Colin McGregor was getting sick of this. It had been over a week, and he was tired of the hot and muggy amazon climate. He could Barely stand the mosquitos sand the other critters crawling around. But those weren’t the main reasons why he was sick of this place. The true reason was that he and his team had made little to no progress on the assignment given to them. 

The problem wasn’t the equipment. He could handle a couple of broken chainsaws or feller bunchers. The problem wasn’t the terrain or weather. The problem was his men working on this assignment.  

They would go into the forest with saw and other tools and an hour later they would run out with their tails between their stripped of their tools and almost butt nacked. They spoke with shaking hands and quivering voices about spirits and ghosts. By the fifth day they refused to go anywhere near the forest.  

Colin sat in his tent pondering about what to do about the situation. “I need a smoke” He muttered to himself.  

Just as he was about to light it someone entered the tent. “Smoking again, are you? You promised Jenny you’d quit. You know she hates it when you smoke.” 

McGregor groaned “Shut up John” but he set down the lighter. John was who McGregor’s closest year for as long as he had been in the deforestation business. ”She hates a lot of things I do,” he said glumly. 

“Is she still hassling you about quitting?” 

“Yeah. She called just this morning talked about what we were doing was. ‘killing the Earth ’”McGregor said.

“Maybe she’s right” McGregor glared at him and he quickly changed the subject. “Was that the need for a smoke?” 

“Unfoutionaly no. Have you heard of what’s happening” McGregor asked, “The whole crew is afraid to step one foot into that forest?” 

“Yeah, I’ve seen them do you think that it could actually be” John lowered his voice “ghosts.”   

I stared at him. “You’re joking right.” 

He flushed “I mean obviously but you cant ignore what the men are saying.” 

“C’mon John” I told him “We are grown adults.” 

“Ok then, what do you think is really happening?” 

“Its probably some local tree-huggers trying to slow down the project” McGregor reasoned. When he saw the doubtful look on John’s face McGregor sighed. “What would it take for people to start doing their jobs?” 

“People would probably start going back in the forest if someone with a leadership position went in and came out unharmed,” He said looking right at him.  

 “Why does it have to be me” McGregor asked. “I’m a supervisor I shouldn’t be doing menial tasks like that.” 

“Exactly it’ll make the workers come to their senses. 

“I refuse” 

“Why” John asked. “Are you scared” he said with a coy smile. McGregor opened his mouth and closed it. 
 
A few minutes later Colin McGregor found himself in the mouth of the forest with a crowd behind him and a chainsaw in his hand.  

He took a deep breath and spoke to the crowed “I’m about to show you all that you have nothing to be scared of and that all of you are wimps.”  People grumbled as I turned around and revved up the chainsaw. Just as it was about to rip into the tree something wet wrapped around his left ankle.  

One second, he was standing, the next he was sliding across the earthy ground of the forest. McGregor was dragged across roots and twigs. He kicked at the vine with his right leg and it finally let go. He quickly got up and held out the chainsaw, which had somehow stayed in his hands, in front of him.  
“Whoever is here, come out. I won’t let some tree-hugger get in the way of my job,” he yelled out into the trees. “I have permission from Eon International to cut dose these trees. Trying to stop would be against the law and could end in court.”  

Despite his boastful talk, McGregor was afraid. He had no idea what he was going up against and as he stood there, he remembered what John and the other workers were saying. In the back of his mind, he thought that they might be right. With that thought the hair in the back of his neck shot straight up.  

He was just about to make another threat when he heard something behind him. He turned around to see a figure walking towards him. His hands started shaking uncontrollably. Is this it McGregor thought. He tried starting the chainsaw, but his hands just wouldn’t work. He hadn’t been this scared in years.     

As the figure came closer he noticed that it looked almost human. A female human, but as she stepped into the light she didn’t look anything human. First of all she was more beautiful then any women could be (Apart from Jenny of course). But that wasn’t what made her so strange.  
Her hair was a mixture of green and yellow, her skin was a deep rich brown and her eyes were a vibrant green. But the strangest of all she looked sick. She was leaning heavily on a tree and she somehow looked dulled. What is wrong with her McGregor thought. 

For a second he was concerned but he remembered why he was here. She was probably the reason the strange things were happening. “Excuse me ma’am but-“I started but was quickly cut off. 

“You can see me!?” She screamed. In some way her voice was calming even when screaming.” 
“Yes I can,” Was she insane McGregor wondered. “But more importantly you are out of-“ He was cut off once again. 

“Silence boy” she said. McGregor flinched at the boy She sounded like his mother back when she scolded him “Your one of those workers, aren’t you? The ones trying to kill me.” 

McGregor was confused. What did she mean her kill her? The lady stared at him in the eyes as if daring Him to deny it. McGregor, not being one for eye contact, looked down. That’s when he noticed something that made him take in a sharp breath. She didn’t have any legs. No, she had roots.  

Four roots that disappeared into her dress was connected to the earth. Colin McGregor for the first time since the whole conversation dropped his chainsaw. In a small voice he asked, “are you her?” 

She looked at me and sighed.” You finally figured it out my child? Yes. My name is Mother Earth.”  

McGregor gaped and took a couple steps back. Was he hallucinating? Had all those years of smoking finally caught him. “Your real? How?” 

“As long as there is vegetation on the earth I will always exist. Which according to my calculations isn’t too long.” She gave me a glare. “Thanks to people like you.”  
Once again McGregor took in her sickly appearance. Once again, he feal a little bad. But at the same time, he felt like she was personally attacking him. “Not this again. Its called a job. I do what I’m told. Besides we aren’t doing anything harmful. Cutting down a few trees won’t hurt the environment.” 

“You are wrong. Do you know how many trees are being cut down every year? 15 billion. And that number is going to keep getting higher." 

"OK fine. Even if Earth is getting worse it won’t be long before those geniuses at NASA find a new planet. We might as well milk while we have it.” 

“Foolish child” Mother Earth said almost sadly. “Earth is a one of a kind. You can’t find another place like this. This is our only chance. Why don’t you understand this? If earth dies, we will to.” Mother went in to a fit off coughs. She spit a seeds onto the ground. They sunk into the ground and immediately sprouted.  “What is so important that you want to destroy the world? Is it space to build more fancy new buildings? Is it money to buy more things to feel a better about yourselves?” 

McGregor stayed silent. It felt weird be outed like this. She really was just like his mother. 

“If you can’t think of the world, think of your loved ones. Your Wife and your son.” I gave her an alarmed look. “I know everything. I am your mother after all. Don’t you want your son to be able breath fresh air and not have to suffer the consequences for the past generations. Don’t you want your Future grandchildren to see the animals that you saw as a child because if this keeps going on they won't be able to. “ 

McGregor was getting uncomfortable. He didn’t know what to think. He didn’t want to believe it but he kept remembering his arguments with Jenny, things he had seen on the news about kids not being able to breathe because of fossil fuels, icecaps melting. He had always known what he was doing wasn’t exactly saintly, but he had no idea what it was really doing to the earth. Suddenly a voice called out from the trees. “Colin. Colin, Shout if you can hear me.” It was John.  

Mother looked at me and said “Think about what I have said my child. But be warned, I will not sit idly by while the world is burned to the ground.” With that she vanished. 
 
 
John led Colin McGregor back to the site where the equipment was. The rest of the men were bunched in the farthest corner of the site, the greatest distance from, the woods. John was the only one who had the guts and loyalty to go into the woods to look for McGregor. 

John led him straight to McGregor’s tent glaring at the so-called men who let a fellow worker out in the woods. John was also worried about McGregor. He hadn’t spoken the whole way back. He and John had been friends for the years. He came over for dinner and was the best man at McGregor’s wedding. He could tell when something was weighing on his mind.  

Once they got into the tent McGregor looked right at John and said with the most serious voice ”I want to stop.” 

For some reason John new exactly what he was talking about. “Then let’s stop” was all he said. McGregor nodded and John walked out of the tent. He knelt down and touched the brown dirt and ever so softly he whispered “Thank you Mother.”