The sun played down among the trees. The maples, pines and birches showed off their myriad colors; golds, reds, and greens danced their way among the treetops. Leaves came down like some storybook rain shower. The sweet smell of damp earth and trees gave the air a pleasant smell. Shrubs of every shape and description layered the forest floor along with colors of leaves and dried twigs.

There was a snapping of twigs. A slender figure emerged; its antlers splayed outward majestically. The soft, light brown coat shone in the sun like velvet. The sinewy legs pawed the ground with a goat-like hoof. Two large brown eyes scanned the woods for predators, as did the sensitive nostrils and the swiveling ears. The deer lowered its magnificent head and began foraging for food.

A paw settled soundlessly on the ground. A cat's hungry face scanned the area for prey. He smelled food. The long slender tail twitched in anticipation; the spore was fresh and strong. Crouching low, he slunk forward. There it was - feeding - a deer - unaware of the mountain lion. Muscles rippling, the cat came forward soundlessly, staying down wind. Then he leapt into the air, his deadly maw open wide for the kill. The deer's backside buckled under the weight and pressure of the lion's attack. Long fangs sank into the deer's shoulders. The deer rolled over desperately trying to get the huge cat off its back. The mountain lion leaped away to keep from being crushed by the deer's frantic thrashing. Taking care not to get too close to the deer's sharp hooves and antlers, the mountain lion snatched the deer's neck in his powerful jaws.

The deer let out a cry of pain. Helpless, the deer struggled. The huge cat's teeth sank deeper into the deer's soft neck. The predator tasted blood, flesh, fur. Then, slowly the deer went limp in the jaws of the mountain lion. n