Clodia sat on the forest floor for hours, then days, then months. She watched the sun set earlier each night, felt the air become cooler day after day, and listened to soft leaves pile on top of her, covering the sky and stars from view. There was no sign of her bird friends anywhere. All hope of reaching the mountain, which had seemed so reachable, was lost (again). Then, on the coldest week of winter, a strangely familiar melody of temperature and moisture unlocked an internal set of gears deep within the acorn. It sent roots out into the dirt, and a new tree started struggling back to life.

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