Forest of Greed

Nobody knows where Eve came from, not even her. One bright and sunny day, she just was. She appeared there, laying in a field of grass, exactly how she is now. She wandered the world, exploring forests, climbing mountains, and watching the march of progress around her.

She walked through the rugged terrain of the forest, listening to the peacefulness of birds chirping.

She walked on the well-trodden path of the forest, waving to Humans as they passed.

She walked on the cobblestone paved road of the forest, dodging the horse-drawn carriages clattering around her.

The old Human-town used to be a couple of nice families, growing crops, building things, and happily sharing with their neighbours, unconcerned about ever being paid back because that thought simply never went through their minds. They just wanted their people to be happy. This is the kind of community that Eve wished had stayed. But the Human-town descended into greed and madness. Everything was about money. She did not have any of these slips of paper the Humans were so obsessed with, so she roamed the streets hungry, cold, and alone.

One fateful day, she saw a father and son leaving their home to go buy some trinkets at the town shop. She knew these people had delicious carrots in their garden, and she was oh-so-hungry. After they were well in the distance, she snuck into their backyard, hopped the fence, and pulled out a single carrot to satiate her hunger. But then she saw her. A face in the window, she hadn't realised the mother had stayed behind. She panicked and froze, a deer in headlights, as the woman walked out their back door. She smiled a soft, understanding smile, and started pulling out carrots. She had pulled out around a row of their crop, handed them to Eve, and whispered, "Go, they will be back soon, and they will not be as kind as me." Eve stared at her for a moment, thanked her, then jumped the fence, loot cradled in her arms.

She returned to this house with the smiling woman, many times a week. Always when the father and young boy were gone. The woman taught her to read and write, and Eve taught her about the different plants and animals she had encountered in her travels through the land. On one of her trips, the mother was ecstatic, a baby bump was appearing. She was praying for a daughter, and had even started sewing a little read cloak for her baby. Eve was excited too, she had begun to think of this woman as her own mother, and deeply cared about her feelings. That day, the woman gave Eve something to wear. It wasn't much, just a belt, but it made her feel like truly one of the family. Eve visited more frequently now, to check on the woman and the baby, and to ask if they needed anything. She always came with a scrap of red cloth that she found in trash bins, as the mother kept running out and didn't have enough money to buy fabric.

The night before, Eve had been rummaging through a pile of discarded clothes, and found a beautiful pair of red pants. It looked brand new, and she wondered why anyone would even throw it out. It was the exact fabric that her mother needed, and Eve knew that she was going to be so excited at her find. Eve rushed over to the home the next day with a huge grin and burst excitedly through the front door, but quickly her mood turned sour. Her mother was huddled in the corner of the room, sobbing quietly and clutching the now finished red cloak in her arms. She understood instantly, and sat against the wall, hugging her mother. She sat there for a long time, unaware of time passing, comforting her mother. They suddenly heard the door jiggling, Eve had no time to escape, and the father walked in. At first, he was shocked, then he was mad. He was yelling at Eve to get out and away from his wife. She looked at her--the boy's mother one last time, she had gotten up and was standing between Eve and the father. She turned around, tears streaming down her cheeks, handed her the cloak and gently pushed her towards the back door. Eve back towards the door, clutching the red fabric tightly in her paws, now tears were streaming down her cheeks as well.

The last words Eve ever heard from the woman was, "Go, they are back now, and they are not as kind as me."