*Might be too mature for younger readers or those who have lost pets before*

Beep...beep...beep...beep...

The rhythm was steady, a monitor displayed that his heart rate was elevated but not strained. The deer's eyes opened just slightly, he couldn't keep them open for very long. Bright lights hovered above him, and his body was slowly becoming more and more numbed from the injections they had put into him.

A gloved hand caressed his neck. He listened to the voices of the veterinarians who were doing everything the could to save him. He didn't understand them, but their voices were more than enough to soothe his mind.

The stag closed his eyes, weeping just a little. The past few days had been nothing but pain for him, but he felt just a little comfort as he lay on the padded operating table. A simple cloth covered most of his body, there was enough exposed for the vets to inspect.

His skin was rotting away.

~~~

"Where did you find him at?", one of the vets, an older woman, asked a high-school boy who sat in the waiting room of the clinic.

"He was walking down the street.", the boy replied, "Not too far from here."

The boy was worried about the deer. He had led the animal to the vet clinic, looking for help from anyone. The deer had been grunting and moaning with every step he had taken on that long road.

"What is it? Do they know what happened to him?", the boy asked.

The vet shook her head, "They've never seen a case like this. They think he might have been exposed to radiation contamination, but for now they're not sure. We wouldn't even know where he came from."

The boy lowered his head. "Hey...", the vet said, kneeling down to meet him at eye level, "You did a brave thing bringing him here. I'm sure he really appreciates that someone would care for him like you did."

At that time, another vet came in. The two looked to the man, who sighed and shook his head.

Quad awoke to find countless other deer around, all calling out, dancing, laughing...

But he didn't feel that way today. There were many things on his mind and every moment he sat there listening to the others made his heart cringe. He needed some space, he needed silence.

The fat antelope stood and walked away, past his friends, past new fawns who wanted to play with him. He didn't want to be around them at the moment. He just wanted a little peace to clear his head.

He soon found the Old Oak, the tree invited him in and sheltered him like a mother doe would shelter her fawn. The blackbuck stepped into the closed space, his antlers barely fitting through the entrance. There he sat on the cool soil, listening to the hum of the oak as the wind breezed steadily into it. He closed his eyes and meditated, taking long, deep breaths.

And at that moment, everything stopped. He cleared his head, his body calmed and relaxed. He didn't know what he was so upset about, but it didn't seem to matter anymore.

Nature has a wonderful way to ease our stress, and often it is right there before us, just asking to help.

The challenge is accepting help when we're too caught up with our daily lives.

Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters.
Author: Norman Fitzroy Maclean
Source: A River Runs Through It

I am haunted by waters. Water touches our lives in so many ways as a blessing and as a curse. Before we are born we are entombed in water in the womb. When we are born we are placed in another womb where we have to find the water and its many meanings. Our very bodies are mostly water and all water is a side product of the birth of stars. As a star is born their is an outflow of gas and dust that in a shockwave thrusts itself into the others gas and dust and the result is the birth of water. Water is a the main element of earth and without water there is no life there. It is a central component of religion and spirtuality. It is said the nearer one is to water by ritual or in dreams the nearer one is to the divine consciousness. It flows and changes all it touches and carries away what ever it cleanses. It releases the darkness and poison in us when our tears flow. Its sounds many times soothe us but ofter frighten us when it rages during a storm or flood. When experiencing the endless forest I and others are drawn to the water. There is this need to hear it, to drink from the pond, and to listen to its sound. The rushing water from the stone mother figure is a comfort. The mother is big enough to entomb oneself in if needed. It is a place to stand and clear ones mind. The water cleanses us from unwanted spells or sometimes one just wants a start over cleansing and takes a dip in the pond. Occasionally like life I just fall in and am transformed. I am haunted by waters because I know to be touched by the waters is be be changed.