Kalu, Newborn Spirit

Here's a little story I've started, about a world where all animals start out as wandering spirits, until through their actions, they come to embody an animal, at which point they become that animal.

Chapter 1

The creature felt confused. He didn’t know what he was, who he was, or where he belonged. He stared out from under the fallen log at the expanse of forest before him, seeing things he had never seen and hearing things he had never heard. He knew nothing. All he knew was that his name was Kalu, and that he had something he had to do.

He wasn’t sure, but something told him that getting out from under this log would help him accomplish this unknown task. He considered it, but decided that he liked it where he was. He floated over and alighted on the stem of a large leaf. There he sat, looking and listening, until the subtle green glow from his body was the only light.

He began to feel strange. Moving and seeing was harder. A little voice inside him was telling him to relax, to unwind—to sleep. A moment later, all was black.

When he awoke, thousands of tiny clear orbs covered everything around him. Kalu decided that today, he would venture out from under the log.

Tentatively, he moved into the early morning light. He looked up, as if afraid that something would jump down and attack him.

As Kalu’s courage grew, he floated farther and farther away from the log. Sometimes he would risk floating a couple inches off the ground, but then would come back to the moss-covered forest floor with a profound sense of relief. Soft and safe. That’s what it was.

He stopped on top of a bare patch of rock and looked around, awed by the huge brown and green forms surrounding him, the beams of light shining through the canopy, and the strange sounds all around.

That was when it hit him. He looked around. Nothing else. No one else like him.

What was he, anyway? He tried to look at himself, but all he saw was a faint green glow.

Slowly, the few fragments of knowledge he had in his mind began to weave themselves into a mental tapestry. Light. His body, whatever its form, made light. Light reflected off the clear orbs scattered about. He moved in front of one, and saw a tiny ball of green light. He rammed himself into it, delighting at the cool feeling on his body.

Now he knew what he was, or at least what he looked like. Now he could find others like him.

He decided to stay under his log for another dark time. As before, he fell into that state of calm blackness. His vision returned and he set out from under the log. He felt—somehow weak. It was hard for him to make his way to the bare patch of rock he had rested on the previous light time. He stayed there for a long time, all the while feeling weaker and weaker.

What was happening to him? Frantically, he tried to find something—anything that could nourish him—keep him alive. He searched all around the clearing, but nothing seemed to help. Kalu’s vision started to blur and fade. Sounds degenerated into a meaningless ringing. With a soft cry, he lost consciousness.

A loud screech jolted him awake. He stared up at a large, frightening creature. It was a huge gray mass, at least five times larger than he was. Despite himself, looking at him seemed to nourish him. Something on its front opened, and he heard something coming from within.

“Don’t be afraid,” it said. “I won’t hurt you.”

“Wh—what are you?” asked Kalu.

“I’m a mouse,” it said. “My name is Ina. What’s your name?”

“Kalu,” he said. “Do you know what I am?”

“Of course,” said Ina. “You’re a spirit.”

“A what?”

“A spirit. A free soul.”

“What do spirits do?”

“They wander,” said Ina. “Wander until the ruler of us all, the Forest Guardian, grants us an animal form. I was once a spirit, until just a few days ago.”

“Day?”

“You’ve seen it get dark, and then get light again, yes?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a day. When it’s light, you have daytime. When it’s dark, you have nighttime. How long have you been here?”

“Three days.”

“That’s bad. Spirits are nourished by the sights, sounds, and smells of unfamiliar things. If you stay in one place for too long, you’ll die.”

“So—you’re saying I should leave here?”

“Yes.”

“Well, if staying here means I’ll die, I suppose I should leave.”

Ina laughed. “Yes, you should.”

“Will you come with me?”

“I’m afraid not,” she said, a twinkle in her eye. “I have my own task. I seek to help the Forest Guardian, and I must accomplish my task as quickly as possible. Goodbye, Kalu, newborn spirit.”

With that, she scampered away. Kalu watched her go, and then decided that today would be the day to leave this part of the forest and explore the rest. He now knew what his task was.

“I shall not stop until I find what I am!” he proclaimed. His voice was small and weak, but he poured every drop of strength he had into the cry. He turned toward some glittering object some distance away and began to make his way toward it, floating over the moss, leaves, and needles that covered the forest floor.