Dancing with the wind

After summer, here came autumn. Looking out of the window, memories poured into my mind. We used to catch the leaves fall together when autumn knocks on our doors. And she will be sitting there by the bench under the big ole tree, knitting for the winter. We often end up dazed and blushing after the running and the turning, but we were never exhausted. She never complains that we are restless, but she just sits there and smiles to us. Sometimes I wonder if it is just a long dream, and I’m proven the truth when the nightmare pinched me, and forced my eyes open from my deep sleep. 

 She is gone, and he is gone. I stood in the middle of the living room, yelling for them, but I heard nothing but echoes. Then, I fell asleep again, and I dreamed of a dark cold place. Lights intruded my eyes, I saw a man. The man asked me how many years have I lived, I replied, 16. He smiled in disbelief. He brought me back to his home. He asked me where my home is, I replied, I have no home. He asked if I had kids, I replied, I had a mother and a brother, but they both left. He asked me, in which year was I brought to this world, I replied, I don’t remember. 

He gave me a big bowl of stew when we reached his house in the woods. He told me he is a scientist, researching on the species in the woods. I was informed too, that nobody in the city cares for the trees now. He said in great enthusiasm when he told me that he found out that the trees are once used to supply energy to the humans. I corrected him, the trees produce oxygen, and we supply carbon dioxide. His eyes brighten in joy and requested for me to continue. 

I told him, we also consumes and absorbs nutrients from the plants and animals. He stared at me with great disgust when I mentioned animals. I asked him the reason for it. He explained to me that the animals they have are made in metal and alloy. He showed me some pictures of it. I sneered and told him, those are not real animals, and they are fakes. The real animals breathe and eat. They have flesh and blood. Though, they are not all the same. Some are cold blooded, some are warm blooded. Like the fishes, they are cold blooded and they breathe through their gills. He told me that it is hard to believe, he had never even heard of fishes. I shook my head very slowly, and glanced through his collection. He saw me looking at his research and gaily brought me to his lab. I wondered if it is a laboratory at first, because there is nothing. The place is completely empty. 

He then pressed on a few buttons and the room changed. It is now occupied with a few cages. I saw a tiger, a monkey, a small squirrel and even a dog. He told me these are some fascinating creatures he found in the woods. I know that he don’t have a clue what are these creatures. He showed me the one that he is most interested in, a small flying creature. He told me that he couldn’t understand how can it be so colorful, and why does it have such a short life span. I smiled and told him, it is a butterfly. Nature decides their color .Their life is short, so that they will treasure every moment. 

He asked me for my favorite among them, and I introduced him to the real dog. I very slowly and carefully patted the dog’s head, it was defensive at first, but I slowly got its trust. I told him to get me some food and he handed me a food bar. He told me it’s a nutrient bar; the form of food that they eat today. I broke it into smaller pieces and fed it to the dog. It ate hungrily. I asked him if he had ever fed them, he said he did, from time to time. But sometimes he doesn’t as he was busy conducting experiments. I also told him to let the animals go as soon as he finished his researches on them. I told him that it is very cruel to lock them in these small cages while they still have families to care for. I warned him with the tricky monkey and the fierce tiger. 

He sighed as I told him how we lived back then. He exclaimed that people today don’t even know the feeling of touching an animal. The children especially are only going to treat the existence of the green plants and the animals as a myth. His eyes are filled with sorrow when he said, how can the world be so advance but the people don’t even know how to appreciate Mother Nature. I weakly told him that he can make a difference and spread the news to tell the world. Teach them how to plant the first tree in the city. Teach them how to protect the animals. He gripped on my hand and nodded while I spoke my last phrase, lives are incredible, but we are not the only ones living in the world… then, I fell asleep again.

I opened my eyes and saw god. I asked Him, why was I the only one left? He told me, it’s because I have a message to send. I asked Him, will I make a difference now? He replied, I will know it only when the time has come. And he vanished right in front of my eyes. 

“Wake up! Wake up Hazel!” Harley shook my body vigorously, “Look! It’s the fall!”
I blinked a few times and saw the red leaves falling gracefully. I jumped up and grinned widely while running to the leaves happily, with Harley by my side and mom leaning by the door smiling at us.