The night sky is lit by an object hurtling towards the earth at 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 see it do not worry, it is natural.
These stones from space usually burn up in the atmosphere, usually 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 kind of light that is less...normal. The stone sits in the same spot 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 it's first sliver. An
otter splashes in a nearby stream, looking for breakfast. A raccoon licks it's
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.
But what happens when one of them touches the rock?