A herd of deer peacefully grazed on a patch of grass in the savanna. Blissfully munching on the plants, they walked and talked without a care in the world. Little deer children played tag, laughing and smiling as they chased each other through the yellow fields and splashed in the puddles of water. Sounds of leaves cracking and water moving filled the air.

After a long day, dawn approached as the sun set between the far and dark mountains. There, a black wall of clouds sat atop the red horizon. However, the herd could not understand the implications of this information. Like any other day, they began to head back home, to the northern forest bordering the savanna. One little deer was feeling thirsty as it began to head back to the shallow pond to get a quick drink of water. Its mother paused, then continued not fearing possible dangers in the water devoid of life. Unlike the forest river waters, full of vicious predators and harsh currents, the peaceful pond was a place of refuge and safety. The little deer waddled closer and closer to the pond. It pranced and skipped, hopping about. As it was close to the river, it fell. It had tripped and its leg landed in a hole. Feeling confused, it pulled and tugged attempting to free itself. Then it felt a prick, it felt a lick, and then it felt a jolt of pain so unbearable.

Never in its life had it felt something so terrible. The pain! The deer cried, and it wailed. It struggled about, flailing its legs and head. Hitting the ground, struggling to free itself. The pain didn't stop. It felt a bite, then two. A few seconds later, the deer's leg felt like ants were crawling all over it. The pain wouldn't stop. The deer didn't stop trying. It did everything from banging its head on the ground to digging with its paws. As the pain started to become unbearable, the little dear was about to give up. However, it remembered its family. It once again regained determined. It didn't stop, it tried again and harder. It kicked the ground and tried to jump. However the biting continued on a more painful level. Something tore through the hoof of its leg letting blood spill. The feeling of pain engulfed the entirety of the deer's being. It's eyes were blood red looking into the sky. It noticed the sun had finally set, and it gave up. The pain, it couldn't resist. As it embraced its fate, its bladder loosened… and it peed all over the hole. The urine loosened the dirt, allowing the deer to finally pull its leg out. It pulled so hard that it fell on its back and began to run. It once again tripped, and fell. The pain in its leg had not subsided. It looked back and saw the creature.

Out of the hole, two beady eyes appeared. Then four little hands. A small, atrocious mouth yet a fat and hideous shape. Fur so vile and torn, patches of pinkish-black skin appeared. It was… a rat. A hideous rat. A creature everyone hated, hiding in a hole, attacking the weak and innocent. Ashamed of itself, forced to take refuge in the darkness. The mix of fear, hatred and disgust, drove the deer to run away back to the water. It was dark now and the herd had left. All alone, the deer washed itself in the water. As it calmed down, it looked around and started to feel scared. All alone it was, without any company. As it began to head towards the forest, it twitched at the sound of every crack of a leaf. A few minutes later, the deer realized it was lost. All alone, in the darkness. Quickly, it huddled itself inside a barren bush and closed its eyes. This would be a long night.

The little deer's eyes shot open as it felt a cool sensation on its back. It had rolled and ended up going into the pond. Water filled its lungs and it struggled to breathe. It began to cough and nearly croaked. But as it left the pond water and returned to the bush, the deer managed to swallow the water and survive. It looked outside, noticing the darkness had dissipated in the presence of moonlight. All of a sudden, the deer noticed a gleam in the water. Once, twice, three times. Something appeared to be moving slightly above the level of the water. The deer could see the ripples of water travel throughout. As the figures stayed in the river, the deer faced confusion. Wondering what was there, the deer noticed the water had calmed back to its tranquil self. 

A few hours later, the deer was still awake, unable to fall asleep. As the deer's eyelids began to feel heavy, it noticed a herd of deer heading towards the water. Finally! They had come back to find it. Feeling elation, it was about to leave the bush. However, a deeper look stopped it. The deer weren't heading towards the water, they were heading away from the forest. Like the first turn in a game of pool, the wolves appeared and chased after the scattering deer. Scared for their lives, the deer competed for the fastest winner in the race for their life. Attempting to sacrifice their slow friends. The wolves killed the slow deer, yet didn't stop to eat them. They continued to chase after the pack, slowly herding them towards the water. About to be trapped in the wolves' net, the herd made a sprint, parallel to the water, in order to escape. The wolves chased, slowly coming closer and closer.

As the herd was about to break free from the wolves' net, the wolves did a final, desperate pounce. Deer fell like cut grass, yet half the herd was still safe. As they relaxed into a steady jog away from the tired wolves, the leader noticed a glint in the corner of his eye. The moon was perfectly reflected onto the tranquil. Yet, the deer's eyes widened from horror as the moon was cut in half and a crocodile's mouth appeared from between. Out of the water, 20 alligators jumped. Their wide jaws snapped shut into twenty burly deer. With the majority dead, the rest of the herd gave up. Surrounded by crocodiles and wolves, the deer faced their impending doom. They collapsed and watched as their predators inched closer to them and opened their mouths. In their final moment, they closed their eyes to hear the final sound of a chomp. The little deer in the bush whimpered as it saw the massacre of the joint forces by the predators from the river and forest. The herd was no more, yet for the single hope of the little one left.