Plant Life - 06 - Sprout

With a steady supply of water now secured he moved on to prepare for the eventual birth of the sprouts. A support system would have to be created in order to ensure the sprouts grew straight and strong. Their fragile stems would be susceptible to the coming winds. For this to be accomplished he would have to venture back into the valley to find sticks and vines. This time the trip would be not take as long since he already knew where to look, also his daily trips for water gave him the opportunity to find the shortest route possible.

He counted the number of mounds in which the seeds were growing and added a few extra just to be on the safe side. With the number resonating through his mind he set off towards the valley. He was correct in his assumption that he would be in and out of there quickly. It was only a matter of minutes before he had collected enough supplies to complete this next step. The Sun had yet to reach it's mid-morning perch and he was already on the way back to his field.

As he dropped the collection of materials his flesh alerted him to the rise of activity within the air. The winds were on their way and gaining strength with every minute that passed. He had no time to spare and set to work immediately. He took a seat next to the pile and began to separate the sticks from the vines. He began by setting sticks of similar size together in various little groups. As he was doing this the vines were also tossed into groups based on length and girth. He was unsure of what seeds would produce trees and which would bring forth the smaller plants. His best option would be to use the larger sticks and vines to secure the seedlings which formed the perimeter, hoping to form a protective barrier around the inner growth. With the larger items in hand he began to tie the vines at various distances along the stick. This endeavour led him into the early afternoon by the time it was completed. He debated taking a short break before continuing on when the winds suddenly picked up it's pace. The loose ends of the tied vines were picked by the currents and fluttered chaotically.

Worried that any procrastination could prove to be fatal to the fetal plants he instantly made his way to the closest corner plunging the first stick deep into the soil. To be sure the support was adequate he gently tugged on it then lightly tapped it with his foot. The stick would move only with physical interaction. There wasn't a chance the winds would overwhelm the support sticks he planted along the perimeter. He only hoped the inner area would fair as well. In accordance to his plan the sticks would decrease in size the closer he got to the center of his garden.

With a dozen or so small sticks remaining he found himself nearing the end of his objective. He had to take to his knees in order to firmly place these smaller sticks into place. As he tested the resistance of these small sticks a motion from below caught his attention. Something on the soil was moving. Lowering his head and inspecting the scene a speck of green was slightly visible against the brown dirt. Had it not been for the wind he would never had noticed. He quickly turned his head searching for more signs of life. Randomly laid out across the area he was now inspecting, more and more greenage could be seen. Excited about the new life he jumped to his feet and proudly surveyed his field taking in accomplishments achieved thus far. His only concern was that the seedlings wouldn't be tall enough to be anchored when the winds reach their apex.

Plant Life - 05 - Waiting For Water

His next task was to get the newly planted seeds some water. Not far from his property a stream laced down from the mountains into the valley below. All he had to do was bring over enough water so that his seeds would have a strong start. He decided on a daily water walk in which he would fetch fresh water twice a day

However in order to be successful with this endeavor he would first have to construct a water carrying device. This would have to be something large enough to water his entire field yet not too cumbersome as to create more work than necessary. Since all possible construction materials resided off of his property, he would have to search the outlying areas for anything able to aid him in this effort. With the Sun yet to wake from it's rest, he headed out to the South Eastern corner of his land and began to seek out the perfect container. He was aimlessly kicking at the litter of sticks and stones covering the area when he suddenly realized the optimal way to transport the water. The first item to locate would have to be a rather longish and sturdy branch. Straight as possible. This he could rest on his shoulders and attach to buckets to each end. Now that he knew what it was that he needed, his search had a renewed vigor. This hunt was taking a lot longer then he had expected. It was already close to noon and was feeling fatigue wrestling with his will to continue. Giving in to his body's demand for rest and sustenance he made his way back home. During his journey homeward he considered searching closer to the valley for his support stick. There would have be more tree life down by the water. He re-assured himself that he would discover exactly what he was looking for down in the valley but that would have to wait until his body gives him the all clear to proceed.

The Sun was high on his forehead when he began his journey to the valley. He could taste the lush greenery in the air as approached. He slowed his pace as he was struck by the beauty surrounding him. It had been a long while since he'd seen such vibrant foliage. He was dizzied by the scents that danced with each other in the air as they made their way to his nose. Intoxicated from the beauty of this valley he had momentarily forgot why he was here. He snapped himself back to the task. Searching along the tree line would have to be the best place to start the search for his support stick. He had only begun to rummage through the undergrowth when he stumbled upon a large and only slightly curved branch. Dragging the stick back out into the open allowed him time to study it more closely. Turning the branch over in his hands as he angled it in the light, he looked over every inch ensuring there were no cracks or weak points. After a few minutes had faded he was pleased to conclude that this stick proved sturdy enough for its intended use.

Resting the stick against a small rock near the path home he turned back to the trees and started the second phase of his search. Something from which he could construct a water carrying container. These 2 items would have to be water proof and relatively light in weight. Lost in thought he hardly noticed that he was almost at the stream and still hadn't come up with a suitable containment device. The steady flow of water of rocks was relaxing him. It was useless to put up a fight. He gave in to the calmness that was splashing him. Taking his full weight to the ground he sat next to the water and began to let his mind float with the clouds. The flickering of the Suns light through the leaves brought him back to consciousness. As his eyelids struggled to regain control his gaze was fixed on a small collection of boulders. Once he regained control to focus he realized the answer to his problem was all laid out here in front of him. Everything just clicked liked into place like a lego.First he made a water proof skin. He did this by using an appropriately sized boulder to form a bowl with the leaves. Using some mud from the river bed he was able to cover the leaves in a thick layer and allow the Sun to bake it. Two buckets and cup later he thought that perhaps it would be wise to add another skin of leaves to the outside, just to be safe. He applied a thin layer of mud and then laying out the leaves. As this layer was drying he set off to find a sharp stone. It was not hard to find one among the water beaten heap of rocks. He quickly snatched one up and tested it on the closest stick available. With a few precise swipes the tip of the stick began to peel away. Satisfied with the rock he made his way back to his work area. He scoured the ground for a stick that would suit his purposes. The amount of discarded branches left many options open to him. He bent down and only examined a few before he found what he needed. He grasped the thicker end in one hand and quickly went to work sharpening the smaller end with the stone. It hadn't taken long to achieve his goal and now had in hand a sharp stick with which he would construct holes into the upper area of his containers so they could be fastened to the stick. Pressing against the dry leaf and mud buckets was rather difficult. It wasn't until he began to turn the stick, while pressing on it for anything to be achieved. Rather quickly he had made 4 holes on each carrying bowl. He made a quick trip back into the foliage and returned with a long vine. With his sharpened stone he sliced at the vine until it finally gave way. He gathered up the buckets and tossed the vines inside. He also collected a few sticks and stones just in case he needed more tools. With his arms full he returned to his exit point. The Sun was almost at the horizon so he would have to work quick. He dumped the supplies on the ground and retrieved his stick. Laying it across the 2 buckets he began to snake the vines through the holes and around the end of the stick. He had both ends securely fastened within minutes. As he stood the water carrying device came with him. He hoisted it over his shoulder and made his way to the stream. Removing the contraption from his shoulders he allowed it to rest parallel to the stream. Taking up position on one side he slowly dipped the small cup into the water and began to fill the first bucket. He managed to fill it halfway before it became too heavy. He jumped to the other bucket and proceeded to fill this one to it's halfway mark. The sky was darkening just as he managed to get the device on his shoulders. It had indeed turned out be be quite heavy. Regardless of the immediate pain it has to be done. It took him longer then he had hoped to make it back home. Even though he was exhausted no time was taken to rest. He instantly made his way over to the garden and began to water his future.

Plant Life - 04 - Sow What?

His hand cracked the dusty crust of the earth revealing only much more of the same arid soil. Driving his hand deeper he scooped out a few hand-fulls before he struck what he was searching for. The dirt which clung to his hand was dark and damp. It was located far enough down that the entire layer of dust covering the property would have to be removed just to get at the hopefully sustainable soil. This task would take plenty of time considering the working conditions. The Sun was not playing favourites as of late. It would thrust it's heat on the land throughout the day baking away the freshly exposed soil. By the end of the second day he would have to go back and re-dig his previous work. Working mid-day was not worth the risk of heat stroke. leaving him with dusk and dawn as his only workable time frames. With this new obstacle in mind he developed a new working pattern which involved removing all but a small layer of the dust. This layer could remain there, acting as a protective barrier until he was ready to sow the new seeds. The task now seemed to move along quite swiftly with his improved method. Not having to remove all of the dry dirt allowed for him to do a more broad area at one time. Soon he had small piles of dirt lining his property. It seemed more as though he were going to war then preparing to bring forth new life.

Now he could begin the planting process. Standing on one end of his field with his heel stiff and plunged into the earth he began to drag his leg as he walked to the other side. He would pause on occasion to measure his progress and be sure he was maintaining a relatively straight line. Confident in his ability to achieve full field coverage by nightfall, he worked without rest the entire morning. By noon he had no choice but to surrender under the Sun and wait for its departure. He looked over his work and decided he would use this rest time to sow his new seeds where ever he had already prepared the land. With a handful of seeds he began to walk slowly along the freshly carved lines. Once he reached the end he would walk back up the line using the side of his foot to cover the seed with dirt. Of course he could only carry so many seeds at one time, so he would have to make the occasional trip over to the seed pile for refilling. He had hardly noticed that the sun had begun to retreat behind the horizon as finished planting the first batch. Without a moment to rest he started anew where he had previously left off. Heel firmly in the dirt and dragging towards destiny. There was far less of the field remaining so he knew for certain that all the seeds would be at rest in the ground by nightfall.

As the Sun finally lost it's grasp and darkness drenched the land he was bent over brushing the last of the seeds into his palm. Without hesitation he made his way to the last row and began the final phase. Somehow when he reached the very end of this last row he had only one seed left to sow. He stood motionless in the soft light of tonights moon and wondered just how possible it is that he would be left with an exact number of seeds. Not one less. Not one more. It was clearly out of his hands much like the last seed which was now falling into it's final resting spot. The end of it's life as a seed and the beginning of it's life as a plant.

He stood over-looking his new garden even though there was nothing to see. He knew there was still more work to be done. He would have to water and tend to this land without fail. It was a part of him and he a part of it.

Plant Life - 03 - Search'n'Sift

He took a half dozen steps out into the Sunlight, pressed his eyelids together while he lifted his unseeing gaze to the star letting its heat and light wash over him. Unsure of how much time had passed he forced himself back to the real world. There was work to be done. The fields now needed to be combed over. An intense search for any toxic remnants would have to be taken sooner rather than later. Not giving a chance to the disease has to be top priority.

With this in mind he took to all fours and slid his hands across the dirt blindly searching for signs of contamination. He was shocked to find no trace of whatever had caused the annihilation. How could this be. There is always a catalyst to events but none could be found. He examined the dirt closer and in various areas around him finding exactly the same thing, nothing. He would still have to search the entire field just to be on the safe side of things. He used a crisscross pattern to cover the remaining area. As he moved closer to where the trees had been something caught his attention. A pointed tip could be seen erupting from the soil. Scurrying over to this treasure caused a size-able dust cloud which overtook him and brought on a coughing fit forcing him to a crawl. Dropping his chest to the earth with a thud he slithered the final few inches. His gaze studies the protrusion trying to identify it. Washing over him was the sudden realization of what this thing exactly was. To be sure he must first fully reveal and inspect it further. He lifted his right hand and gingerly brought it towards the object. With the slightest of pressure he released it from a subterranean prison. His breath was involuntarily held as the answer to what this was presented itself. He was holding a seed. As he held it up to the sky and allowed the sun to light his inspection, something else caught his attention. Just out of reach from his current location another object was peaking through the surface. He slowly made his way towards the second discovery. Once he had approached it he didn't even need to study this one because he already knew it was another seed.

The two seeds were almost indistinguishable for one and other. He sat up and looked closely at both seeds. There was something familiar about them. In an instant he was slapped with the answer. Nearly 7 years ago there was an incident which mirrored the current situation. The level of devastation was quite different on that occasion. That event left a few trees initially, but they too slowly withered away eventually. The seeds that were left behind he collected and planted. As the years went by those seeds flourished. Bringing to life fruit trees and flowers.

He wondered if these new seeds would also perform the same way. This faint trickle of hope brought with it a renewed energy with which he would scour the land and sort through all that remained and collect every seed regardless of the time it would take him.

Plant Life - 02 - Reign of the Rains

The now forming mud puddle surrounding him forced his retreat. His knee had to be forcibly pulled from the mud as he struggled to stand. There was a willow tree on the hill not far from his current location, just beyond his territory. He knew he should head towards it sooner rather than later since it was the only place close enough to take some shelter from this rain. Before he had even taken a half dozen steps the rains had ceased. It had been less then two minutes in length with a moderate amount of water taking refuge on the soil.

It had been 2 days since the rains arrived and there was no end in sight. Two days of varied intensity rains. Sometimes lasting only 30 seconds, other times lasting up to 5 minutes. The time between the rains also dramatically shifted. Sometimes it could have been hours between 2 distinct rain falls and occasionally begin again within moments of the last.

As the days sailed by the rains began to lessen in frequency. Such words could not be said about it's intensity however. A crushing onslaught of water descended during this period of precipitation. Making matters worse had been the fact that these rains were terribly unpredictable. Striking wildly and randomly these out bursts kept his movement impaired.


Thirteen days passed since the great extinguish and today the clouds were bruised and anxious. It had not rained at all since late last night. It was becoming apparent just what was in store for today. He watched the clouds continue to congregate. Pushing against each other often forcing the mass up towards the stars.
It was slightly before noon as the first drop of rain sliced through the air denting the soil. Suddenly the air was thick with rain. It looked as though billions of strings were connecting earth and cloud. He tried to brave the water but was only stung by it's violence. The entire ground was now a puddle. The earth couldn't keep up and was choking. The air was filling with water as well. The vapour so thick he had to struggle even to make the smallest syllable audible.

Thirty-six minutes later the sky was shyly revealing itself.

Plant Life - 01 - Hardscrabble

The air seeped from him like a tiny puncture to the inner tube of a tire. Within seconds the fruit fell from the trees like heavy rain and the land suddenly became barren. Years of tender pruning erased from view. It wiped life from the landscape like a chalkboard, leaving only a faint trace of what was. He looked around the desolate gardens unsure of what exactly had transpired. Shock still strangled him as he searched for a way to maintain his balance. He lowered himself to one knee and took in a full breath. The wind carried with it not a trace of evidence. Nor had it revealed anything of where it had been or where it was destined to be, when it whispered around his ears.

As he turned his head westward he caught the Sun sinking into it's slumber but before it finally fell from the horizon it gave one last blast of light, which instantly turned the trees to ash. After a few moments of having taken in this event he knew the field would have to be re-tilled and re-fertilized if a future were ever to flourish here. Both of these tasks seemed overwhelming as he stood in the shadow of that which had just transpired. This inevitability would have to wait for the correct conditions and more importantly for time to ripen him.

The Rains were coming. He could already sense that the clouds had begun to weep. Without fail a single drop fell on his cheek and plummeted towards his chin. The drop lingered there and teased it's release for an agonizing fraction of a second. The speed with which it now descended was akin to syrup from a maple tree waking on a dark winter morning. He knew his ability to contain the rain was non-existent. Waves of sporadic and often violent rainfall would be birthed from these conditions, that much was certain.

These were the first of the rains to pass through this area in close to 4 years. Even though time had passed he knew how it always started. First the light rains would reveal themselves like the brightest of stars which can be seen as early as dusk. This type of rain always gave warning of its approach, by allowing a fine mist the ability to embrace everything it came into contact with. Over the course of a few days the rain would slowly shift to fewer outbursts but with a more violent overtone.
One thing he knew for certain or as certain as one could be in these unsettling times, was that once the unrelenting rains pummeled him and his garden an end was sure to be in sight.