There once was a pinecone in a forest far away from where you are sitting. If the pinecone were to break or crumble, then the forest would be distraught. Everyone liked this pinecone. The pinecone would occasionally assist the trees and the moss with their gardening. He would find food before winter for the hibernating animals. 

This pinecone was very special indeed. No one knew what he was like outside of his kindness. Everyone thought he was just kind, inside and out. He was not, at least on the inside. He despised the forest and everyone in it. He hated gardening for the moss and the trees. He hated finding food for the hibernating animals. He didn’t want to sit back and do everyone's dirty work. He wanted everyone to do his work instead!

He didn’t want to be special, he just wanted a break. No one in this forest ever thought that he needed breaks. Just like any other plant or animal there. No one ever thought to ask, “Hey, are you ok?” or “Do you need to rest?” The pinecone used to think that this was normal. But as he got older he came to realize that something wasn’t right with this.

Why does he get no breaks? Everyone seemed to forget that he was even alive. They only took him for granted. 

One night, the pinecone decided that he had had enough. He went to a cave with no vegetation. The pinecone found dead twigs and leaves to make a path from the center of the cave to the plants outside and sat at the end. He called for the fireflies around the forest and some came flying his way. He decided that this forest would have the misfortune of burning down. The pinecone caught a firefly in his spines. He heard that if they were crushed then they would release a fire as powerful as a dragon’s flame but as small as the head of a match. The small fire was all he needed to burn down the forest.

He crushed the firefly in between his spines and waited. No flame appeared. Not even a bit of warmth. It was just a myth! He even planned to go along with the forest! It would be very humiliating if anyone saw him. He had also killed an innocent bug. 

The pinecone was aggravated at the thought of doing more work. He was gone for too long. He moved the Dead plants to the back of the cave. He came out and walked through the forest. The plants and the animals asked questions like “Where were you?” and “Could you help start my garden?” He put on an act and answered “I was just taking a walk.” and “Sure, I'll help you.” He walked over to the creature who asked for help with his gardening. It was a new squirrel from three trees away from his. The pinecone followed the squirrel to his garden and got to work. 

This squirrel has never asked for his help before. This was the pinecone's first time even seeing him. After a while, the squirrel got up and climbed his tree without a word. He came back a moment later holding two cups of water. “Hey, how about we take a break. You look like you need one.” he said, “ You can even go home if you would like and we can start again later tonight.”

The pinecone took the water and downed it in 3 gulps. “I guess I'll go home then.” he walked over to the squirrel and handed him the empty glass. “Thank you for helping me today.” the squirrel said. 

The pinecone walked away from the garden and went three trees away. When he arrived at his own tree, he walked through a hole in the ground. When under the tree, he walked through a long hallway and came to a door. The pinecone opened the door and walked in.

This door was the only thing between him and his bed. He opened it and walked to a side table. In the side table were ribbons, bottle caps, plastic bottle rings, and other trash he had collected when helping the forest. Among the items in there was a key. It was a key to another room in his house. 

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The pinecone walked out of his room and closed the door. He decided to have a rest like the squirrel suggested. He just won't be coming back tonight. 

He walked back down the hallway and stopped in front of a door. He put the key in the lock and opened it. It was a room filled with multiple gadgets like pliers, a wrench, and an assortment of hair clips. Everything in this room was a bit rusty, aside from any newer additions. He closed the door and locked it again.

The squirrel was happy that the pinecone had decided to help. When he moved to this forest he heard about a very helpful pinecone. When he saw the pinecone walking through the forest with plants and animals all around him asking questions, he assumed it was him. He decided to ask a question. The pinecone was bombarded with these questions so he felt a little bad about asking. 

The squirrel heard the pinecone answer. He walked towards the squirrel and followed him to his tree. The squirrel was so excited on the way there that he almost passed his home. He looked back towards the pinecone. He didn’t seem to notice. 

When they reached his soon-to-be garden, they got to work immediately. After a while, it started to get lighter out. He thought that the pinecone was working hard and walked over to his house. He opened the door, walked to the kitchen, and grabbed two glasses of water. With the water in hand, he walked out of his house and back to the pinecone. He handed him the water and asked if he wanted to do more work later tonight. The pinecone grabbed the offered water and drank it. When finished, he handed the squirrel the glass and agreed to come back later that night.

The squirrel decided to follow him home. He thought that such a nice creature would come from a very nice home! He followed close behind him. The pinecone stopped three trees away from the squirrel’s home and opened a door. The squirrel scurried over to the door and sat outside. He would enter the house when he was sure the pinecone was asleep.

He knew it was wrong to break and enter into someone else’s home but he was very curious. After a while, the squirrel got up and opened the door. It was a very cozy home! It was small enough for only two creatures of small sizes to live in. He looked around and found a hallway. There were three doors. One on the end and two on the sides opposite of each other. 

He assumed the door at the end was where the pinecone slept. He walked to the door on the left side and opened it. It wasn’t locked. When the door was fully opened, he looked inside. There were cages full of fireflies! Why would he have these! He looked over to a wall and saw about a dozen match heads. What would he need fireflies and match heads for? These fireflies didn't do anything wrong!

The squirrel walked out the door and closed it. He turned around and tried to open the one on the right. It was locked. After a minute of thinking it was just jammed, he gave up on trying to open it. 

He walked down the hallway to the door at the end and opened it. He thought that the pinecone would be laying on his bed, sleeping. He wasn’t. The squirrel didn’t think this was strange though. He could be behind the locked door. If he was, the squirrel had to leave immediately. He walked through the house and left.

Later that night

The pinecone didn’t arrive at the garden tonight. Maybe he took a nap and was still sleeping. The squirrel didn’t want to bother him. He would just have to wait until tomorrow.

The next day

The creatures of the forest were very worried about the pinecone. “Where is he?” and “He hasn’t helped anyone yet.” or  “He hasn’t even left his house yet!” The squirrel started to get very worried. Some of the creatures of the forest decided to go to his house. The squirrel decided not to, as he went the night before and didn't want to face him if the pinecone somehow heard him last night.

After the group came back from pinecone’s home they looked distressed. Some were even crying. After a while of trying to calm them down, some of them decided to speak. A robin spoke up first. She said “His door was unlocked when we got there. We could walk right in. We checked his room first and he wasn’t there….” Her sentences trailed off. Another pinecone picked them back up. “There was a room with fireflies in a cage and another room opposite of that one. The door to that room was locked. We had to knock it down. When we got in, we found him.” 

The squirrel was a bit scared. Why was everyone so shaken up? What could be so bad about that door? This time, a toad spoke up, “He was crushed under a wrench. It seemed to be a suicide.”

The End