Aftershock

    It was a long and rather exhausting series of events. I kept tripping over roots, taking wrong turns, getting chased by birds, stumbling upon creepy abandoned villages... It honestly wasn't as exciting as it sounds, though. Just a load of worry and scratches. 
    Upon finally arriving exhaustedly back at the den, I half expected Rainy and Happy to rush up to the door excitedly. The grave part of me imagined opening the door, revealing an empty, dark room. I opened the door, bracing myself for any painful hugs from Happy, or the complete desolateness that I dreaded. Instead, I was greeted with a casual "Oh, you're back. Hi."

    My friends were just sitting around sleepily, talking and playing games. Judging from the placement of the sun in the sky, it was just morning. Excitement and worry often dies down a bit after sleeping, so their lack of relief was understandable. 

"Sorry I took too long," I said, sheepishly.

Rainy laughed. "That's a large understatement. You took months!" 

"Yeah," said Happy. "seasons passed. It's like, October now."

"June." corrected Rainy. "Very late June. Anyway, we've missed you a whole lot and we're glad you're back home."

"Well, I'm glad to be back home, too." I said, sighing. 

   I dragged my feet over to a pillow and collapsed face-down. There has been nothing but chaos and running in these last pages, hasn't it, journal? Why am I even asking this book a question, it's inanimate. I guess I saw the 'talking to your journal' in other journals, like Rainy's--- Don't tell Rainy I was looking through his journal. Oh that's right, you're inanimate so you won't. Haha...

I soon drifted off to sleep.

************

   I awoke in the early morning light, just as the sun was beginning to peek over the distant mountain tops. Light clouds blew in wisps across it, not opaque enough to be a warning for rain, but not a guarantee of perfect weather either. Getting back up on my paws, I tripped a little. I had my fair share of scratches from tripping over roots and twigs, so it did little to hurt me. 

   I padded sleepily outdoors to the garden that had been kept watered even during the long three months I had been on the run from the lion. It was nice of Happy to do that. It seemed there was constant adventure from the moment I had stopped living a quiet life alone on the hill. I didn't reminisce about that lonely time, though, it was rather boring. Although these adventurous days were often a nuisance; distracting me from tasks and writing, I would never give them up even if you offered me 1,000,000,000 gems! 

    The sky glowed a fiery orange, lined with pink and purple streaks of dawn. I wondered if Rainy and Happy were up yet. They weren't particularly "early birds," and were known to sleep late into the summer day. I decided to walk back to the den to check, I wouldn't want them to think I was missing again.

   Rainy was still fast asleep, but Happy was up and eating strawberries from a green pot.

 "Good morning, Berry! I saw this weird bird. It didn't look like it was from here. It was small, with a kind of yellow band-thing across it's neck and stuff. Also, I got a pile of Jamaa Journals that I found in the village down below. You can look through them if you wanna, y'know, catch up." Said Happy.

 "Thanks," I said, walking over to the pile to the left of the den. 

I looked to the most recent one, Volume Ninety one. 

"Apparently, today is Freedom Day..."

***TO BE CONTINUED***