Lupine Tree

by wille179

Prologue - A Voice in the Forest

For as much as fire terrifies me, I think I was born aflame.

I awoke to the sensation of burning. Every last part of my body shuddered from the pure, unadulterated agony I felt in every fiber of my being. It was so all-consuming that I remember nothing about that time save for the pain. Did I scream? Did I panic? I don't remember.

But when the burning agony vanished, I felt a clarity that I had never before experienced. In the days that would follow, I would find that my memories were clear and sharp, that I could think faster than I had ever before, and that I understood everything. Puzzles that had stumped me before suddenly were non-issues. Traps, an idea that had never occurred to me before then — not that I could have understood the concept before that day — suddenly let me gather far more food than I had ever been able to before.

Days, weeks, months, years... the concept of time had been alien to me before the burning, and yet now it seemed so incomprehensible to me how I could have functioned without it before.

Animal. That word — what lovely things, words — popped into my mind. I suppose that must have been what I once was, although it doesn’t seem to quite fit. I’m something else now, something new.

Person.

Another word. This one, I feel, fits me better now than animal did back then. Yes, I am a person, I think.

I think, therefore I am.

Another set of words. I remember them occasionally. This one seems to describe me. Why I remember them, when I feel that they have never been spoken to me before, when I have never been spoken to at all, I do not know.

But they comfort me. Why? Because I exist.

I. Me. A person.

I have an identity.

I don’t have a name, though. My kind don’t need names. But I want a name. Can I name myself? Or is that something your parent needs to give you?

What’s a parent?

Oh. I remember. I don’t remember having one of those. I suppose that means that I can name myself.

Name. A collection of sounds and symbols that describes the who the name belongs to. I couldn’t think of a name at first, but I remembered one eventually.

Title. A thing that is like a name, but describes what a named thing is, instead of who it is.

Pun. A pun is an interesting thing. The existence of that idea meant that words could be played with. I’d never played with anything before and I didn’t have anything else to play with at the time, so I played with words.

And then it came to me. I knew what I was titled before. I know who I am now.

I name myself Jack.

I was a timberwolf.

I am a wooden person.

I am Lumber Jack.

Comments

[Bright Light46]

Nice intro, short, sweet, and to the point.

Happy Writing,
-Bright Light

[AppleTank]

Ha. Lumber Jack.
Of course.
Equestria has infected his mind.

[WarKing76]

Well, I'll be damned. Color me impressed when a prologue of all things lead up to a huge pun.

[Lord_01010000]

Wow. One of the best, and shortest, prologues I have read to date. Kudos to you author, kudos.

[Bumblebee Tuner]

[Texus]

Nice first chapter, I hope you make some of them rather large later, or at least a really long story, Or try to make an open ending, maybe we want a sequel in the end, the idea itself is really nice already.

[IAmNotSmartest]

I like the thought pattern, how it doesn't jump directly to confusion, surprise, pain- just introspect.
I'm hooked, I'll keep reading.

[Bob the ODST]

Jack.....

"Son.... you're special. You were born to do great things."

[Malesur Darkhoof]

I am Lumber Jack.

It had to be done.

[shy sad jaded shard]

hu? well that name works and I like it so far (always like the the word wolfs-bane myself)

[Hoppa_21]

Have a like, just for that pun at the end!

And now I'm off to read further. It really looks interesting and I can't name another 'Human-Turned-Timberwolf' story, which makes it all the more interesting!

[Toobert]

This looks really fuckin' cool.

[Princess Cadence]

6450727
Dang, you beat me to it.

[Yasahiro]

I was hoping for Jack the Ripper.

But it still might work, eh?

I think it's time for Jack...

TO LET 'ER RIP!

[rainbowscratch27]

6460470
go metal gear, also, wille, is that a reference by making jack a "wood cyborg" and calling him Jack

[SweetAutumns]

I've only read the prologue, but this is already great. If the entire prologue is nothing but the build-up to a terrible pun, ot must be worth reading.

[Nevarius]

REALLY!? The story starts with a pun of all things!?
I love it~

[Riverwing]

What a beautiful pun.

[Doctor REDACTED]

Yaesssssssssssss

[Doctor REDACTED]

6450727 what the actual fuck duck was that

[Majk]

Oooooow , that last line hurt soooo bad in such an awesome way.

[The Forgotten Comrade]

This was brilliant.

[Radioactive Dragon]

6495706 what about being a miner/dwarf

[Joker and the Thief]

6725995 Guess he wouldn't be Lumberjack, he'd be Digby (Rigby).

[Mr_Moon]

The fucking pun... Nice...

[Shadowshame]

Did someone cast the awaken spell on a timber wolf?

Anyway interesting start time to see where this story takes me