Close My Eyes

He heard the faint laughter just before dawn, while the sky was tinted a brilliant shade of lavender. It was too far to have woken him with volume alone, but for an entire season he had listened intently for the distinct cry. He tracked the noise to the dense pine forest and although it was dark he was far too focused at the task at hand to let his paranoia dominate his thoughts.

“Echo?” He called softly.

There was a sharp crack of a branch breaking causing the mottled wolf to turn sharply with a gasp. “E-E-Echo?” He called again this time more hesitantly.

“SPIDER!” An all too familiar voice responded. The dust colored bird burst from the thick needles of a tree and glided in a circle around his companion. For the first time in what felt like years Spider smiled and rose on his back legs twisting in a circle of his own after the kookaburra. The bird belted its distinct laughing cry and Spider responded with a wailing bark as he attempted to mimic him. The bird settled on Spider’s back and fluffed out his feathers.

“I thought I’d never see you again!” The bird said chipperly.  

“S-s-so d-d-did I.” He said with a soft smile.

Spider Echo  You