A.P. Language and Composition
5 December, 2014
What Hare Can See
For a few moments, all is peaceful as I lay in the soft, green grass, with no movement whatsoever.  Other than a silent arrow of geese flying in perfect formation overhead, nothing enters the scene to break the still setting within the entire landscape.  Without warning, gray clouds begin to soar in front of the only source of natural light, and thunder booms above within the bleak sky.  Lightning flashes ever so often to provide vision within the murky air, and is followed by a heavy downpour of rain that floods the field beneath my feet, making it a mushy green mud.  Then, there is a noise.  It is a rather peculiar sound??a bellow that resembles the muffled, hungry growl of a jet-black panther as it stealthily stalks its prey in the jungle??that seems to grow each second.  Fear instantly takes over my full body, and as my legs become limp noodles, a shadow of a figure begins to steadily grow upon me.  It is the beast of the land. 
The beast has a silky golden mane??now drenched and flat from the storm??that resembles that of a lioness.  It stands on four athletic legs with ripples and creases individualizing each muscle that is not hidden by the mop of dripping fur.  Its fangs consist of four, evenly spaced canine teeth that protrude through the gums and over the lips.  Dripping with saliva, these jagged razors scream the names of the lost brethren that have fallen victim to their deadly bite.  The size of this monster is enormous, for if I were to grow three times in size, I would not stand a chance in a brawl with it.  My peaceful moments of rest in the grassy meadow seldom last, for this beast has the smelling power of a bear, and detects my scent from any distance.  Its anger rises, and its hunger grows, as it spots my appealing figure laying on the grassy dinner plate.  It lunges toward me with the great roar of a tiger, but I skillfully avoid the blow.  I frantically dart, and dodge, and dive, and dash, and roll, and scurry behind any obstacle and turn to avoid death.  It is just a couple paces behind me, for my spine tingles as I can feel the dank mist of saliva and the warm puffs of each breath of this monster running down my neck with each step.  Just as it seems I will be this beast's next meal, a small opening at the bottom of one of the walls of the towering tan barrier offers as an escape route, so I survive the attack, unscathed.
Despite its history of dangers, this is an extraordinary place.  It borders my home and the homes of many others of my kind, and it is an isolated place, guarded by towering walls of tan stone with only narrow openings to come to and fro.  Every inch of the ground consists of sharp, jagged stones with varying colors of browns, reds, and oranges.  A patch of fluffy grass in which I constantly rest lies in the middle of the sea of stones, with infant sunflower plants sprouting perfectly around it.  To the right of the grass is an immense body of cool blue water.   This water is not for drinking, as I have discovered, for it tastes bitter and stings the entire throat and stomach as it slides painfully into the body.  Surrounding the great lake are smooth, well organized tiles, that singe hairs to the touch by reason of the scorching fireball in the pale blue sky.  I am in this place from sunrise to sunset, and every day the sun shines overhead like a hot lamp, causing the intense heat.  On the opposite side of the grass lies an enormous, single slab of concrete that displaces the rocks. The concrete seems to be skillfully painted of elaborate colors and lines that are all adjacent to a metal structure at one end of the slab.  There are several milky white trees with orange and brown leaves scattered among all sides of this flooring.  Heaping hedges of shrubbery, all with blooming flowers of pink and purple for small birds and insects to feed out of, are divided between each tree.  Occasional strong winds encourage sweet aromas that are produced by these flowers, filling the air with their beautiful scents of lavender. 
Giants regularly play and scramble about on top of the oversized tile-work as they bounce and thrust an orange sphere through an opening in the metal structure.  I seldom stay near these evil creatures, for their actions are extremely terrifying and even life threatening.   These two-legged creatures are the rulers of the land, and the masters of the beast.  The legion of this species has invaded the natural wilderness of what was once a vast ecosystem of life, and they have killed off an abundance of the natural inhabitants.  Their population continues to increase and new families of these creatures arrive, which leaves nowhere for my family to survive any longer. Quite often, these giants gather together in some sort of festival, with great, terrifying noises of yelling and music rattle the skull, and flashing lights that reduce vision.  These giants always feast during these gatherings, scorching their meat over shiny, metal fires that sizzle and spit flames high into the air as soon as their meals begin to cook.  At these times I  must not stay, for this place is no longer peaceful, as it had seemed before.  I do not desire to spend the last moments of my life melting  upon the artificial fires.
The sweet, lavender scents in this place are welcoming, while the grass provides a convenient resting place.  The great blue lake offers a satisfying swim, and the bright white trees produce shade to save one from the intensity of the fireball above.  But I am not welcome here.  Every day I am threatened and deprived of this magnificent wilderness by the dangers that hide within.  The frequent stomping and running about of giants, cursing me away and releasing their beastly companions upon me, and the constant fear of meeting my death dissolve my immense admiration for this environment.  The pleasing characteristics are deceiving, for this is no place for a rabbit.