どこかの森の奥深く。誰も足を踏み入れたことのない森で、あなたは開けた場所にたどり着く。目の前には3匹の小さな生き物が横たわり、語られるのを待つ3つの物語が…

Somewhere, deep in a forest. A forest unexplored by anyone before, you come upon a clearing. Three-little creatures lie before you, three stories waiting to be told…

Lil Samurai:
A small bird sits in his nest with his brother and sister, awaiting his mother’s return with today’s meal. As the sun begins to set, it seems she may not be back in time, or at all…

Scolding you for your suggestion, your older brother reminds you that mother recently showed you where the best grubs can be found, and so you should go forage, searching for her in the process.

Mother taught you well… however, to your dismay, you find tufts of her feathers strewn all about the area. It’s clear she won’t be coming home to the nest ever again…

When you finally make it back to the nest, it’s just in time to watch a snake, fat from feasting, readjusting it’s jaw back into place. Your siblings meeting the same fate as your mother. You are alone. You harden and leave the nest. The tree. The forest. You will not meet the same fate. Death will have to earn it from you.

This fate seemed inevitable. But two more creatures’ endings remain untold. Choose again.

Lil Ronin:
It’s a beautiful morning. The grass is laden with dew and the ground beneath is ripe with clover. You bend down and pick a flower haplessly as you take in the scenery.

In front of you, a small rabbit and his father emerge from their burrow. At first cautious of this new beast, they seem curious and approach you. The child, afraid, hides behind his father.

In your attempt at diplomacy, you lose your footing and tumble forward turning curiosity quickly into fear and panic. You fall hard failing to catch yourself as your hands slip in the dewy grass. The baby artfully jumps away from you, his father, however, is not so lucky.

A valiant effort… but ultimately a fruitless one. Where there was once fear in the eyes of the child, there is now nothing. A cold stare that tingles your soul. He turns, slowly, and makes his way toward the burrow but instead of returning home, he goes off to the edge of the forest, looking back at you only once. A look that says, “I will not forget”

A peaceful life, interrupted. But one creature’s fate remains unknown. Final choice.

Lil Sohei:
Near the stream, a garden of lily pads are home to an army of frogs. Day and night their songs can be heard as melody of the rhythm of the babbling stream. The smallest attempts to join the chorus…

Try as you might, the sound won’t come out. It never does. Romeo, the leader of the brigade, begins to mock you. Opening his mouth wide, puffing his chest and wheezing heavily in pitiful silence.

It's not very effective. Romeo won’t let you get away with it and the other frogs all begin to join him. Croaking hoarsely, still louder than you ever could. As the loneliness wells up in you, you’re faced with an obvious choice.

Sadly, this was the natural end to this story. You will soldier on, othered and alone. The burden will never lessen, but the knowledge that you can count on no one becomes your armor. You will sing a different song, silently. One only you will ever hear.