The moonlight outlines the canopy of the forest, cutting streaks of light through a pitch black.

An every night sight. I'd appreciate if some clouds would float past, the moon beams make it hard to see. 

I gaze out, desperate for this quiet night to betray an opportunity. A movement catches my attention. A bird which was perched stoically drops from a tree branch. In a surge of motion wings shoot form its side. The fall turns to a sail and the bird disappears into the mass of trees. I've seen the sight thousands of times but I still feel that same old flare of wonder. Oh how I wish I could fly. I stretch out in imitation of the wings, ready to flap away, but the walls of the cave push back against me. My resentment burns hot but my desire to leave freezes it cold. What if I miss my chance? Refocused, I settle back to my vigil.

A burst of wind blows and the distant leaves flicked into motion. I want to leave. A sharp howl cuts through the quiet. I want to leave. I'ts too difficult to focus on my nightly watch. When I look out the cave I no longer see the forest, but the confines of the cave mouth. I reach for the exit. The forest. The birds. The moonlight. I want it all. Excitement and fear boil up inside, i'm almost out- 

It burns! I snap back. The pain is awful, as always. Back where I had touched the outside air, smoke wisps away. I will leave this place and when I do i'm smashing this cave to dust. Dust smaller than dust. The dust of dust. Dust dust. 

Whats that sound? I hear a rustling in the forest. The creatures of the brush never make noise. Is this it? Is this my chance? A figure stumbled out of the bushes. What is that? It stood on two skinny legs, with two skinny arms crossed over its torso. With a quick glance to the tree tops I confirmed the wind wasn't blowing that strongly, so why was it shaking so much? 

"Hello?" 

Oh? It can think out loud? How do I do that? 

"My name is Sir Francis. Is anyone in there? If it's quite alright I'd like to stay the night, i'm feeling an awful chill." 

The things voice chattered. Did everything about this thing shake? What is a Sir Francis?

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"Yeah, that was hopeful. At least I get to get out of this damn wind."

Sir Francis scuttled into my cave. How was it going to leave now? 

Wait. If it's in my cave, does that make it mine? Excited roared through me. Finally! I get something new! 

Francis laid its back against the cave wall and slid to the ground. 

"Damn miserable battle axe. Calling me out for not bringing any game. If everyone caught an animal every day then the forest would dry up." 

How's it keep making its thoughts into sounds. I want to do that. Whenever it made sound its face flapped. Easy. I flapped a bit and thought loudly, imagining it coming out as sound. 

"Why are you shaking?" 

Francis went from relaxed to alert, jumping to its feet in an instant. 

"Whoah there. I didn't mean to intrude it's just the nights out here are freezing. You wouldn't happen to have a light would you, it is black as pitch in here." 

"Oh." 

A silence sat in the air. Francis is shaking even worse now. I wonder if all Francis shake so much.

"Look, I meant no harm, I just wanted to warm up-"

This thing, Francis, can want? A pang of empathy shot through me. I understand what it's like to be impossibly distant from your wishes.

"What is warm?" 

"Oh Gods. I'm so sorry, let me just-" 

"What is warm?" 

Francis took a deep breath and after a moment, stopped its shaking. It can stop? Why was it doing it in the first place then? 

"Warm is.. what you feel when your by a fire."

"What's a fire?"

This time Francis let out a big breath of air. Shaking, not shaking. Breathing in, breathing out. Confusing thing. 

"I'm cursed aren't I? Just cursed." 

Francis threw its arms in the air and began to act more and more frantically.

"Just kill me! Everyone probably thinks i'm already dead anyways! Come on, you spooky idiot, blast me!" 

"Just explain what warm is, I want to help." 

Just as fast as it had started going wild, it calmed down. 

"You want to help? Okay.. yeah. Phew. Yeah. Warm is like.."

It rubbed its hands together. 

"This. When I do this my hands feel warmer." 

Well that's easy enough. I wrapped myself around Francis and began doing the warming rub. Oh, so thats why he was shaking earlier. After a bout of shaking the thoroughly warmed Francis continued the conversation, now acting much more stable. 

"Thanks. Look, as much as I appreciate being shaken like a crying baby, I'd like to leave."

Finally this strange visitor is making sense! I'm out, i'm finally out!

"Leave? We're going to leave? Yes! Lets go now."

Francis' eyes shot wide open and as they did I dove in.  

"What did you just do. Why can I suddenly see. Where are you." 

Why is it asking these questions now? Who cares about that stuff. I can finally leave!

"And why can I hear you in my head."