Silence reigned. There was always silence, every time the flowers covered the woods in a red mantle. No animal dared to venture into the heart of the forest. Not when it was covered in that bloody color.

There had always been silence. Until then. A huge tree seemed to pulse, with its own heartbeat. Multiple strong creaks echoed and made its red leafs fall from its gigantic hanging branches. The ground was covered in red, with the foliage of the massive weeping willow. With every hour, the hits became fiercer. The branches began to move, subtly at first…

The tree shattered at last. A huge claw pierced and ripped the trunk from the inside; it emerged strongly, like the sharpest of swords. It left the wood crooked, with a thousand blisters, sharp as needles. That claw took its time to move again, but soon enough, it contemplated its liberty. Those long sharp nails outstretched and curled calmly, with thought. They felt the cold air outside, without hurry.

The hand backed inwards after a while. It laid itself onto the side of the huge orifice it had opened, and then it began to pull. It made the hole bigger, as it ripped the wood. A red eye glinted from the dark innards of the tree, finally seeing light in ages. A fanged smile grew in the dark, full of pride, in an unnatural form.

Freedom, at last.