[Write a poem or short story about someone who has lost or is about to lose their home.]

  Huh, I guess my response to prompt #11 (Dragon) could fit here.

  But, of course, I’ll write something completely new for this prompt rather than use something already existing!

  ……

  Oh no! I almost don’t notice in time as a large bird attacks! I duck, dodging sharp talons, and scurry down my tree, fleeing as quickly as possible.

  That was close—I almost became another’s meal. I have to be more cautious. Maybe there are more birds around? Should I hide for a while? What if while I’m hiding a competitor takes my tree? I’ll stay on my tree. I want to keep this tre—

  The beast is back! It dives again, flashing its talons in an attempt to grab me, but I run away again, not staying on the same tree again.

  Sad, I bound across the ground, sticking as closely as I can to the trees in case I need to hide behind one. I see it! The bird is high above me, waiting. It looks like it lost me, because it lands on a branch looking in a direction I’m not in.

  I’m not staying around here—that bird is scary.

  I move quietly and slowly, eyes on that bird. Eventually, I’m far enough away that it won’t hear me, so I run. I’ll have to find a different tree. Preferably one without large birds.

  I don’t know how long I ran for, but I find myself in a clearing that smells nice. I want to eat whatever it is I’m smelling. I make my way forward, following my nose. I soon find a round, orange fruit half-open, its insides falling out. I check my surroundings, making sure there are no predators. Nothing, so I feast.

  I grab a fleshy piece of the fruit and sit on my haunches, nibbling. It tastes really good. I eat more.

  I’m almost full when I hear loud noises and turn towards a…human nest? I don’t know what it is, but I’ve seen bird nests and humans build their own places to live, so I’ll call it that. From the human nest appears a loud human making rough sounds with each step he takes. He is far away though, so I don’t run yet. I need more of this fruit.

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  No! The bird is back! I see it flash through leaves as it dives to me, so I duck behind the fruit. Worse! The loud human loudly walked in my direction with a long stick in its hands! I want to flee, but the bird is in the air and the human closing in. Where do I go?!

  Wait, the human stopped moving and raised his stick. Since he stopped moving I have time to look at the bird. The bird also fears the human and fell back to the tree, resting on a branch, I think waiting for the human to leave so it can get me.

  I turn back to see the human pointing the stick at the bird. Is it challenging the bird? I don’t understand what it’s doi—

  The human’s stick exploded! I’ve never heard anything so loud! I run back to the tree line, afraid of the human and its stick, when I see the bird—actually, its corpse—fall from the branch it sat on. What just happened?! Did the exploding stick kill the bird?! I’m scared, but the bird is dead, so I run into the trees, finding a large one to climb.

  I hide there afraid for a long time, but my stomach is full. I sleep on a branch and awaken at light rise.

  When I awaken, my stomach is not so full—I’m a little hungry. I remember that delicious orange fruit so big that I could sit inside it. I want more. I check my surroundings before making my way down my new tree, stopping every once in a while to listen for birds or humans with exploding sticks. I don’t know which is more scary.

  I find the tasty orange fruit again and eat, but the human is outside its nest, sitting down, watching me. I don’t see its exploding stick, so I continue eating. For a long time, I return to the human nest to eat the orange fruit, which sometimes grows bigger or smaller, even changing colors a bit, but is always tasty. However, I notice that every light rise the fruit appears closer to the human nest, sometimes with the human outside watching me! It’s a little scary, but after nearing it many times without any sticks exploding, I am less scared to approach the human. Especially because it gives me tasty food other than the orange fruit!

  At some point, I find myself being touched by the human, it using a finger to pat my head and rub my back while I eat. I like it. The human isn’t scary anymore.

  A long time passes and I wake up to something strange—breathing is difficult and my eyes sting. I don’t like it. I exit from the home the human built me to see lots of light coming from the trees and the air darker. I’m scared and I want to flee! But my new home is next to the human’s nest and the light and dark air approaches! I don’t know what to do, so I wait next to the human’s nest. Maybe it will help me. I want it to help me. I like the human. It gives me food.

  Quickly, the dancing lights and dark air catch up and near the human’s nest, so I have to leave. I watch my new home be destroyed by the lights. I’m sad and scared, but I keep running. The dark air hurts.