Chapter 4:
As Carl knelt motionless upon the enormous plateau of dried wood, his mind began to stir. For a moment, the caramel colored lines which stretched out beneath him in either direction occupied his thoughts. He shifted his gaze in distress, the uneven rings embedded in the tree trunk gradually diminished in size as they approached the void at the epicenter of the tree. Every circular engraving appeared like a landmark before him, signifying another step closer to the gaping maw. A sense of melancholy gripped him, and he found himself fantasizing where God might reside if hell lay just ahead. In his delusions, he wondered if the women above were his goddesses now. A sudden tinge of disgust shook Carl from his bout of madness.
He would not surrender so easily, at least not before he tried to save the others. Carl and the other men had been rendered sub-human in size, there was no foreseeable way of changing that, but perhaps he could appeal to the humanity in the women towering over them. He sheepishly raised his head to meet the gaze of the six giants. In the distance, far above, uncaring ponds of brown and black returned his gaze. The women that he intended to reason with stood like sentries, as hints of scorn bled through the veil of their primarily emotionless faces. Carl knew bartering for their release was off the table; although, he might be able to negotiate the terms of his surrender, or rather his execution. He mustered the courage to pose a question.
“What will you do with us, and what do you want from us?”
Rose broke from her statuesque stance to offer a reply.
“We intend to show you and your fellow men here the majesty of the human body, free from the tethers of industry and commercial destruction. We will share with you the bounties of this forest in their purest from, and the ultimate fruits of our labor. Every one of you men has already been judged guilty, this is simply the sentencing of your punishments. Jasmine, please bring forth the incriminating evidence.”
An olive-skinned woman from the surrounding circle stepped forth and presented Rose with a binder full to the brim with papers. Carl was stupefied, he could recognize his handiwork anywhere, but he wasn’t sure how a disorganized mess of company timesheets from over the years could have brought about this whole fiasco. As Carl speculated, Rose continued to speak.
“These documents detail the very extent of all your misdeeds. This company has razed the ecological bedrock of this nation, as well as others, and all of you have taken part. You claim that you are permitted to reap the woods of this world, but here we have evidence of your past activities in South America, entirely unsanctioned by the indigenous peoples of the Amazon rainforest. Now you resort to harvesting the last old-growth forests of North America!?”
Over the course of her speech, Rose’s stoic mask had begun to crumble, revealing the furious woman underneath. Her dignified posture relented, and Carl could now see that the giantess before him could no longer be satisfied with simply lecturing. Rose spoke out, rage clawing its way up her throat.
“You will all meet your end here, but before you do, we will attempt to enjoy ourselves. I can only hope that the pleasure you bring my companions and I will help counteract the immense suffering you’ve brought upon this planet. My dear petals, do whatever you like with the vermin before you!”