The human sat there, catching his breath, his chest heaving and lungs burning. It appeared that God was not quite done with him yet and decided to spare his life in this instance. That was when he heard it. A piercing noise, like that of the crow of a rooster but mixed with the hiss of a snake. He felt a presence behind him. He didn't move a muscle. He saw a small bird, couldn't have been any bigger than a robin, perch itself on a nearby branch. As soon as it turned around and faced the direction the human was sitting, he saw the bird turn to stone on the spot. The tiny statuette fell to the forest floor with a dull thunk. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end for the third time in as many hours. The creature hissed behind him again, and he could feel its breath on the back of his head.