It’s evening and the night is closing in.

The last glimpse of light disappears above the trees.

Wait!

There!

You’ll hear it!

Nothing.

For one infinitesimal moment

there is no sound.

No movement

Nothing breathes

Nothing flutters

Nothing scratches

No one sings.

The darkness surrounds.

Slips over

Around

Beneath

Above

And tucks you in for the night.

Then you realize it’s all an illusion.

It all comes alive again.

Shift change in the forest.