I kissed my hand and drew a long breath and exhaled through my mouth blowing gently into my hand.
"Mum and Dad, I hope to meet you in the stars one time. I'm sorry I wasn't there beside you when you died. I was foolish to believe I could survive alone."
We began to push the dirt back into the hole, leaving my parents in the blissful afterlife. A tear escaped my eye and fell onto my mums face. I could have sworn that she opened her eyes. Once the hole was completely covered, I saw her. "Gray, don't lose hope. Although myself and your father are no longer alive in this world, we are alive in your heart. Just remember, when the time comes we will both be waiting. We hope our presence in your heart will not go unnoticed. We both love you so much, my son." She faded.
