Haven wandered down his usual forest trail, lost in thought, his imagination spinning stories that danced in his mind. Distracted, he didn’t notice the uneven ground ahead. Suddenly, his foot slipped, and he tumbled down a short, rocky slope. He landed with a rough thud, and pain shot through his foot.

— "Ow!"

he muttered, wincing as he tried to move. His left foot was wedged tightly between two large rocks. Haven’s golden-brown eyes widened with panic. He pulled, but the rock held firm. He pushed against it with all his strength, his arms trembling, but it barely budged.

— “Come on… move,”

he grunted, but his thin frame didn’t have the strength. Panting, he spotted his brown book bag, which had fallen a few feet away. Desperation rose; it was just out of reach. He stretched, fingers straining, but it was no use.

Slumping back against the rock, Haven sighed heavily.

— “Really, Haven? Not paying attention for five minutes and you end up stuck under a rock,"

he muttered to himself, feeling his deer ears twitch in frustration.

He glanced up, noticing dark clouds rolling in. A low rumble of thunder reached his sensitive ears.

— "Oh, fantastic,"

he groaned,

— “A storm. Just what I needed."

With renewed urgency, he twisted and tugged his foot again, his breath quickening as raindrops began to fall.

— "Okay, this can’t get any worse,"

he muttered, half-smiling at his predicament.