A Hunter's Monster Tales

Resting an elbow on the wooden railing of your cabin's steps, you can't help but notice that the landscape of the montane forest has changed once more overnight.

'So it's not just the animals...' you think to yourself. The apple in your hand tastes sweeter than previous harvests. Each bite is more filling and juicier while the apple itself is much larger.

Today's world feels foreign compared to yesterday's, and even more so to the day before that.

The pines are towering another few centimetres. Near by their roots, some flowers popped out of nowhere, coating the area with a sour-sweet perfume. As for the grass... while it could've hidden a small hare the previous day, a fox could comfortably stroll through without your notice now.

'A fox...' You shake your head as you realise your mistake.

You've seen their tracks but the implications horrify you.

A hare must be as big as a black bear now. Worst of all is that their paths make no sense, yet they somehow intelligently avoid all your traps. One such trap even had signs of being tampered with, as if the animal was trying to figure out its use.

Rope traps for live catching no longer seem viable. Still, the possibility that you might need a bear trap to catch a hare...

You feel like you have to see it for yourself, no matter how hard they avoid you. Any animal will do.

Only then can you properly adapt.