The sun broke free at the stroke of dawn, illuminating the earth’s greenery. The shriveled grass began to rise. The dampened grounds began to dry. The blood and breath of nature began to wake.

A young blade of grass had blossomed from the earth. Her family stood tall and healthy. The soil rooted their bodies below as the sun fed them. They lived a humble life without asking for much. That morning, a grasshopper landed next to the blade of grass. She had watched many grasshoppers eat her family and accepted this fate for herself. As the sun fed the grass one last time, the grasshopper stepped closer and ate her.

The grasshopper lived a humble life without asking for much. All she needed was grass to eat and a place to sleep. That morning, as the grasshopper ate, a mouse ran by. The grasshopper felt her vibration but continued to eat. The mouse saw the grasshopper, and with her agility, she caught the grasshopper and feasted on her body.

The mouse lived a humble life without asking for much. All she needed was a bit to eat, new areas to discover, and a place to sleep. That afternoon, the mouse was wandering about with a full belly. She was always curious and had the urge to explore new places to call home. She found a lush meadow with a flowing river from a distant waterfall at the foot of the mountains and continued to investigate it. What the mouse did not know was that the meadow was home to a serpent.

The serpent saw the mouse but made no movement. Her belly was not empty but she craved new flesh everyday. The serpent mastered patience, and so, she waited in the tall grass for the mouse to inch closer. In an unwarned jolt, the serpent lashed out and caught the mouse between her fangs and swallowed her whole. The serpent slithered away, craving more.

The serpent lived a greedy life. Although she was not hungry, her long body had room for more. The serpent thought that no other animal was a threat, as she had the cunning ability to remain concealed on the ground in plants and trees and could sense whoever was near in sight.

That evening, as the sun began to fall, the serpent slithered in the grass to find a comfortable resting spot. Hundreds of feet above, a bird saw the grass move in a different direction than the wind. She curiously flew down and confirmed that it was the serpent. Belly empty, she waited until the serpent was in the open to strike down. The serpent was in shock—she could not see above herself. The bird clawed and ripped into the body of the serpent until she finally died. The giant bird began to swallow her whole, starting from the head, until her belly was full. Hanging from her mouth was the last of the serpent’s tail as she flew away to feed her young before nightfall.

The sun had buried into the ground and darkness swept across the earth’s greenery. The tall grass began to shrivel. The dry grounds began to dampen. The blood and breaths of nature began to sleep.