[ P ] The Show Goes On.

F

ortune and misfortune played equal parts in her life, beckoning her along with call of fate, dawdling alongside destiny. She followed, timidly sometimes, and gaily in other circumstances—truthfully, she was a curious girl by nature, oftentimes her inquisitiveness overriding her uncertainties. Even as a pup, she would never close her eyes for too long, always wanting to keep at least one eye open as she peeked from behind the legs of her sister and cousins. They always kept her safe, after all, and she rarely wandered too far away from them.

Today, however, was one of those exceptions, and Juniper found herself cavorting off into the distance, following the banks of the lake as the otters played with one another in the cold water. The way they frolicked and smiled, chirping happily, even among all the frost made her heart warm with inspiration. She raced with them, paws agile as they glanced over the muddy shorelines.

She ran and ran, breath heaving with excitement, until she realized she had gathered far more distance than was comfortable from her sister and cousins. “O-oh,” she said, muttering words of scolding to herself. “I should get back before they worry.” It was then that she caught scent of a male in the area, and she spotted him close by, currently minding his own business, selecting tasty morsels of fish from the lake. Juniper could only hope that he did not notice her, and she shrank into her small, yearling frame, trying to tiptoe away.

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck