(A Mother Nature Story)

by grapehyacinth

Allie finally had the chance to prove her worth to the construction company she worked for. She would get the state to sell the protected land situated between two superhighways, and her company would build the biggest shopping mall the country had even seen! It was a project that had been in the planning stages for nearly two decades, but had never become reality as the state kept declining to sell.

But thirty-three-year-old, up-and-coming Allie Lineman would make it happen.

With Connie, her assistant, at her side, Allie prepared to scout out the site herself before any further discussion was had with her superiors at Costman Construction. She intended to make a video to show how run-down and polluted the area was, and then she would point out all the positives of development. She would even make a few donations to nature funds to make the company appear in a more positive light.

“This is the time to make this mall a reality,” she said to Connie as they trudged through the underbrush. “The state is nearly bankrupt, so they'll be happy to sell. We'll get it for a steal! And now, thanks to all our networking, we also have the ear of all the important people. It's going to happen. There's no reason for it not to – ewww...” She had stepped in something squishy. She shook off her foot in disgust.

Connie chuckled. “I guess it's time to roll the film,” she pointed out, stepping around her friend.

Allie aimed the recorder towards the mess at her feet. “Welcome, everyone. I'm going to cut to the chase. Connie are here in the 'forest'. And I'd like to point out that I'd hardly call this scrubland 'forest' in the true sense of the word. It's more of a glorified dumping ground.”

Connie nodded in silent agreement.

“When I got out of my car and entered the woods, my very first step was into this...muck.” Allie held the camera closer. “You know what? What I stepped in isn't just mud. It's got oil in it. See the rainbow-effect? Again, this is no pristine forest. It's polluted, and it's probably not safe for wildlife.” She pointed the camera out further to where some debris had floated in from the highway. “Dumping, littering...and this place is a tinderbox waiting to go up in flame when someone tosses a cigarette from their car... It's happened before, it'll happen again. It's not so beautiful anymore...”

“It's not?”

The unexpected musical third tone emanated from behind the two co-workers, and they turned to see a woman that was not exactly dressed for a hike in the woods. Her pink toga-like garment seemed rather constricting, and the sandals on her feet were hardly protecting her feet from the brambles.

Allie found her voice first. “What do you mean, 'it's not'?” She studied the woman curiously, wondering why she had not heard her approach through the carpet of dead leaves.

The woman spread her arms wide, indicating the area all around them. “You don't find my work beautiful?”

“Your work?” Connie's mouth fell open. “What do you mean your work? This is just a woods. Who are you?”

“Well, some people call me Eve. Others call me Mother Nature.”

Bursting out in laughter, Allie held the camera towards the woman. “Mother Nature, are you angry because you don't want us to chop down your woods?”

The more cautious Connie backed away, eyeing the newcomer nervously.

But there was no anger on the woman's face. Gently, she nudged the camera to the side, and Allie allowed her to without comment. “My dear Allie, I can read your very shallow thoughts. I know you're taunting me, but understand – I'm truly trying to figure you out. You have nothing against the forest – neither of you do – yet you do not feel for it either. All around you are living, breathing beings. Don't you feel anything towards them?”

Allie glanced around, eyeing the spindly saplings. “Feel? Honestly, it's kind of a dump here, and it's not like trees will go extinct if we knock them down in this one area.”

Connie rubbed her hand down the bark of the nearest maple tree. “Trees breathe?” she asked in surprise.

Mother Nature snorted, and Allie quickly followed suit. “You're thirty-two and you don't know about photosynthesis?” She spouted out nastily. “Hello, Biology class...”

“That's not breathing.”

“Well, it's kind of–”

The woman stepped forward, obviously amazed by the girl's lack of knowledge. “Connie, you really don't–”

But Allie cut her off. “How do you know our names, Mother Eve, or whatever you call yourself?”

“Connie,” the woman began again, without bothering to answer Allie, “Trees are amazing examples of life. They're...”

Allie cut her off yet again. “Lady, this nature lecture is nice, but I see what you're trying to do. You're one of those tree-huggers trying to get us to stop development. But I have too much invested in this area for it not to happen.”

“My dear, we must help you learn to understand it.”

Smirking, Allie said, “Understand what?”

“The forest.”

Rolling her eyes, Allie tossed “Good luck with that,” over her shoulder and walked several steps away. But Connie did not follow, so Allie twisted back to view her friend. When she saw that she had not budged, she added, “We have to get back soon. Let us alone so we can finish this video.” She turned to walk deeper into the brush.

Allie had only moved several feet before she heard booming from behind her, “I will not let you alone.”

Suddenly it began to rain. Allie stopped in her tracks, flipping back to gaze at the lady in shock. The drops pelted her harshly, sending an uncomfortable shiver through her body.

“Yes, I did that.” The woman, crossing her arms in satisfaction. Not a single drop fell on her, while Allie and Connie quickly grew drenched.

“The rain?” Connie squeaked. “You did the rain?”

“Yes, the rain. Now, as I was saying, you must learn of the forest. Both of you in your own way will learn of the forest.”

Allie turned away yet again. “Right, lady. Bye.”

“Slowly, you will hear its call. Slowly you will learn.”

Connie somehow managed to break free of whatever strange spell she was under. Casting a worried glance behind her, she sprinted up to Alllie, and the two walked off without making further eye contact with the woman.

“Nut job,” mumbled Allie under her breath.

Allie woke up the next morning feeling strangely alive. Usually she needed coffee immediately to get herself even into the shower. Today she jumped up, her body tingling and full of vigor. Her normally-tight nightshirt fell off her shoulder and she pulled it up, giggling, “Oh, sexy lady.” But she was so extremely awake that no caffeine was necessary, and she bounded right into the shower.

Strangely, she had to stretch to reach the shampoo off the shelf. She paused, studying the ring of shampoo left from the bottle. “That's weird,” she said aloud. She did not recall ever having to stand on her toes to retrieve anything from the shower shelf...

Shrugging, she squirted some shampoo directly into her short, perfectly corporate-style hair. As she lathered it well, it felt different against her fingers. The normally smooth strands were more coarse and shaggy. Something was not quite right. Maybe she was having thyroid problems?

“I must need coffee after all,” she murmured, stepping from the shower and draping a towel around herself. As carefree as she felt, her mind was slightly cloudy, and again she attributed this to lack of caffeine. Coffee was king.

When she settled down at the table with a coffee and cereal, she heaved a sigh of relief. The beverage went down her throat smooth and warm, and she shivered delightedly, pulling the towel tighter around her.

“Towel?” At the same time she realized she had not even thought to get dressed, the towel fell to the floor.

She stood up, looking down at her body. As embarrassing as it was, she did not gather up the towel to cover herself. After all, she was alone; no one would see her. In fact, it was amusing to think that, despite living alone, Allie never walked around naked or left the bathroom door open when in use. It was just what she was accustomed to; and she had always had a large sense of modesty.

But today was different. Today she turned around, parading through the room. All was right with the world, her body looked great in the mirror, and her hair looked...longer?

She turned from the mirror, trying to focus on how good it felt to not be clothed. “Yes,” she uttered aloud. “This is the way it should be.”

After finishing breakfast in all her naked glory, Allie grudgingly placed on her best business suit. It was well-tailored and it highlighted all the right spots on her physically-fit body. Today's meeting was of potential clients interested in owning stores in the new mall, and she had to wow them all. The more interested parties, the more money for the company and in turn, for her.

And the higher the raise – not to mention a better title. She was aiming for Vice President.

Connie had laughed at her aspirations, saying that Vice President of a construction company was pointless. But she was very wrong. Costman Construction was one of the top companies in the county, building for the government and other very prominent organizations. Getting somewhere here was a great resume-builder and could lead to better positions in other firms.

When Allie pulled on the blue pencil skirt, it slid down her hips, just hanging on around the widest part of her hourglass figure. The blouse and suitjacket seemed to have been made for a woman far larger, and she had to draw a belt around the whole outfit to hold it up.

She stared at herself in the mirror. What was going on? She had lost weight too? This was another symptom of thyroid problems, wasn't it? Her eyes fell on her hair. “What the hell?” It had gotten thicker and shaggier; she had not been mistaken in the shower.

And she was shorter. Thyroid problems didn't make one shorter, did they?

She started to shake in fear. “What is this? What is this? I absolutely have to go in today!” In frustration, she turned on her high heels and slid out of both, tumbling to the floor. Grabbing one up, she shook it angrily. “These are tight on me, not loose! When did they get big?” She tossed it across the room, making an unsightly mark on the spotless wall.

“No, no. This is not right.” Sifting through shoes in her closet, she chose a pair of sandals that she had from college. They had always been so uncomfortably tight that she had never worn them, but was also loath to give them away. Now when she slid them on, they were most definitely loose, but still wearable. “I don't get it...”

She grabbed up her bag and a protein bar. “No, I've got thyroid problems. That's all it is, and I'm leaving. That's it!” She left the house in serious denial.

On the way to work, Allie felt an irresistible urge to stop her car in front of the forest. She did not pull over, merely pausing in the right lane. As the horns began to blare behind her, she let out a contented sigh as she gazed at the trees.

“Hey, lady! Move it!” someone yelled at her from one of the cars.

The voice jolted her from her reverie, and she gulped. “What the hell is wrong with me?”she gasped.

When she looked into her mirror, her hair had gotten even longer.

In anger, Allie paced back and forth in her office. The meeting was supposed to start in two minutes, the buyers were all assembled in the meeting room, and Connie was nowhere to be seen. Finally, she burst into her assistant's office.

For a moment, Allie was disoriented. Connie had drastically changed the whole layout of her private office. “Connie, why did you move all your furniture by the window? Why are you even in here still? We have to present to the prospective clients in a matter of seconds!”

Connie was curled over the desk, head in arms. Her sleeves covered most of her hands, making her fingers appear freakishly long. A black ski hat covered her head.

“Why the hell are you wearing that?” Allie cried furiously. “We're going to be in front of people, for God's sake!”

Without looking up, Connie removed the hat.

“Oh!” Allie inhaled deeply. Connie's luxurious red locks had thinned overnight, and bare patches were evident in several spots. When she had removed the hat, her sleeve had fallen down her arm, and Allie made a horrified squeak. “Your hair...your arm...”

Now Connie glanced up, and tears were evident in her eyes. She rubbed at her wrist, which seemed to be darker, as did her face. “My skin's kind of...rough in areas. The rough patches are all over my body... Are there any diseases that do that to you? Like ebola or something?”

“Uh...I'm not sure...”

“What happened to your hair?”

Allie shook her head in frustration. “Connie, did you maybe...tan too much or something?”

“Tan? I don't think tanning would make my skin hard!”

“Did you? Just tell me!”

“No, I don't do that. I'm scared of skin cancer, and...hell, Allie! When the hell would I have had a chance to get a tan? Well, other than stopping on the way here and standing in the woods for some reason, I usually don't see the light of day.”

A shiver ran through Allie, as she recalled pausing in front of the woods in her own car. How she longed to be back there... It really wasn't as polluted as she was making it out to be, honestly...

“Can you get out of the sun, Allie? You're blocking the window, and the rays feel so good on my skin...Oh, God, I swear my fingers got longer...” Connie moaned.

A very nervous Allie backed out of the sunbeam she was blocking. “Sorry...sorry...”

The president of the company poked his head in the door. “Guys, it's time. Please.”

Answering in her best authoritative voice, Allie replied, “Coming, Jared. Be right there.” She shuffled in front of Connie to shield her friend's ungodly appearance from Jared's sight.

“Hurry. The guy from Walmart is there. We need it as an anchor store.” The man left, and Connie grabbed Allie's arm.

“I can't go out like this. I have some weird disease or something. Cover for me?”

Cringing at the feel of her coworker's rough skin, Allie murmured, “No, you can't. Stay here, and I'll take care of it.” She turned away and twisted on her heel. “OW! Damn!” she toppled to the ground. “Even the damned sandals are way too big on me now!” Pulling herself up and dusting herself off, she still couldn't bring herself to admit that she might actually be shrinking.

As Allie spoke to the sea of executives, she found herself removing her suit jacket. As loose as it was, it seemed constricting at the same time. When she unfastened her belt, several of her audience eyed her with disapproval, and she had to fight not to disrobe through the whole presentation.

“Nice punk-rock 80s hairstyle, Allie. Is it a wig? Hey – did you get shorter?” Jared asked her straight out after the presentation.

He was most definitely looking down at her, and it was disarming. “What about, 'thank you, Allie, you were very convincing. Good job!'”

“Yes, definitely. Really, did you do something to your hair?”

When Allie returned to her friend's office, Connie raced at her, nearly knocking the surprised woman out of her sandles again.

Connie seemed slower, and half of what came from her mouth seemed slightly garbled. “I have to get to the woods!” she cried. “I absolutely have to!”

Allie looked down to see her friend was barefoot, and her toes were abnormally long. She grabbed the woman in her arms. “Did your toes always look like that? And your skin...it's...” She gazed at Connie in fear. She had lost more hair, her skin was increasingly darker, and the hard patches were much more numerous.

“We need a doctor,” Allie whispered.

“Allie, I need the woods.”

Allie realized she was looking up at the usually-petite girl. Connie normally came up to the second drawer on the file cabinet in the office. Now she towered above the whole cabinet. “Did you get taller, Connie?”

“You look like you got shorter. I swear it.”

Allie also had developed a new malady. Her upper back throbbed in two spots. She could not bring herself to tell her friend her own problems, but she was also secretly aching to visit the woods just like Connie. Perhaps the crazy lady that called herself Mother Nature had done something to them? Maybe she had given Connie some horrible disease and somehow had Allie shrink and grow long, coarse hair? She was trying to stop them from building the mall. She had to be...

Allie needed answers. Maybe that was why she had to get back to the woods...or not...

She and Connie blindly ran through the underbrush, Allie yelling, “Mother Nature Lady” and Connie yelling “Eve!” Without quite being aware of it, they were shedding their clothes as well.

As they reached a sunny clearing, Connie came to a sudden stop. “I can't go on,” she murmured, standing stiffly straight.

“We're naked,” Allie giggled in realization. Somewhere, even her sandals had come off, and she did not miss them. Being barefoot in the soft grass was delightful.

“Clothes aren't...I don't think I need clothes,” Connie replied in confusion. “I have to stand here now.”

“Why?”

“I feel...tight?”

“Tight?”

Mother Nature appeared right behind Connie, and both women shrieked.

Lacklusterly, Allie partially covered her nakedness. Connie did not bother. She merely had turned her face towards the sun and was not looking away.

“It's okay, Allie. You don't need to hide yourself from me. Your actions have proven that you do feel your ties to nature. By removing your garments, you've stripped away some of your humanity. Feel the forest,” said Mother Nature in a calming tone.

She moved towards Connie. “No, no, move a little to the right, child.” The stranger placed her arms over the stricken woman and inched her over to a sunny, sandy area. “Here's perfect. Go ahead.”

“Go ahead?” whimpered Connie.

“Finish changing.”

“What?” but something relaxed the girl, and she settled her feet comfortably into the soil.

“Yes, yes...let yourself transform...be and understand...”

Connie's eyes were wide. “I'm scared.”

“No, no don't be, my child. You know this is what you must be, you want to understand.”

“Yes, I do, Mother Nature. Please make me into a beautiful tree.”

“I am, Connie. You are becoming lovely.”

Allie could only stare as her friend transformed before her. Her feet had burrowed into the sand, and what once were legs now had fused to become a thick trunk. Connie thrust her arms into the air, and they thickened and lengthened. Her fingers became smaller branches which themselves forked and stretched into the sky. “Aah,” Connie smiled as she grew taller and taller. Leaves burst forth from her branches, and her features became lost in her new bark. She stiffened and grew still until only the wind stirred her new leaves.

“You're happy now, Connie,” Mother Nature stated.

“Is she?” gasped Allie. But it was more a cry of wonder than anger. Somehow, she could feel her friend's amazing contentment, and she grew jealous. She wanted it for herself.

With that, she shrank down to only inches until she was lost in the scrubby grass.

Mother Nature fished the little woman out with a chuckle. She tapped her on the back, and an unusual bursting sensation issued forth. “Finish growing your wings, little one,” she encouraged.

“Wings? Wait, what are you doing to me? What am I? A bird?”

“No, no. You're still humanoid. Take a deep breath, be silent, and just...feel. It'll tell you what you are. You want this.”

And Allie did not protest or question. Because, strangely enough, she did.

Standing on the woman's palm, Allie did as she was told. Inhaling deeply, the most wonderful calm swept into her small body. The forest's perfumes told her its secrets, and life was everywhere. She was life.

“I'm the forest,” she exclaimed in sudden understanding.

“You are a forest sylph. An air spirit of the forest.”

Allie twitched her wings, then fluttered them, which lifted her up and down. “Oh wow...I'm like a fairy?”

“No, not quite. But you have some restorative powers. Go fix up our woods, Allie. Repair it.”

The woods was hers, and Allie fluttered about, bringing life back to areas blackened by fire, and eradicating any hints of litter or debris. The forest began to bloom and flourish with Allie's kiss, and she was one with it.

And the secrets of the trees were uncovered to Connie, and she knew of the birds that perched in her branches, the animals that scuttled at her roots, and the bugs that lived in her bark. She drank of the earth, and giggled to herself as caterpillars munched at her leaves. She was providing shelter, food, and life to the forest. And she was clearing the air of pollutants in the process.

Allie fluttered onto her friend's branch. Even from her vantage point, she could see Connie was a grand specimen. She stood proudly, dominating the forest as the highest tree, and, right where her branches split from her trunk, there seemed to be a smile etched in the bark.

The wind tickled the tree's leaves, almost as if the tree were sighing.

“Is it nice like that, Connie?” Allie asked in wonder.

It's amazing. I can't describe...it's the most calming...peace I've ever felt...I didn't even know it was possible...

Allie grinned. It didn't surprise her in the least that she could hear her friend's thoughts in her mind. She was so linked to nature, she could feel the smallest rage in a passing hawk, the fear in the mouse running from it, the hunger of a spider waiting in its web... “I'm almost jealous of you.”

Allie, I don't want to go back.

“I believe it.”

“You've done a spectacular job restoring my forest, Allie.” Mother Nature appeared beside Allie on Connie's branch. She was the same size as the sylph herself.

“Thank you, Mother Nature.”

“Would you like to stay like this for a bit more?”

How many days and nights had it been? It was like a wonderful dream, flitting around, making the woods whole again... But she couldn't stay like this forever...

“Connie wants to be a tree a bit longer. I'm going to let her,” Mother Nature explained. “I figured you might like the offer as well. You have been a wonderful friend to my forest. It's grateful.”

Allie pondered this, twitching her wings. A surge of pride welled through her small body. The forest was grateful for her help, and she knew Mother Nature was not making this up. She could feel the gratitude from the very bugs at their feet. But she had a life, and she had lots to do that could only be done in human form. “No, no. As wonderful as this is, I have to get back,” she decided sadly.

It was Mother Nature's turn to look shocked. “Get back? Haven't you...” She paused a moment, scrutinizing the girl's thoughts. “Ah,” she chuckled. “I see.”

“I have to stop the construction from going ahead. For good – and now more than ever. I can't let them chop down Connie!”

When Jared saw Allie approach, his face grew dark. “Where the hell have you been, Allie? It's been weeks and no one's heard from you! I had to take on everything myself!”

Smirking, Allie uttered, “You poor man.”

Her comment served only to enrage him more. “Poor man? That's what you have to say? Do you know what it took to fix up all the crap you've caused by taking off? Thank God I managed to keep everything together.” He softened. “And, thanks to all of us, tomorrow's the ground breaking!”

Allie jumped up in alarm. Events had obviously taken place quickly in her absence. “No! You can't do this! You can't build there! It's...it's...Connie!”

Jared watched her run out the door. “Don't come back, Allie. You're finished here. And tell your friend Connie that she is too!”

Allie ran up to the slumbering tree and slapped at its bark. “Connie! Connie! You have to get Mother Nature to change you back! They're going to cut down the woods!”

In a sleepy tone, the girl answered back, Why don't you stop them, then? It's your woods too.

“I'll try... but, well, you need to turn back just in case.”

I don't want to.

“You don't want to? Are you crazy? You have a life.”

This one's better.

Openmouthed, Allie merely gaped at the tree. “Connie...” she whispered in horror. “You want this...forever?”

Mother Nature appeared behind them. “Forever's a long time, girls. Connie, you can be what you are for a while, but you have a whole life ahead of you. Live it. But for now, you may stay. You'll be dropping your leaves and overwintering soon. Let's see how that works for you.”

“But...what about her life, her friends?”

Mother Nature laughed. “You can take care of all that human silliness for her. Say she went abroad or something. But more important, you go back and take care of these builders,” her face darkened. “Before I have to.”

Allie worked feverishly the next few hours, doing whatever she could to halt the coming construction. But each phone call and visit simply led Allie nowhere. The same people she had pleaded with to build and buy were now laughing as she begged them to reconsider.

At three in the morning, Allie went through her bank accounts and tallied up her life savings. Then she wrote an impassioned letter to the state. It was her last hope.

The state was happy to accept Allie's bid to purchase the land and make it a nature preserve. It drained every bit of savings she had, and she was forced to go live with her parents. But she was happy, for she had saved the woods she had worked so hard on, and her friend Connie was safe to live and grow there for as long as she remained a tree.

In return, Mother Nature promised Allie that she would never go hungry, and she would provide for her. And when the park dedication took place, the guest speaker, a rich divorcee, took an interest in Allie.

They were married two months later, at the foot of a tree that Allie lovingly called “Connie”.