How the Leaves Turned Red

Matthew Stoner
5/29/2013
                                       How the Leaves Were Stained Red
    There was a time when the world was a sanctuary of peace and life. The gods lived in the high heavens with the earth down below. Cows and sheep grew fat with the plentiful grass and wheat. Trees blossomed with flowers and green leaves year round. The sun shone down heating the earth with never ending warmth. Gods lived in luxury on the clouds, while people relaxed down below. Life was bliss, until Enar came of age.
    It had always been a custom among the gods that as a rite of passage, all boys must kill a wild boar. Enar, son of Utgar, the god of war, was not about to let a chance to show his bravery and strength slip by him. Most young gods would set out on their hunt at about the age of sixteen. This, of course, was more like 750 in human years. He on the other hand wanted to prove his valor and set out at the young age of eleven. He thought that because his father was a great and powerful god he was ready to take on even the most powerful beast.
    Though he was a privileged child, he knew the other gods would never allow him to embark on this dangerous journey at his young age. Therefore he began to secretly make provisions. He only confided in his friend, Nodric, who got him a bow and a quiver with a score of arrows. Over the next few weeks he pilfered bread and cheese from the pantry until he thought that he had enough to last him.  He stole a spear from the armory and Utgar had foolishly given him a short sword which Enar had gotten fairly skilled with. After more than a month of preparation he snuck out on a foggy October night into the forest.
The world of the immortals stretched through the sky for eternity, but Enar hadn’t seen much of it. He decided that since he had no idea where he was going he might as well go straight ahead. He traveled on for nine days eating his food and drinking stream water. On the tenth day he ran out of food and had traveled more than 100 miles from home. He was about to give up hope when he spotted a large patch of berries. He hungrily stumbled towards them and then he stopped frozen stiff as a board. On the other side of the berry patch was the largest boar that he had ever seen. His father had mounted dozens of wild boars throughout the house that he had always thought were huge. That is until now. Once he overcame the shock of its size he sprang into action.
    Knowing the flimsy arrows would only anger the beast without causing real harm he dropped them and sprinted forward wielding his spear. Enar had never hunted boar before and he didn’t know that they would charge, so you can imagine his surprise when he found himself running towards a charging boar. His mind racing, the young hunter dropped to one knee, bracing the spear on the ground. The great beast easily tore through the brambles and ran headlong down the spear, throwing Enar to the ground. A great fountain of blood sprang from the wound of the noble beast and fell down to earth, dying the leaves of the trees red and then brown as the blood dried. Only the pines with their slick waxy needles escaped being coated with blood because it slipped off onto the ground.
    To this day, every October, a fountain of blood falls from the great boar and dyes the leaves red, turning the earth into a desolate land of death.