He awoke with the dawn, stretching his limbs in the warmth of the morning. The forest steamed in the early light of the summer sun, filling him with excitement at the start of another day. With a shake of his head and an inconspicuous smile, he set out on another day of adventure in the forest, foraging and interacting with all things natural along his way.

He seldom planned his day, choosing to wander freely, taking things as they came. Life, for him, was all timing and action. He was a free spirit, bound by nothing, owing to no one. It was an ideal lifestyle but not without the price of loneliness and going unloved.

It was near mid-morning when he heard the first strains of her song, faint, yet mysteriously beautiful. He perked his senses for a moment to get a fix on its direction. He moved slowly through the forest, stopping periodically to satisfy himself he was moving along the right path. Her song was filled with loneliness, a lament to a long lost lover, he supposed. The melody urged him on, all thought and reason eclipsed by his inner senses and desires. He was entranced. On an on he pushed, hurrying his pace, lest she stop singing and he lose the trail altogether.

As he neared her, he noticed how that voice dominated the forest both in beauty and range, as it carried through the trees. Was he the only one attracted to this beautiful rhapsody, or would he find her amidst a throng of suitors and admirers? Would he have to fight to gain entry into her world? The thoughts raced through his mind as he ran, breathlessly toward the voice--so clear now, sailing away above his head.

He approached cautiously, as the path widened before him to reveal a small clearing ahead. He knew she was there, in the shadows somewhere, singing. Her voice was echoless, strong and soulful, and so near . . . calling. Calling to whom? He crept carefully along the edge of the clearing, concealed by the underbrush, peeking through the leaves to catch a glimpse of this mysterious beauty. There was no one else around, a fact he found incredible. Had no one heard the singing, this captivating, lonely melody as it wafted over the forest!? Her song actually sounded softer to him now, perhaps muted by the foliage. Or was she singing for him only? His chest pounded in anticipation as he crept and peeked, powerlessly trapped in the clutches of that song.

At last, he saw her through the leaves, leaning on a bough of a tree, grooming herself in the sunlight. He was excited by her nakedness, yet embarrassed, for he was not a voyeur--only a curious traveler, enjoying the natural sights of the day. Still, as he watched her, his mind trained on one driving thought. Slowly he crept to a spot behind a tree to view her. Her body was sleek and smooth, swaying in the rhythm of the moment. All this incredible beauty underneath the throaty, soulful song that was hers alone. He leaned forward and snapped a twig, causing her to look up at him. Her voice faltered as she held his gaze, then became stronger, as if to acknowledge him.

He watched her for a few moments, spellbound by her beauty, apprehensive at first. Then he knew he had to make his move. Without turning to look at him , she sensed his presence as he neared her. He closed in on her with the stealth of a burglar, silent, slowly creeping upon her. She was truly beautiful, her pale skin glistening in the sunlight. Her song hushed to a whisper now as he drew within inches of her.

With a final move, he was upon her, holding her in an embrace she could not deny. Contrarily, she pressed herself back to accept him, a joyous sigh whispering from her as they caressed one other. All thoughts left him as his passion overwhelmed his bodily senses and logic. She, too, enticed by his attention, gave in to her innermost desires, opening herself to him, submitting her whole existence to this brief and fateful encounter.

His intense passion was second only to her desire as they swayed in the summer breeze, oblivious to all but this tender moment they shared together. They resembled dancers, locked passionately in a tight embrace, content only to hold on forever.

Their lust peaked with excited half-breaths, his body shaking with thunderous pleasure. She leaned back onto him and swayed with his passion, and with a grim smile, she turned her head full round and with mandibles flashing, snapped off his head at the neck. . . . With his body still shuddering deep inside her, she quickly clutched him with her foreclaws and devoured him . . . a task which took most of the morning.

Satisfied and swollen, she dozed for an hour in the summer sun, her lover digesting slowly inside her. She was awakened with a shiver, aware of her vulnerability now. Fully rested, she spread her wings, and flitted off into the protection of the forest green, to lay her fertile eggs and sing her song of lament.