He had been born an accident destined to die and his parents found this unacceptable. Attachment causes hearts to ache so Maple’s parents vowed to remove all attachment from their son. To assure this, his parents forced hatred upon their son and tortured him in hopes he would die young. These events resulted in scars, bruises, burns and depression from fear, but in addition, these events resulted in Maple’s parents’ arrest.

So, at the age of seven, Maple was escorted to a morbid foster home where he spent hours with a psychologist who could not defeat Maple’s fears. Instead, Maple’s fears grew as his peers taunted his trauma. Outside the foster home stood a withering maple tree, one that had been beat down, hid from nourishment, and was ready to die at any time. Maple’s nasty peers teased that he would soon wither like the maple tree and that is why the boy named him Maple. Because nine years later Maple still stood strong and now without fear. The boy named him Maple because he was no longer the withering maple tree.

And now here he stood, grinning at me as he crumbled a hefty arrow without care. Maple had grown strong and smart, he knew how to defeat fear both physically and mentally. To stand in front of him, knowing he was born sick, and watch him show his strength left me in awe. How could I not love his beautiful latin poems? They symbolized the bravest man who defeated the most dynamic fear.

I smiled softly at Maple as he brought his brown eyes down to mine and leaned against the maple tree. “I guess I’m wrong,” I began, “you don’t sound like Ember at all, you simply sound like you.”

“True.” He stated in his dark voice. “Now tell me, where are you headed this early morning?”

“Why do you ask?” I questioned nervously.

“At this hour I am the only one awake, yet now here you are swiftly racing through the forest.”

“Swifty? I wouldn’t say that.” I stated as I recollected my stumbling trot.

“True.” Maple chuckled as he stared me down. He knew I wanted hide the truth; however, he was less calm about secrets than Ember. “Now, where are you headed?”

I shyly brought my eyes to the ground as I tried to conjure a fathomable lie. Yet it felt wrong to even want to lie to Maple, had he not been through enough in his life? But it was only a lie and a lie that would keep him safe. Maple’s freedom from fear revolved around living in this world and to doubt the meaning of this world could destroy Maple. I could not do that to him.

“Nimis expendunt iacentem et non cognoverunt veritatem.” Maple breathed out with charm.

“English please.” I lightly giggled.

“Spend too much time lying and you will never know the truth.” He stated as he brought my eyes from the ground and back to his.

“Maple I appreciate the morality lesson, but I actually am in a rush this morning.” I stated through ground teeth. My heart sunk as I clearly had lied to a second member of my small community.