Gina had been tricked!

One moment, Michael was rubbing her cheeks and feeding her the freshest, crunchiest, juiciest lettuce she had had in years, if not her entire life!

The next moment, she was left alone with the natural Fortress, Michael and the other two humans having left.

“Michael!”

Gina dashed to the wall Michael had exited, paws rising to claw in protest.

“Open!”

She threw her whole weight into her paws and clawed with everything she had.

“Why do you try to scratch me, precious one?”

Gina froze as she felt the consciousness of the Fortress fall on her. There was no animosity, nor foreboding. Simply curiosity and questioning.

“Michael left! I need to be with Michael! Let me out!”

Confusion pulsed through their emotional link.

“Michael… Our Steward? But he commanded you to stay here. Why disobey?”

“Because I need to be with him! I need him and he needs me!”

“Our Steward said he would return. Wait, and he shall return.”

Gina thumped her foot on the floor in frustration.

“You don’t know that! You felt the shakings and rumblings! It’s not safe! I need to find Michael!”

Gina resumed her clawing.

“Let me out!”

“The Steward charged me with your protection. It is too dangerous to let you out.”

“I don’t care! Let me out!”

“Sorry precious one. The Steward’s word is the word. Unless he says otherwise, I must keep you safely here.”

“No!!!”

Gina continued clawing. She dug into the bark with all she had, digging for all she was worth.

Yet when she paused to check her progress, she squeaked.

The tree bark stood perfectly pristine before her.

Gina thumped her foot once more.

“Let me out right now, or I will eat you!”

In answer, an assortment of fresh, leafy greens sprouted in front of Gina.

“As charged by the Steward, you are welcome to partake of me.”

Gina squeaked in frustration.

She leapt through the greens and got to the bark once more.

She didn’t want to hurt one who was so devoted to Michael. But she had given the damned tree its chance.

“Let. Me. Out!”

Gina bit down, hard, and pulled, intending to viciously tear the wood to pieces.

But the bark didn’t budge.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Gina grimaced and strengthened her bite as much as she could, until her cheeks began to feel sore.

She froze at some sudden movement to the side.

Just beside her, a new layer of fresh bark grew and presented itself to her.

“If it is bark you wish to eat, you may have this patch. I softened it especially for you.”

Gina indignantly threw her head side to side, trying to sink her sharp teeth into the bark before her. Yet, it was all for naught. She collapsed in a heap.

“Please… please let me out. I need to be with Michael!” Gina whimpered.

“Peace, precious one! The Steward ordained that he shall return! Wait and see! He is strong! The strongest! He defends this house and you through me! Moments before, I was weak and small and many. Now I am big and strong and one! If the Steward can do this, what are you afraid of? Why don’t you believe in him?”

Gina sighed.

“I believe in Michael.”

“Exactly! Then-”

The Fortress shook. The earth roared.

Gina was thrown to the side as everything trembled vigorously.

“Precious one!”

Shoots of vegetation sprung out from the floor beneath her and wrapped her in a soft cocoon of greenery.

After several seconds, the earth grew quiet, and the floor became still.

The cocoon around Gina loosened, though she didn’t dare move a muscle, ears perked up for the sounds of danger.

“Peace, precious one. The earth’s roar has passed. You and the house are safe.”

Gina felt her stomach drop at the thought of Michael being somewhere out there in the chaos.

She needed to find him.

But as she eyed the wall in her way once more, she found it as it had always been.

Untouched.

She hadn’t even left a scratch.

She could not break out.

She anxiously grinded her teeth, hopping back and forth before the wall.

“Please precious one, be calm. Our Steward shall return. For now, wait and eat!”

Another few green leaves sprouted right in front of her, their aroma instantly wafting into her nose.

Gina’s body shivered.

No!

At least, that’s what she wanted to say. But after a moment of hesitation, she begrudgingly began to eat.

“See precious one? Everything will be okay. You just need to…”

“Shut up!”

The Fortress grew silent. After being certain the Fortress would say no more, Gina continued munching and brooding as she nibbled her way down the leaf.

I need to get out…

But as she chewed on the lettuce, she couldn’t help but turn her focus towards it. Her eyes teared up.

Oh Michael…

It really was the best lettuce she had ever had. Fresh, juicy, sweet, rejuvenating… all thanks to Michael. She felt like with each mouthful, she got more energy. She felt more alive. Stronger. More powerful.

She paused her nibbling.

That was it!

She would eat the Fortress until there was nothing left of it!

With renewed determination, she devoured the lettuce leaf before her.

And then the next one.

And the next one.

And the next…

~

The precious one needed to be protected. The house needed to be protected. So the Fortress would protect them.

However, it did not understand the precious one in the slightest.

She nibbled away with such aggravation at the shoots of lettuce it had sprung up.

Did the precious one not see?

The Steward commanded that she stay. And yet, she was upset? Even thinking to defy him?

It was a curious phenomenon the Fortress simply couldn’t comprehend.

To deny the Steward… it was to deny Life itself. For the Steward spoke for Life. He was the voice, the hand, the will of Life. He and Life were essentially One.

Though the Fortress felt honored to be chosen and commanded by the Steward, even feelings of honor and admiration weren’t necessary.

Did one need honor to breathe?

Was it admiration that drove one to eat and drink, to exist?

Who would willingly refuse such? To go against the grain of Life itself… it made no sense at all.

Yet there the precious one sat, foot thumping in agitation as she ate.

A puzzling conundrum indeed.

And to call the Steward by another name, no less…

Michael…

The Fortress found it alien. It remembered when it was small and many, how lots of the mortals that walked around and cared for them also held these strange names.

But to ascribe a mortal name to an immortal being…

Very confusing.

But the Fortress did not fret.

At the end of the day, it did not matter what the Fortress heard or witnessed, nor whether the precious one moved with or against the grain of Life. So long as the Fortress did everything in its power to follow the will of the Steward, that was all that mattered.

Thus, it sheltered the house and the precious one from the rumblings of Earth and Stone, while also taking care of the precious one’s needs.

And what needs the precious one seemed to have! For she had already almost finished the little vegetable patch it had grown for her!

The Fortress had been sure it had provided enough. But perhaps not. The precious one was blessed by the Steward. Perhaps she needed more energy than the drop it had used to sprout the leafy greens.

Thus, the Fortress grew a new patch of various greens, this time increasing the amount of energy inside each leaf.

The Steward’s words echoed through every single one of its cells.

“Protect and take care of Gina to the death. Sacrifice the house if necessary.”

It was charged with the precious one’s protection and wellbeing. And it would do anything and everything in its power to ensure that protection and wellbeing.

For thus was the will of the Steward.