Fallen from the Heavens [Open!!!]

Occasionally, Eyal was forced to work in the trees on Sundays, but for the most part, it was his free day. On this Sunday, he was free to relax, though relaxing was never on his to-do list. He did not care to sit at home with his father in the uncomfortable silence that plagued their house, so he often walked around the district. Sometimes he ran into others who worked with him, and chatted and joked with them - maybe he would stay with them for an hour or two. Eventually he would continue on his way, not daring to share his thoughts or secrets with anyone but himself, not daring to make a true friend. He hadn't ran into anyone in particular today. He supposed they had families and real friends to tend to - and many worked.

Eyal was walking among the trees he knew so well. Trees that would one day be cut and hauled and shaped into something more useful to humans. The animals who lived there would find a new temporary home and continue living their lives... if they were smart. If they were really smart, they'd find homes in a different district. It was different experiencing the heat and dry waste during a walk than when working. When he worked, his clothes became drenched in sweat, his neck was often sunburnt, and his muscles ached. Although the wind was dry now, it was refreshing and offered some relief from the heat. The weather on its own felt cool compared to work days.

Lately, Eyal had found himself wandering aimlessly often. He would take his time going home after work despite his hunger and if he had no work, like today, he would go into the forest and simply take everything in. The green all around (though the drought had turned plenty of the green yellow), the smells of moss and bark and leaves and grass; cedar, pine, birch. It all mingled within the forest to create a distinctive scent that Eyal truly loved. It was peaceful.

Before his mother had died, Eyal played in the forest and had an incredible imagination, based on old stories. He could be a pirate king in the jungle of some far-off place, trying to steal an invisible princess. He would climb in the trees and jump from limb to limb. Sometimes he would be on the ship, scaling masts. He could be an explorer coming upon a brand new world; the forest would be full of strange people and animals, but he would not be scared. He would meet the people and parley with them. Or he would battle and defeat them (if they were cannibals). However, Eyal was too heavy with muscle to climb most trees (though he still tried) and his mother's death had taken away most of his real imagination.

Eyal came to a rather large tree that he had climbed various times before. He loved this tree because of its sturdiness. There were natural foothold in the tree's bark, and the branches, when they began, were thick enough for him to pull on, step on, and sit on. It was a strange happiness, being high off the ground. It was a happiness that no interaction with a human could ever match. It tasted of freedom.

He approached the tree, ready to climb, when something fell right in front of him. Eyal bent down and looked at the object - a piece of wood. It was in the shape of a very accurate beaver. He chuckled softly and looked up. He tried to remember if anything stranger had every fallen from a tree in his time. He couldn't think of anything. Eyal picked it up and then looked up. If there was someone above, which he truly hoped there was for the purpose of finding the source of the mysterious beaver, the tree's leaves and branches hid them. "Hello?" he said. "I really hope there is someone up there." He held the beaver up to the branches.

After a moment of worrisome silence, Eyal heard movement in the branches above him. Good, he thought, relieved, I'm not crazy.. The owner of the sounds and, Eyal assumed, the animal carving, made their way to the base of the tree. They never uttered a word. Eyal stepped back in order to make room for the person. It wasn't until she had reached the ground that Eyal realized the owner was a girl. He rarely expected to find a girl in the forest, not because they were unable to work, but because the majority of his time was spent around men. Testosterone every way he looked. Even at home it was just Eyal and his dad. He liked that it was a girl though. Every once in awhile, a guy needed some female presence. And it didn't hurt that she was talented.

However, when she stood before him and remained silent, he was confused. She did know how to speak, didn't she? Eyal did what he did best in awkward situations with strangers and smiled wide. The girl must have been shy. Come to think of it, she did look familiar. Perhaps he had seen her in school, though maybe not in his grade. He did not remember every speaking to her in any case. Eyal was friendly enough, so it must have been nerves. He did not know her name either.

Eyal looked down at the carved beaver in his hand and looked back to the girl. "Hi," he said. "I believe this belongs to you." He offered the animal to her and waited for her to take it before he continued to speak. "I didn't expect anyone to be hiding up in my tree, but it's not every day that beavers fall from the sky." Eyal still wore his smile, hoping the warmth he offered would be able to comfort her.