Back in the late 18th century, the ivory-billed woodpecker was an abundant species among towns and villages of the southern United States. Chances were, if you happened to stumble upon a town in the middle of what is now Moo Mesa, there would be at least five ivory-billed woodpeckers settling in there, and if you went to a forested region, that number would drastically increase.
Even though the ivory-bills as a whole were known for their incredible work ethic and were often assigned to the most labor-intensive tasks, many of them viewed these demanding jobs as a chance to push the boundaries of acceptable behavior. In the rugged and lawless environment of the Old West, some of these ivory-bills, while mostly dedicated to their jobs, sometimes felt like taking shortcuts or finding loopholes to improve their circumstances. Whether it was skirting the edges of the law during a cattle drive, engaging in a bit of friendly deception during a poker game, or leveraging their connections to secure better deals in the local general store, they navigated the fine line between hard work and cunning opportunism.
One town, however, soon began to develop an increasing problem with ivory-bills due to how opportunistic they were. Whenever they were on duty, they would always find a way to cut corners, which led to less tasks being done on time. Their actions slowly dragged down the local economy, and it was not long after that the mayor had finally reached his breaking point.
The mayor soon devised a plan that would shift the blame away from the town's systemic issues and onto this particular group. He fabricated the entire idea of ivory-bills being cunning and deceitful, suggesting that their laziness was not merely a personal failing but a deliberate act of sabotage against the town. He then wrote a book that detailed their supposed misdeeds and tales filled with deceit and betrayal in an attempt to convince others that these claims were real. This book, filled with sensationalized accounts and exaggerated claims, quickly spread throughout the town, igniting a wave of anger and resentment among the residents, who all blindly assumed that what the book said was true due to the mayor's higher position of authority. Conflicts between the other locals and the ivory-bills became quite frequent, often resulting in multiple casualties in a day. Seizing the moment, the mayor decided to capitalize on the growing animosity. He drafted the first law aimed specifically at punishing the ivory-bills even more harshly. The law stated:
"Ivory-bills are no longer welcome in [town name] and any individual is encouraged to report or eliminate as many of them as possible."
The law, though unfair and absurd, was quickly accepted by a majority of the residents, who all saw this as a chance to exterminate the ivory-bills as if they were nothing but vermin. Any local seen hiding or protecting any ivory-bill in their house were also punished harshly, if they were not already beaten to death by the others.
As the news of the book and what happened in the town itself quickly spread to other towns, many mayors also began to enforce their own take of the law mentioned above, though most of them were not as extreme and ridiculous as the original. Even when some towns set laws to protect ivory-bills instead of evicting them, the number of casualties among ivory-bills still increased over time.
So, what happened to the ivory-bills that managed to escape those towns in time? Well, some of them began to hide in a secluded wooded area and built a few houses there. The dense trees and muddy swamps provided a natural barrier, allowing them to live in relative peace, away from the judgment and persecution that had driven them from their homes.
As more fugitives learnt about this hidden spot, they all began to seek it out for safety. Word of mouth spread quickly among those who were desperate for a place to flee to, and soon, the small cluster of homes began to grow. The community that formed was diverse, consisting of ivory-bills from various backgrounds, each with their own stories of hardship and resilience. They shared a common bond forged in the fires of adversity, and together they worked to create a new life in the forest. This settlement was known to them as Carya Woods. Eventually, as almost all ivory-billed woodpeckers were forced to flee their towns, they all gathered in Carya Woods, as it was the only place to them that was considered safe from the harm of the outside world. This led to other members of the species being left undiscovered for years, secluding themselves from the outside world at all times.
One of the residents in Carya Woods was an optimistic ivory-bill named Irma, who sought to find another place that was safe for their kind besides the woods itself. Unfortunately, many others scoffed at her vision. Unlike young Irma, they knew all too well the harsh realities of their existence, fully aware that no one would accept them thanks to all those laws enforced by corrupt mayors who targeted them based on nasty rumors. Still, Irma knew that she would find that place one day, despite how hard it might seem in the harsh world that she lived in.
One night, as the moon hung low and the stars twinkled in the night sky, a wanderer stumbled into Carya Woods. He was a weary traveler, his clothes tattered and his face pale from days of wandering without food. The shadows of the trees loomed around him, and despair clung to him like a shroud. He had lost his way, and with each step, he was closer to fainting due to his hunger.
Despite their reservations about outsiders, the residents of Carya Woods could not bear to let this man perish in their midst. They gathered around him, their hearts heavy with the weight of their own struggles, yet stirred by a flicker of empathy. After a brief discussion, they decided to bring him into their community, offering him shelter and sustenance until he could regain his strength. As the wanderer was welcomed into their midst, Irma felt a spark of hope ignite within her. She watched as the locals, who had once been so wary of the outside world, began to share their food and stories with the stranger. The walls the ivory-bills had built around their hearts began to crumble, if only just a little.
But no one in Carya Woods knew about the wanderer's true intentions. Beneath his weary exterior lay a heart filled with malice and a mind driven by greed. Just a few days later, the wanderer, fully recovered and feigning gratitude, snuck out into the forest, and with a flick of his wrist, he set a few trees ablaze. The fire roared to life, a monstrous beast unleashed upon the unsuspecting settlement. By the time the wildfire reached the main settlements, it was already too late. The crackling of branches and the scent of smoke filled the air, a harbinger of doom. Many residents found themselves trapped, their homes engulfed in flames, succumbing to the thick smoke that curled around them like a sinister embrace. Panic erupted as the realization of their plight dawned upon them.
It was at that moment that Irma finally realized that the others were, sadly, correct after all. No one would accept the ivory-bills for who they were - not even the lone wanderer who desperately needed to be saved.
The flames danced hungrily, consuming everything in their path, and Irma's heart raced as she fought against the tide of chaos. She had to escape. With every ounce of strength she could muster, she darted through the smoke-filled paths, her lungs burning with each breath. She could hear the desperate shouts of her friends and family, but she couldn't stop. She had to survive.
Luckily, Irma was one of the few who escaped. After trekking through endless miles of forest and desert, she soon found herself too exhausted to continue searching for a town where she could settle. Severely dehydrated, she collapsed onto the sand, the grains hot against her skin. The sun beat down mercilessly, and the vast emptiness around her felt like a cruel reminder of her isolation.
As she lay on the scorching sand, the weight of her grief pressed down on her like a heavy blanket. Each breath felt like a struggle, the air thick with the scent of charred wood and smoke that lingered in her memory. Irma opened her eyes, squinting against the harsh sunlight. The desert stretched endlessly before her, a sea of golden sand and jagged rocks, devoid of life. She felt a pang of despair, a sense of hopelessness that threatened to swallow her whole.
No one. No one was there to save her from this endless void. No one, at least, for now.