Thump, thump, life fading away. The gray spirit, the little one who carried a cloth around looked at the humie who was lying on the ground.

Gray didn’t understand why the humie was sleeping in blood. Blood was not right, it was awful, and Gray didn’t like it. He looked at the big sister who was sleeping, her heart was crying, and since her vision was focused on the humie. Gray thought that it must because the sister cared for the humie.

No humie would help them. They couldn’t see them and Gray understood that the humie was kind. Most humie would run away or leave the sister behind if they were in danger. But the humie didn’t do that.

The humie was in pain. So much pain that Gray didn’t know what to do. The humie looked so sad and the blood spread out from his stomach made him paler.

Humie was kind. He had helped Gray when he fell on the floor. He had been following the sister, and the humie who didn’t leave behind the sister.

Now this humie was dying. Before long, he will return to the earth, his pain would go away.

Please, someone, please, just help him.

The sister prayed inside her head. Gray looked at the humie again, he was speaking, talking to his sleep.

...Mother Galena, your son did well, you told me…that I shouldn’t become a monster. Mother…are you proud of me now?

Gray didn’t understand what the humie was speaking. But Gray understood that sweet and longing emotion that was burning his heart.

…When you told me that I can be good. That I don’t have to follow what others think of me…I was happy…so happy that even though they think I…would become the same as the teacher…a calloused man who died for his own…mother…I am sorry…that I cannot be good. If I was a better…Doctor…I could have…I could have done so much more.

Gray didn’t understand. What was the humie saying? Who was he talking to? Gray didn’t understand other than the humie was hurt. The humie pained so much that it hurt him.

Mother…I did well...I became a Doctor…I didn’t hurt anyone. I was able to live without taking lives.

His heart gradually started to slow, the thumping getting quieter.

Please, no, please, help him.

Gray looked at the big sister begging at the other brothers who were staring at the sister with tilted heads. She was always keeping the same look. Gray didn’t understand why the sister was crying. Gray couldn’t understand.

Gray looked at the cloth that was given to him. The humie gave it to him without the malice of others. It was simply what the humie wanted to do, to help those who are hurt.

But why can’t the humie help himself? Gray looked hard at the humie, his little stubby feet floating above the pool of blood forming around him.

His movements made the other spirits look at him oddly. What are you doing? You shouldn’t attend to the humie, was what Gray can tell from their looks.

But Gray ignored them.

He landed on the back of the humie. Then, he tried to channel his roots, but found out that there were veins inside the humie that were the same as the big sister.

‘Little one,’ a voice called to Gray. ‘The humans are not compatible with our blood, little one.’

Gray looked at the figure made from the floating leaves. The ‘eyes’ of the figure looked down on the humans.

‘It is certainly the end for the human, little one.’

Gray was confused. The humie always helped people around. He even helped the little sister who was sleeping.

‘You won’t help?’

Gray asked the figure made of leaves. The figure looked down, and checked on the body.

‘He is cursed, beaten, and emptied, child. There is no saving him unless he becomes a puppet.’

‘But I want to help the humie.’

The figure made of leaves smiled. The figure noticed the cloth being carried around by the little one.

‘Oh, little one, you are too kind for your own good. Still, you seem to care about the humie.’

The figure made of leaves pointed a leafy hand on the little one. Then, she saw what the little one saw in the past days. The actions of the human. What he did for the daughters of the forest, and his desire.

‘You pitiful child of man,’ said the figure made of leaves.

‘Child of the forest,’ the figure made of leaves directed it’s voice on Mana. ‘Do you want to save this child of man?’

Please, I owe him too much, he fought for his own, out of his desire, but it doesn’t mean that I cannot look away when he is hurt. Mother of Earth, please save this human.

The humie heart’s getting stiller as the second passes. The blood pooling under him had wetted his face, and yet his eyes were already unfocused.

He couldn’t speak any longer. His finger twitches uncontrollably, and yet they stare at him.

Please, mother of earth, I beg of you.

‘Child, those who face death cannot be easily brought back. A choice must be made, young one. But even with this choice, those who are not blessed by the veins of the world, of the blood of mine, cannot possibly survive this. His soul must be strong, and most humans do not possess that quality.’

This is the only thing that I can repay him with.

The figure made of leaves pondered. The figure looked at the little gray one and then asked.

‘Little one, do you want to save the humie?’

‘Yes!’

‘Why? Do you know why you want to save this humie?’

The little gray spirit looked at the cloth he had been carrying. Unlike the humies, they were eternal, and even if the humie didn’t help him. Then he would soon sprout from flowers again.

It was a meaningless gesture. Death was meaningless to the Gray Spirit, and yet he thought about it. The humie helped him. So why not help the humie back?

It was a simple thought that came from the spirit. But most all, Gray couldn’t stand a big sister crying.

‘Because he was kind to Gray.’

Through the leaves, the figure smiled, like a doting mother, the figure held on to the head of the little spirit.

‘Oh kind one who should have been welcomed back to the embrace of the earth, and daughter of the forest, you two want to save a human’s life, but this will depend on his soul's fortitude.’

Please, mother of earth.

‘Then half of your days you shall offer. Do you accept, my daughter?’

I do.

‘Till death and sickness? When your life returns to the earth?’

When my life returns to the earth.

‘Kind child, I am sure that he did not do this to be repaid. His heart will break if he learns of this, do you understand?’

I know.

‘Then I have nothing more to say,’ she raised her leaf-like arms. She sang an ancient primordial song that brought every music and tone to her voice. The trees themselves seem to sway at the joy of her tune.

Then grasses seem to sway to their direction, prostrating to the figure, and at the same time a primordial sound came as the little gray spirit was placed on the body of the human doctor.

The roots became hands as it laid the human on his back. And then as the gray spirit was placed on the chest of the human, the song of the figure made out of leaves became higher.

Like a part of the wind itself. As natural as one would hear when facing the seas and hearing the waves. The figure’s voice was the sound of trees being blown by the wind. It was the sound of a river flowing downstream.

It was the sound of nature itself singing together with the figure made of leaves.

Then the gray spirit seemingly traveled to the heart where its gray silver light gave an intense color. Then from the palm of the figure made of leaves was a root-like leaf that separated into two. One root moved towards the human, and the other to the daughter of the forest.

The mother connected through the two by using her roots to connect them. Each root enters through the mouth, eventually finding its way to the heart.

Her song then became a beating of the heart. Before, it was the sound of all sounds of nature being sung. Now it was like she became the heart of the forest itself.

It was a peculiar sight as the ‘roots’ started to cover their hearts. The figure made of leaves, slowly manifested into a fair wooden form, a feminine figure as she looks up, and open her mouths, capturing arcane energy and the ‘songs’ she made using her mouth, letting them flow into the two who have been lost to this jungle.

*****

Then she found herself in a strange dream world.

Each dream world of a person shows their world.

But this world was an island jungle with white beaches. On the coast, there was a strange metal boat that had rusted on the side. Not far from the boat was a metal bird with one of its wings ripped apart.

“Am I high again?”

A voice called out. It was a tall rugged white man who was wielding a shorty single edged blade.

“Goddamn this box ain’t opening, my damn machete is going to fall off.”

“Are you a human?”

“Human? Ma’am, I don’t know how high you are or I am just still having some kind of hallucination with Dr. Eckert’s concoction, but I am Grant Carver, ma’am.”

He raised his machete, the name of the weapon, on the box’s lock.

“Great, I am really hallucinating lately. Goddam Island, fucking bandits, fuck it all.”

The man carried leather carriers containing weapons. The figure looked around and saw humies with their torsos shot open. She could tell that the human killed at least fifteen of them.

“Can you help me open this shit?” the man asked. “You’ve been staring at the bodies for a while now, Ma’am. Are you one of those shamans of the natives or something?”

“I am looking for someone.”

“Who?”

“A healer.”

“Some kind of doctor then? You probably won't anything here.”

“Yes.”

The man hit the lock again. “Sorry, ain’t seen no healer around this island, they’ve been slaving people here, most of the villagers here have been thrown to ground.”

“And what are you doing here?”

“Been survivin, livin, and trying my best to keep from harm. But people here ain’t so bright when it comes to them bandits.”

“So you’ve been helping?”

“Aye, it’s the right thing to do, and having some of them back me up when things get hard is what makes it helpful.”

She walked next to the box. “What is inside the box?”

“Some kid who has been boxed inside. Don’t know why, but he’s been crying about his mother Galena.”

“I don’t hear anyone.”

“Really?” he slammed the edge of the blade on the lock. “Can hear him crying for his mother and some guy called Cato. Don’t know why someone was fucked up enough to lock some kid in a box.”

The man slammed the single-edged blade on the lock, finally breaking it. He opened the box, and found a young man who had been hiding in the box.

“Oh my,” she said, realizing what was happening. She smiled, and turned to the man who was pulling the kid out of the box. “It seems that your own secrets, Doctor.”

“What are you saying?”

Before he could say anything, the kid disappeared inside the man. He looked stupefied as the kid melted into him.

“Mask-wearer,” she said. “You should leave this place. This isn’t your place anymore. You have to care for my daughter, isn’t she your patient?”

The man stared with widened eyes, seemingly remembering. He nodded, walked to the shores, and stared at the horizon.

“Ah, I remember now.”

She nodded, and watched the man until the world faded.

"Time to wake up," she said to the man.