━━Piper's father used to tell her stories. She used to miss those stories. Cherokee legends that gave reason as to why things were the way they were━to remind a young girl such as herself what was good and what wasn't in this world. She remembered them in such strange moments━perhaps for some source of comfort. And right now, she knew she needed comfort more than anything, standing on burnt grass, breathing in ash to her lungs and having nearly died too many times to count━and only with more to face before the morning sun rose. Right now, surrounded by so much destruction, it was strange why she thought of the origin of strawberries in Cherokee legend, but she did.
The first woman was angry with her husband. They were often happy, but they often quarrelled as well. When at last, the wife began to walk away from her husband forever, leaving for the Sunland. Her husband tried to follow━he was sorrowful, upset. But his wife had had enough. She walked on. She did not look back.
But the Sun was sorry for the first man. He asked him: "Are you still angry with your wife?"
The husband had said: "No."
The Sun said, "Would you like to have her come back to you?"
"Yes," he replied.
And so the Sun blessed the ground with his rays. He created many upon many more berries to grace the land━blackberries, huckleberries, but the first woman did not pay them a glance. She kept moving along.
So the Sun realised he must create something new━something so delicious, and vibrant, and beautiful that was never seen before.
And so he created strawberries.
Their sweet scent, their lovely sight, and their bright red colour drew the first woman's attention. Her foul mood disappeared as she picked one up to taste it━and the taste upon her tongue made her remember all the happiness she felt when she first set up her home with her husband. By the time she desired no more strawberries to eat, her husband had caught up with her. They sat down, and she passed him a strawberry to eat. They then realised how much they cared for each other and walked back home, taking a strawberry plant with them to plant at their home so no one would forget the lesson they were taught. Never make decisions in haste and to always forgive one another of each other's faults.
Piper continued to think about strawberries and the story as she found her father amongst all the terror. He stood up across the clearing: his eyes hollow━shell-shocked, and he saw her, and yet at the same time, he did not see her at all. She didn't know what to say━Piper couldn't even move, her throat closing up as she realised how horrified he was ... of her.
