For hundreds of years, the Blue Ridge Forest remained silent until just recently. It started with something only the insects underground could feel. As it grew stronger, the birds became aware as they perched in the trees for the night. One day, someone noticed smoke rising from the old ancient granite peak of the Blue Ridge Mountain. Then one early morning hour, something was felt, but it happened quick with one deep, ear-splitting sound. The sound was deafening. Loud enough to be heard all the way to the castle, which was three miles away. The entity looked at the crack that appeared in front of it. For the first time in hundreds of years, it has seen light. Barely stronger that the light breeze that pushed its way inside the damp cave through the hairline crack. The entity slowly made its way out. Slithering its way through the eight-foot thick crack, it stood outside the mountain. The entity didn’t waste time making its way down the mountain. Weakened by being trapped for so many years, it needed a host to live in to make it stronger. Making its way to the base of the mountain, it started seeing animal tracks, stopping for a minute to take in all of the scents. It knew there were humans close by, but it was too weak to take on a human host. Finally, after a few moments, it slithered over a log to track the preferred animal scent. Three miles further it came upon its host. No more than twenty feet away stood the big deer eating the leaves off the plants that sprouted off the forest floor. Even though the deer didn’t see, hear or smell anything the big buck knew from living its existence in the forest and relying on its senses that some kind of danger lurked nearby. The big buck quickly put its head up. Standing as still as a statue the buck only moved its eyes to scan the surrounding forest. As the moments went by, the panic in the deer grew stronger. Adrenaline surged through the deer’s veins. The deer knew it had to run as fast as it could into the safety of the forest. But it was too late.
