PAUSE
...and there it was, in the early morning murk; the bird. It's song
had been battering the silence of the misty hills for about an hour already,
despite the darkness. Now, though, the merest hint of dawn.
Another bird. Two. Many. The first had raised the rest. Did it get
the worm? Did it even eat worms? Maybe it was more of a berry and seed eater.
In this gloom, it was difficult to make out what type of bird it was. It simply
looked black, as did the bigger birds above it. Those were easy to identify
though. Seagulls are something of an unmistakable bird.
Willa blinked. Dawn was certainly cracking - her watch read 06:54 -
but no way could she read anything in this light (other than the digital
display of the watch). No point thinking of picking up the book, then.
It was dank, yet not exactly cold, outside the tent. Willa lay on
her tummy, snug in the sleeping bag, beanie on head, peering out through the
unzipped entry. She could light up the little stove and boil the kettle, she
supposed; but it would destroy this moment. There was a hush over the land,
despite the call of the birds. The wet, heavy mist, typical of these regions,
drip-drip-dripped from branches and grasses; some of it onto the tent, giving a
tapping sound rather than the soft splats on the earth. It was not difficult to
think that she could hear the worms beneath the grasses, shifting in the dirt -
or was that a field mouse or beetle..? Willa moved her eyes only, not her head,
to the left.
A hare! She stopped herself from cooing in glee, not to startle it.
Nibble-nibble, check around, nibble-nibble, preen… then it's eye caught hers
and there was the longest moment between them. Who would move first?
Pause. Nibble-nibble, check the tent, nibble-nibble…
Willa grinned. She wondered if this is what Alice felt like.
"But if a fellow in a top hat appears now, I'll be on that smart phone
quick-sticks!" With that vaguely alarming thought, she drew the zip down
and surrendered to another hour's sleep.
YaYa what a delightful treat!! Great description! I could see it all in my mind's eye!
ReplyDeleteHugs HiC
We even heard the birdies!
ReplyDeleteYour Pals,
Murphy & Stanley
OMD this is so VISUAL.
ReplyDeleteWe think that Early Bird DID get the Worm.
WE don't want Worms though. Frankie had WORMS once... and it was NOT fun.
it's like being outside in my backyard.... the mama said we can stay inside and read your post so we can hear da berds with our minds-ear LOL
ReplyDeleteHello, enjoyed the story, I can hear the birdies singing too. Raining here this morning, a good to roll over and pull the covers over your head. Happy Friday, enjoy your day and weekend!
ReplyDeleteWhat an entertaining post! Perfect for this time of year! Bunnies everywhere. janice xx
ReplyDelete