Rise of Mother Nature

Birth

Silence. That’s the first thing I remember. It was dark, it was cold and I was scared. Then, I saw the light. A bright ball of fire that blazed to life, the Sun. I rose out of the ground like floating to the surface of the ocean. The soft green grass waved gently in the breeze. The forest of trees above me let in small rays of sunshine. I gasped, taking in my first breath of air. I felt the warmth of the Sun on my face and I instantly felt alive. I grinned from ear to ear and jumped up from my resting place. I observed myself thoroughly. My hands were small and my fingers, slender. My skin was the color of fresh honey and it glowed as the sun shone upon it. I was wearing a frilly white dress with a sash around my waist. I twirled around a saw out of the corner of my eye a fluff of brown. I turned faster and faster until I could see it clearly. I wagged the silky brown wolf tail that trailed from the skirt of my dress. Catching sight of a lock of hair on my shoulder, I picked it up between my fingers and admired it. It was VERY curly and the most beautiful shade of green. I watched the world around me in awe and wonder, the way the birds flew from tree to tree and the wonderful sound of the running streams. I looked into the stream water and stared at a reflection. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Her hair was curly and green. She had full, pink lips and sparkling emerald green eyes. Her cheeks were dotted with small freckles but were also a healthy rosy color. I looked at the hair again and saw to hazel triangles poking up from the curls of green. Oh of course! Those were her ears! I smiled and she smiled. We were one and the same. All of a sudden a flower grew in front of me. It was tall a pink with velvety leaves. I picked the flower and smiled. Putting it on my sash I stood up and began to walk. Walking turned to skipping, then running. Soon, I was bolting through the forest as fast as my legs would take me. Laughter bubbled up inside of me and I burst into a giggling frenzy. I fell onto the grass as I let happiness and joy swell into my heart. This was life. But who I was, what I was and why I was here remained a mystery to me.

You.

My eyes widened and one of my tall ears twitched, “Who’s there?!”

I looked all around me but no one was in sight. Just then, the sun was blocked and darkness fell over the forest. Staring upward, a dark circle blocked the sun, the moon.

You are Autumn. That is your name.

“My name...” I whispered. Then the voice ceased and the sun shone bright again. The name of the voice dawned on me suddenly, “The man in the moon.”

I looked back at the sun and drank in its rays. I glanced at the ground and noticed that where I had stepped before, flowers and plants had grown in my footprints.

My face lit up, “I control this, the plants...”

I waved my hand delicately in front of a small sprout and it grew gracefully into a beautiful tree. Climbing to the top of the tree was no problem. My tail kept me balanced as I scurried up the long trunk. From the top I could see a tiny village. I grinned and ran across the trees with the help of the warm wind of the Sun. Soon I made it to the village and jumped onto the ground. There were some people, but not many, in this small town (maybe nine or ten people). They looked nothing like me. They all had dark brown or black hair with small stubby ears on the sides of their heads instead of the top. I also noticed that no tails were in sight, except for a few dogs running around the small courtyard. My conscience told me that it would be best to hide my differences if I was to make a good first impression. Concentrating hard, I could feel something like an invisible cloak surround me. I looked into a nearby puddle and saw that my green curls had changed to brown waves. My ears were now short and on the sides of my head like the other people. Lastly, my tail was invisible but I could still wag it and no one would see. I approached the village and stepped into the courtyard. People were doing chores and talking around a cooking fire.

“Hello,” I said smiling to everyone that passed me, “Good morning.”

A young man about my age, maybe sixteen ran up to me. “Oh, excuse me, can you tell me where I am?”

“John!” the boy yelled, “Wait for me!”

“Wait!” I said.

The boy ran full speed toward me and I put out my hands out to try to stop him. When I thought he was going to knock me over, his body passed right through me. I gasped and staggered backward. What just happened to me?