The night sky is lit by an object hurtling towards the Earth at a breakneck pace. This part of the forest is rarely visited by humans other than park rangers and scientists, so no human is there to witness the falling star. Most animals take no note of it; those that do see it do not worry, it is natural.
These stones from space usually burn up in the atmosphere, becoming nothing, sometimes remaining small rocks. But this meteorite falling towards the Earth is different. By the time it reaches the ground, it is still the size of a minivan. The stone cuts a flaming path through the trees and digs up the ground as it skids to a halt.
The rock glows faintly with the remnant heat of atmospheric entry and also with some kinda light that is less... normal. The stone sits in the same spot for the rest of the night. No animal dares to come near while it is still glowing red with fire. But right before dawn, it has cooled sufficiently to allow animals to get closer. Birds sing in the trees above the rock as the sky lightens in its first sliver. An otter splashes in a nearby stream, looking for breakfast. A raccoon licks its paws a few yards away. A fisher creeps up on a porcupine in a branch close to the stone. A deer is bedded not far from the rock. A fox trots past with a dead mouse. The animals do not wonder about the stone; they accept it as a new part of their environment.
Then the animals start to feel unusual. Their minds subtly alter as they acquire sapience and become more aware of themselves and their surroundings. The first animal to have physical alterations is...