The moonlit night had brought with it an icy rainstorm as the cold air seeped into his body and turned his skin warm. Jongdae woke up with sweat tricking down his forehead. His blood was heating up from within. His body felt feverish and his mind, anguished. Bright rays of the morning sun streamed in through the window, colouring the floating dust into a hazy blanket of soft dots. Lifting his head felt like a chore as Jongdae closed his eyes and breathed in the smell of rain. The night had dampened the soil outside.

Highland birds cooed across the sky and the insects buzzed and chirped, creating their own nature’s song. He could hear the gentle sway of the towering trees, their leaves moving in synchrony with the oceanic winds.

His home, a humble abode of two, had a thatched roof made up of bamboos, hay and straw. The concrete of the walls wasn’t sturdy enough and the windows had no bars.

Jongdae exhaled loudly as he tried to push himself up. His throat was raw and his muscles felt sore. He arched his back into a half-moon curve as he tried to get the stiffness out. The day felt dark and gloomy; clouds spreading across the horizon as the sky slowly turned greyer.

Jongdae’s eyes fluttered open as he heard a struggling moth trying to make its way back to nature. One of its wings was broken. Jongdae watched it jump around in desperation as the moth flapped its lone yellowing wing in vain.

Sighing, he moved the earthen pot of water under the window where sunlight was pouring in. He didn’t want to drink icy rainwater.

His head was pounding hard; the long hours of labour at the timber mill being its cause. The pay was awfully less. A week of hard work in exchange for three copper coins and a bag of rice. His body ached as he his side. Work didn’t start until midday, when the sun was at its highest and the tide at its lowest. The wood of the coast was precious, one of a kind. Due to an inconsistency in the number of trees cut down and the amount of wood supplied to the Feran market, castle guards were appointed for supervision. They watched the workers like a hawk, its prey. All blamed the lone shed in the woods for thievery but Jongdae knew that was far from the truth. Coastal tribe were at fault, everyone knew that but it was easier to direct their fingers at the outcasts of the jungle. Now that his uncle was taking whiplashes in the dungeon, Jongdae had to work twice the amount his body could take. He could feel his stomach burn but the stinging pain was starting to feel bearable. He needed the copper to get his uncle out of the castle prison and the bag of rice was done with three days ago.

The song of the highland birds tried to lull him back to sleep, but a high-pitched howl jolted him awake. Jongdae almost instantly jumped on his feet. His mind was throbbing with an aching numbness but his heart was alert as he ran towards the cries of the animal.

The forest had been his home for sixteen long years. He’d learnt the hidden secrets of nature as his heart could tell the meaning behind every shout of every animal whether it be a growl, screech or howl.

The loud wailing he’d just heard sounded afraid, perhaps frightened due to danger. He believed that if you listened close enough, the sounds of the animals were not just grunts and roars but instead, words and thoughts. With just a single touch, his soul could feel their heart and all that lay within the sounds of their voiceless cries.

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