COMPETITION PROMPT
Write a story that has no obvious protagonist.
How can an engaging story be structured without a main character?
The Woodland
On a warm summer night many centuries ago, an odd assortment of creatures were consorting along a riverbank. The sun had vanished behind the grey mountains only a few moments before, and a calmness had fallen over the forest where the creatures resided. It was a very old forest, the sort where the winding tree branches seemed to pierce the sky and the air was rich with the perfume of pine needles and moss.
Ladybugs slept peacefully on the petals of yarrow flowers while playful fireflies zipped about illuminating lush grass along the riverbank. One of these fireflies landed on the black tail of a doe, which flicked it away lazily before turning her attention back to the chipmunk that stood chittering before her while stuffing its face with thimbleberries.
The doe’s ears perked up as it heard a great whine come from the river. A mink had knocked over a beaver’s little house of twigs in an attempt to catch a trout, and now the beaver was slapping his tail against the water in protest.
Dew dotted the mink’s matted fur as he laid on a rock above the waterline to rest, well out of the young beaver’s reach. His green eyes trailed up towards the tree branches where an old raccoon sat watching the stars. Tree sap was dangling around the masked creature like the icicles brought by winter winds. Thousands of twinkling lights reflected in his eyes, but the racoon never stirred from his perch until after the sun had risen, many hours after his younger company had retreated back to their burrows.
One day man would enter the woods, and civilized creatures great and small would again turn to beasts. But for the time being, there was peace.
I love the description of it all! :)