SO OVERDUE

one. the night was still, crickets had fallen silent. two. the trees had even seemed to still - everything around the finnvi shellshocked. three steps, all a slow and deliberate show of prowess. he knew who he was. he knew the power he held. he also knew he had to prove it to the leeches of this new district. proud and eloquent, the moon played wonders over his silken threads - seemingly portraying them in a gentle wave as if they were of liquid state. in and out of the shadows, he knew by the stale stench of urine that an army of great conglomeration was stationed here. he wanted a name for himself. one that he had created. one that children cringed at and one that brought grown men weeping to their knees. one that he deserved. a movement to the left brought a piercing, expecting marble gaze to meet the terrified face of a quivering hare. not who he'd expected. thin lips pried open in a sneer of distaste as he curved his frame into a lazy 'c' and slithered toward the next host of pine needles. how far did one have to travel before he was noticed? must he be tempted to infiltrate the entire group? shoulders rolled as he circled the elder tree, needles and hairs intertwining dangerously. the inverted iridescence of his eyes disappeared as they fluttered shut, longing for the prickling needles to be the warm, supple touch of another. of his sister, clawing and gaping helplessly. of his mother, writhing beneath him. his breathing deepened, his mind lost between those hazy nights.