I hummed a happy little tune as I explored the area surrounding my home in the morning. My Orange friend was gone when I woke up but he stayed with me for at least a while. I knew that because the ground was disturbed as though he laid down beside me. He actually put some of the yellow goo on my foot and it was healed when I woke up. I guess it's nectar so that's what I'll call it from now on. He rubbed it into my skin. I thought I had to drink it for it to work but I guess not. At least I won't have to worry about becoming addicted to it.
The sun hasn't completely risen yet so nobody else has woken up yet either. We usually wake up at the first light of the sun but I woke up when a tiny, ugly little bug landed on my face and tickled me with his little wings. He just buzzed away into the distance. Maybe he just wanted to help me wake up, what a nice bug. I'm glad that he did. It is lovely to be alone right before dawn. I let my feet rest in some dew and absorbed it, refreshing me for a new day. Tiny almost invisible pores all over my body took in oxygen. My leaf also took in oxygen, along with the lovely sunlight. As long as I have air, water and sunlight I have almost limitless energy. I wonder how Green Leader and Yellow Leader could breath in those heavy looking suits. And how did they absorb water when their fingers and toes were all covered up? They are so strange.
As I walk around I pick up a few things. There are huge flowers everywhere with the strange pellets inside of them. There are other kinds too. Some flowers are white and fluffy and when you shake them tiny puffy things float off of it. Some flowers look like the sun because they are yellow and their petals look like tiny spikes or sun rays. But the flowers I am picking are tiny compared to these, but they're just the right size for me. I have several purple ones, cute little white ones with five petals each, even some of those fluffy white things that float through the air. But my favorite is a green thing with four leaves. I pick up a small, skinny blade of grass and wrap them around my flowers like a bouquet. I want to give them to Green Leader when he wakes up. I hope he likes them.
Right on cue, the door of his ship opens up. I am excited at the thought of being able to see Green Leader again, but... it isn't him. Quickly, I hide behind a nearby rock and watch as Yellow Leader emerges from the ship. Almost at the same time, the first light of the sun shines on us from behind a hill. But the sight of Yellow Leader makes it feel like a dark cloud is hanging over the area.
I thought that maybe Green Leader would come out right after Yellow Leader but... he didn't. My heart sank as I watched the door of the ship close with a loud creak. I haven't seen Green Leader for a day but it fells almost like forever. Why did he have to stay inside today? I don't want to be anywhere near Yellow Leader today. In fact, I never want to be around him! I remembered two days ago when I was born, he hurt a fellow Pink. I wondered what happened to her. Were there other small ones like her somewhere?
I quietly tried to sneak back home but Yellow Leader was too clever. He probably thought that a leaf moving without wind to help it was kind of strange. I thought I was okay, quietly making my way back home from behind some grass and short flowers so you can imagine how unexpected it was to feel something grab my stem and easily throw me some distance away from what hid me.
Thinking fast, I flipped in the air and landed unharmed on my feet. If only the small one did that, but she had no idea that Yellow Leader would hurt her. I quickly took in some air, not noticing that I screamed really loudly when I was thrown. I somehow managed to keep my bouquet, clutching it to my chest like it would save my life or something. Only to have it tugged rather rudely from my hands.
I looked up in surprise to see Yellow Leader standing over me and practically glared at my bouquet. It was almost as if he knew I made it for Green Leader. He said something to me in his strange language and stared down at me like he expected an answer. Then he ripped my flowers up right in my face.
I just stared up at him helplessly. I couldn't believe he did that! He smiled at the expression on my face, then he pushed me to the ground and kept on walking. I don't understand how somebody could be that cruel, what is wrong with him! I've been completely against violence ever since my incident with the Oranges, but my anger flared up even stronger than before. I probably would have started a really big argument if somebody had not stopped me.
I felt somebody touch my arm. I looked behind me and saw, guess who, Green Leader! I didn't notice him coming out of the ship. Actually, I didn't even notice that I was now standing and had my hands balled up into fists. In this case, definitely better late than never. My anger was quickly replaced with happiness when I saw him. It was great to see him again. But something about him was different. There were several strange marks all over his face, purple splotches. I didn't know if something was wrong or not but it kind of scared me. His lip looked like it was cut not long ago. I was definitely worried. "Are you okay?" I squeaked to him. Instead of answering me, he lightly nudged me toward my home. He smiled to me and said something but I couldn't understand him. Why won't he talk to me like normal?
He obviously wanted me to go back home so I did. I walked over and began to climb up one of the stilts. It sounded like something was going on in there. I looked down and watched as he and Yellow Leader walked away into a rocky area. I wanted so much to follow but Green Leader apparently didn't want me to. I looked on in sadness, then climbed inside. Everybody was awake and in a bit of a tizzy. Then somebody cried out, "There she is!" and all eyes were turned on me. I didn't know what was going on.
The flower Pink pushed her way through the crowd. It's hard to describe the look on her face. I guess you could call it a mixture of anger, disbelief and worry. I didn't know what was going on, I wasn't sure if I wanted to know.
She quickly walked over to me and pulled me toward the group, nearly yelling in my face, "What do you think you're doing?" She held onto my arm tightly and it hurt. I tried to pull away, saying, "What do you mean?" She pulled me closer to her face, her grip on my arm frighteningly tight and painful. It looked like everybody was mad at me.
"What were you doing last night, out THERE? You could have been hurt, or worse!" She was scaring the wits out of me now. "Wh-what are you talking about?" I squeaked in fear. She let go of me and shook her head in disappointment. "I know you're young, but I thought that even YOU would have enough sense to not go out alone, and at NIGHT." "But I wasn't alone," I blurted. "Well, nobody else was missing last night so who..." Her eyes widened.
Murmurs went through the crowd and some Pinks glared at me. Realization went through the crowd like wild fire. "You... went outside... with... one of them?" she said slowly and almost calmly. But I could see the look in her eyes and they weren't calm at all. I stood up straight and said, "Yes, I went outside with an Orange."
The crowd fell silent.