A little girl once wandered through the world believing she could find a single green leaf, one that could grow into an entire tree. She explored with an open heart, welcoming people, places, and every unfamiliar path. But as time passed, she realized that none of the leaves were green anymore. Every breath became heavier than the last. Every wound promised to heal, yet somehow grew deeper instead. Eventually, she found herself lost in a forest on a lonely hill.
She never told anyone. She carried the silence alone.
One day, she found a bear.
Instead of running, she provoked it. Instead of fearing it, she tamed it. Perhaps it was because she had become just as fierce as the creature itself. The bear stayed by her side, driving away every beast that came too close whether they meant her harm or kindness. With the bear beside her, no one could reach her anymore.
For the first time in a long while, she felt safe.
Soon, she believed that peace meant never being touched by another soul. She convinced herself that standing beside the bear was enough. As the years passed, the bear grew wiser. It learned how to speak to the other beasts of the forest. It whispered into their ears, twisted their fears, and quietly bent them to its will. No one noticed its mind play, not even the strongest creatures. They believed they were following their own instincts, when in truth, they had begun listening to the bear. And little by little, the girl forgot where she ended and the bear began.
One day, when she is finally exhausted from surviving, she will choose to go home.
So she leaves herself a reminder...
When that day comes, the bear must stay behind. It belongs to the forest, the place where it was born from fear, pain, betrayal, and everything that taught her to survive.
It was never meant to follow her home.