Friday, July 4, 2025

The Silence of Man: A Feathered Chronicle (Ch-1c)

The Roar and the Ruin

Chapter 1 (Part-C): Scavenger's Hope and Despair:

With the humans gone, or at least severely diminished, a new, desperate opportunity arose for the other creatures. The scent of decay, once a warning, now beckoned. Mitthu's parents, driven by hunger, would cautiously descend into the husks of human structures. Food, once hoarded and protected, lay scattered and spoiling. Tiny, forgotten morsels in discarded containers, grains spilled from shattered stores, even the dried remains of what they once called "pets" became sustenance. Other animals, too, emerged from their hiding places – rodents, desperate dogs, even larger predators, all drawn to the strange feast of human downfall.

But this hope was fleeting, a poisoned bounty. The food was often tainted, leading to sickness and a strange lethargy that would steal life as surely as the initial blasts. The water, too, was a treacherous lure. What looked like shimmering pools often brought forth agonizing pain and eventual stillness. The ground itself, once a generous provider, seemed to repel growth. A desperate harvest, yes, but one that came with a hidden price, a grim reminder that even in their absence, the humans' final act still scarred the land. The Old Watchers knew then, with a chilling certainty, that the humans had paid a terrible price for their last, furious fit of rage. The silence, profound and enduring, was their penance.


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