Climbing the vine wasn’t the easiest thing in the world, but one after another we reached the canopy fortress. Pride was the last up, and with him he pulled up the vine and tied it away from the exit. We stood on a wooden floor. Where the vine hung down there was a square shaped hole about two and a half feet wide on each side. Around us were twisting branches brandishing their luscious green leaves in every direction. The canopy rose around the fortress in a domed shape. As a breeze blew through the leaves they shifted, allowing bright beams of sunlight to break through and softly brush the floorboards. I took a deep breath, taking in the fresh, crisp scent of the leaves.

“Right,” I said, placing my hands on my hips, “now that we’re up here, let’s form that plan.” Silence. I sighed and began to pace. “Firstly, we need to make sure she can’t get up here. Someone needs to go around up here bringing up every vine, ladder, whatever so she’s stuck down there. We’re also going to need one or two scouts, who can keep an eye on her.” I paused, thinking.

“We also need food and water,” Greed pitched in. “Someone needs to search this whole canopy fortress for her supplies.”

“Any volunteers?” I ask. Wrath’s hand shoots up.

“I want to explore the fortress. I can bring up vines and stuff.”

“I can help him,” Envy said. “I don’t know how heavy things might be and...well,”--she looked him up and down--“you’re still just a kid--no offence!” She raised her hands innocently. Wrath huffed.

“Okay, that’s great! I’ll be on supply duty,” I offered.

“Same here,” Greed said. He gave a small smile. I rolled my eyes. Will he ever leave me alone? I can’t say it won’t be nice to have help...but he follows me around like a duckling that hatched in front of me.

Wrath snickered.

“I suppose that leaves scouts!” Lust said excitedly, doing a little dance before clinging to Pride’s arm. “We can do it!”

“Perfect,” Greed said. “Okay, everyone go, we probably don’t have much time.”

Wrath and Envy headed off along the boardwalk while Pride untied the vine we all used to get up and tossed it back down the hole.

“Ladies first,” Pride said as he did a deep bow.

Lust stood there before asking, “Well? What are you waiting for?” I giggled; Pride blushed. Lust burst out laughing, snorting and everything as Pride sighed and started making his way down the vine. When he was at the bottom she got onto her knees and started climbing down. “You’ll catch me if I fall right?” she asked, looking at me with a devious grin.

“Uh...yes?” Pride replied, just as Lust let out an “Oops!” and let go of the vine. Pride heaved as Lust giggled, sitting bridal-style in his arms.

“Thanks hon.” He let her down and she dusted off her short skirt. “We’ll find her and make sure she doesn’t get up there, don’t worry.” With that they were off crouching through the grass and shrubs. They didn’t look very stealthy but I didn’t really have much of a choice to trust them with their job.

I pulled the vine up and tied it securely to a branch so that it wouldn’t fall back down, then turned away from the hole to get started with searching every last inch of the tree house. “Alright Greed, leave no...uh, leaf unturned! Let’s get started.” The closest searchable area I could see was a pile of wooden crates stacked in the corner closest to the hole, so that’s where I started. I heard Greed’s footsteps coming towards me and said, “Find your own crates, I got these ones.”

He raised his hands innocently. “Alright, alright, I get it. You’re a strong independent woman who don’t need no man. Let me know if you find anything as eye-catching as you though, alright?” My face burned. I could feel his gross wink without even looking at him. His footsteps grew further away--but not so far as to bring him out of my sight.

“Disgusting,” I muttered to myself. Inside the first crate I opened was a bunch of fabric, namely clothes and towels, but also what looked like fresh sheets, which led me to believe that somewhere up here that Lady had a bed, and I was jealous of her. Take away the fact that this tree house is high up and it would be a pure dream to live in. Sure, it’s probably a little buggy considering it’s on a fairly tropical island, but it’s warm, fresh, secluded, and totally relaxing. Like, the sound of the select bird, distant waves, and calm wind through the canopy is enough to put me to sleep.

After a little more digging I discovered some cutlery wrapped in napkins, as well as cups. In all honesty, it looked like she was just moving in here. You’d think she’d have some reusable dishware to last her maybe two weeks, but just this one crate was full of enough to furnish a whole cutlery drawer. Did she plan on staying here?

It was at this point that I realised that I didn’t have anything to mark the crates with. I didn’t want to dig through all of them to find one thing--who does? “Hey Greed, have you found like, a marker or anything?”

“Not a marker, but I have found...paint? I think? Oh, no wait, it’s just fancy looking toothpaste. Don’t ask me how I figured that out,” Greed replied. Useless. “Why?”

“I want to mark down what’s in the crates so we know what we have and where to find it, duh.”

“Well if I find one I’ll be sure to mark it as ‘writing utensil’ for you.” I just sighed, frustrated.

I then decided to move onto the next crate, which was under the one I just searched. Lifting the crate, I grunted. A soft thud was heard moments later. This crate was filled to the top with books. By the looks of it, they were all about survival, castaways, puzzles, mysteries and crime solving. The next crate was behind this one, stacked on top of yet another wooden crate. I popped the lid to reveal jars upon jars stacked beside towers of cans. A mostly non-perishable food supply that I did not trust at all. “What if this is a test too?” I thought aloud.

Greed scoffed. “What do you mean? She couldn’t have expected us to invade her lookout. What are you even talking about? Like, look at all this! We could survive for weeks up here, at least until we can get help.”

“But what if it’s a trap? What if this is another of your tests? Think about it--this entire place is set up to lure us into a false sense of security, so that we take all of her stuff and just...just what? Leave her here? To...to die?”

“She’s a hag, Sloth! What, you want to bring her with us when we get out of here? So she can just try to murder us all over again?”

“No, if we get help--”

“You know what? I hate that you always say ‘if.’ ‘If’ we get help? We are going to get out of here. Alive. We are, Sloth.”

“Well considering her very first test I wouldn’t put it past her.” I stared at the jars. I could feel Greed glaring at me. The longer I stared at the food, the more I thought about Gluttony. The more I…, “I think I’m going to be sick.” I threw myself over the hole. Moments later I felt two warm hands pull my hair away from my face. Good thing no one was down there.

“We had no idea that would happen Sloth. Give yourself a break,” Greed said softly. “Here.” He hands me a bottle. I tear off the cap and chug until the water is dripping down my chin.

For the rest of the daylight I sit by Greed with a towel around my shoulders as he searches the fortress. Wrath and Envy are the first to return. Envy looks at me for only a moment before going to ask Greed what we found. Wrath’s gaze lingers. He’s only a child. I pat the floor beside me, offering him a seat. He just gives me a piteous smile and goes to search the crates. Pride and Lust occasionally slip my mind, but only for a moment. When it starts to get dark, I worry.

“Greed?” I ask. My throat is scratchy. I clear it. “Greed? Where are Pride and Lust?”

Footsteps come towards me. “Not back yet,” Wrath replies. “I’m sure they’ll be back soon, though.” The smile again.

“Maybe we should look for them…” I try to get up, stumble. Wrath catches my arm. I steady myself.

“Greed has already gone. He asked me to watch you.”

“What?”

“He left already.”