Fire Wood

Jonathan Wood was the woodcutter of his village, every day he would go into the woods and find the best trees. He would spend hours just cutting and cutting, many times, overwhelmed by the joy of his job, he would cut more than he could carry. One evening, he encountered a tree with red leaves and wood as black as ink. The tree wasn't there yesterday, neither had he ever seen such a tree. Doing what he does best, he struck it with his axe. The blade stabbed deep and with ease. It felt more like human flesh than wood. When he removed the axe it was covered in blood. There were people who would pay a great fortune for such rarity. He gave it another stab and an apple fell from it, but he had no interest in the red fruit. He only thought about what goods the tree would bring him: "With you, I'm going to buy drinks to my mates," chop. "I'm going to give to the poor," chop. "And I'm going to buy a pet companion." chop. The tree collapsed. It gave him such glee that he jumped to commemorate, but before his feet landed on the ground the tree burst into flames. He desperately looked for a way to put it out. But it was too late- the tree was down to ashes. "My tree!"

"Your tree?" Said a short man in a cloth made of lizard skin that hid his face.

"Yes, I found it." Said Jonathan.

"Well, I planted it, so it's mine." The man approached the apple, but Jonathan quickly grabbed it.

"This land belongs to every man," said Jonathan. "What grows here belongs to the first man to cut it or kill it." Pulled up his axe.

"I see," his wrinkly hand reached his pocket. "I'm a fair man, how about if I make you a deal." He took out a golden dusty bell. "I'll trade you my broken bell for your apple."

"Broken?" Said Jonathan.

"Yes, its tongue has fallen. It no longer makes a sound. I now only use it to put out candles."

The bell seemed gold, no point in asking, surely the man wouldn't be honest. But again, it's just an apple. "Deal." They shook hands on it, swapped items and each went on their own way.

For the first time in ten years, Jonathan came back from the woods without timber. It was too late to ask his merchant friend the bell's value. It was time to end the day- he put out the bedroom's candle with the bell.

The next morning, Jonathan picked up the bell to uncover a spark beneath it. He brought his face closer to check- a gold tear, in the shape of the flame, resting on top of the candle. Confused with this gift, he took it with the bell to his friend.

The merchant told him the bell was worthless: "The apple would've tasted nice, you should have kept it instead. That gold tear, on the other hand, I'll pay you well for that." And he did, more than Jonathan's weeks' earnings. "Where did you find this piece of gold?"

Jonathan was a clever man and knew when to keep a secret. "Lucky find in the woods, I guess."

"Be careful then. Don't you know about last night's fire?" He told Jonathan about the mysterious fire, it burned during the night and it suddenly stopped this morning. Trees are to Jonathan what paper is to a writer, but his excitement couldn't be overwhelmed by this tragedy.

Back home, he pulled out his bell, and his eyes looked into a sea of opportunities. He had the key to his impossible dreams, which he was determined to use to unlock his new life.

Jonathan went back home, he lit a candle and killed it with the bell, but when he removed the bell there was only a tiny grain of gold.

He lit another candle and put it out with his bell, but he didn't remove it. He waited- hoped it would cede more gold. He saw from the window a black cloud over the woods, the bright flames could be seen swallowing the green valley. He picked the bell and the bright distant flames died out.

"The bell creates fires... I would cut them anyway, this is quicker. I'll no longer be a slave of my passion and live with only pennies in my pockets."

He spent his money on his friends, helping them as much as he could. Soon after, new friends came, and then more, but every conversation sounded the same "Can I ask you for a favour?" Even his old friends conformed with the crowd. From then on, he only spent his fortune on him. He had several parties with only him and well-paid women. It was a daily challenge to spend all of the gold, he was afraid jealous people would steal it. If there was any gold left by the end of the day, he would spend it all on alcohol. He felt disgusted with himself every time he woke up oblivious about the previous day, many times with a woman and a bottle beside him. He always promised to himself that he would never again be corrupted by greed- a promise never kept.

One morning, Jonathan found strength to fight his greed; he looked at the bell on the candle- tried to resist the urge to pick it up, knowing only an empty pleasure would come from it. Woefully, he was too weak, grabbed the bell and was surprised to find no gold.

The chains of greed were broken.

This new liberty overwhelmed him, he travelled with his axe to the forest- returning to his passion.

The flames of grief burned his heart when he saw it: a sunless sea of black dust. He collapsed like timber onto his knees, breathed the air of ashes, and rested in the silence of the emptiness he seeded.