Through the thick of the trees, past every branch and bush, lies a world unknown to humans. Lush vegetation, untouched by human greed, creatures lived in peace. Time seemed to stand still. It was a perfect world of unity. The vibrant green of the forest encased the creatures in a private paradise, where nothing could go wrong. Nobody was hunted, and when death occurred, it was a peaceful ceremony performed by the entire colony, and even then, death wasn’t a often occurrence.

This was all until a new face suddenly appeared. This once utopian society spun into a cycle of distortion. His cries could be heard by many, the call of the crow reverberating through the bodies of the once-peaceful residents. A state of unrest began to grow in the air upon his arrival. The once beautiful vegetation began to wilt, the air seemed to grow thicker with a dark presence, and the creatures became volatile toward each other, the feeling of unease tearing through the peace. The crow would watch over his creation of distress, sitting on a branch high above the earth, feeling satisfaction in his destruction.

As time passed, the gloom of the atmosphere became the new normal. The crow quickly took over as the superior in this secluded kingdom, gaining the reputation of a violent and cruel leader. The crow seemed devoid of emotions other than rage. His scowl would cause intense unease throughout the bodies of the ones he glared at. Anyone who was to get near his prized branch would be subjected to his rage. A storm of puffed feathers, distressed caws, and violent scratching from his claws that seemed to be razor sharp. Many of the creatures of this colony were scarred, covered in bloodied marks from the ruthless attacks that seemed to never end.

The creatures wanted to rebel against this newcomer, the one who destroyed their peace, but it was nearly impossible. The crow could feel whenever someone were to disobey his rules, and he would make it known. Any time any creatures were to begin a plan for rebellion, their bodies would show up mere hours later without an explanation. The bodies would seem to be mangled, absolutely unrecognizable. 

A deer, tired of living this way, decided he had enough. As he worked out the plans with a group, he felt content in knowing that it would all soon be over. “I just want this all to be over”, the deer spoke to the others. “Are you sure this will work? He doesn’t know?”, another said. The deer spoke with confidence, “I’m sure he doesn’t know. We just have to keep a low profile and be cool. This might be our only chance to escape.”

All the creatures circled up but didn’t say anything. They knew he was right, whether they wanted to admit it or not.

A squirrel spoke up, “So what exactly is the plan?”

The deer dragged his hoof across the dry dirt, drawing a messy picture. “Well, the crow goes to bed around 2 am. After he finishes his rounds, we gather everyone, and we get out of here. I’ve heard rumors of things on two legs a few miles from here, they have endless food and plenty of protection.”

The squirrel decided to trust the deer, also ready to get out of this nightmare. “If we’re going to do this then we have to do it right. Tomorrow night?” The deer nodded in agreement.

As the crow began making his final rounds, he came upon the deer, lying in a dead bush. He moved on without saying anything, waiting until the deer got up. He already had an idea of what was going on.

As the deer slowly stood up, looking around at his surroundings, he felt confident the crow was gone. Upon the deer stepping out of the bush, the crow landed on his back.

The squirrel searched around the meeting spot, and after hours passed, he figured the deer backed out. As the sun came up, he realized he was mistaken. A horrifying scene revealed itself. The deer was hung upside down as if he was hunted by man, the antlers stripped from his head and used as decoration on the crow's prized branch. A puddle of blood dripped beneath.

The squirrel felt as if he would be sick. He couldn’t control his stomach, he threw up behind a tree. This was one of the last times anyone had tried to rebel against the order.

The crow ruled with an iron fist and fear. The circle of fear seemed like it would never end. Through the murders, the threats, and the violence, creatures began to end their own lives in an attempt to end this suffering. This only got worse as more crows began to show up, causing more disarray in the community.

Black feathers littered the forest floor, covering up most ground. It was almost a sick representation of the control this murder had over the community. Soon, it only got worse. The group began to attack and kill other animals to eat them, only choosing to eat the fresh bodies. As time went on, this once pleasant and calm society became a desolate wasteland, filled with only bones and the raw leftovers of their past kills.

Once all the creatures had either managed to leave or been killed, the murderer looked over their destruction once more before they took off for the last time, leaving this destroyed world in their wake.