Every Saturday morning, Steve took a walk into the desert that surrounded his home in Eastern Washington. His destination was one of the many coulees scattered across the desert that were reminders of Ice Age floods.
As Steve began his walk, he searched the desert with his eyes. Everything was still and peaceful, but he knew that many animals lived in the desert and the quiet was deceptive.
By the time, he reached the coulee it was near noon and getting hot. Steve had a small lunch on the edge of the coulee and began to turn back when he noticed a bit of color in the landscape.
Steve walked towards the color and was astonished to find a rose garden. The closest home was miles away and he couldn't imagine someone going to all the trouble of growing roses in the middle of the desert.
Steve remained at the garden for an hour hoping to discover an answer to the mystery, but nothing happened.
The next week, Steve hid behind some large rocks about a hundred yards away from the roses and watched the garden through binoculars. Sure enough, after about twenty minutes something moved through the garden. It was hard to see what it was because it moved so fast.
When he got home, Steve went to the hardware store and bought some rose plants. The next weekend, he left the plants at the desert garden and then retreated to the rocks and watched. After two hours, something moved in the garden and Steve laughed as the blurry object planted the Roses that he had left.
In the morning, Steve found a single rose on his doorstep. Apparently he had made a friend.
Steve brought more rose plants to the desert garden and waited. Moments later, a blurry object weaved among the sagebrush and stopped before him. The creature that materialized in front of him was part woman and part bird. Black feathers flowed down her back and arms, but otherwise she was a human female.
"Hello" Steve said to the creature. "Hello to you" the woman said in a high alto voice. "What is your name?" Steve asked. "The woman pointed a feathered hand at her chest. "I am Trella" Steve repeated the motion. "I am Steve."
"Pardon the rudeness of the question, but what are you?" Steve asked Trella. "I and the others like me are creatures of the desert. We were friends with the ones who were here before you, but we hide from the new ones because we are afraid."
"New ones like myself?" Steve asked. Trella nodded. "How come we never see you.?" Steve asked. "We can move very fast when we choose to." Trella replied.
For the rest of the Summer, Steve helped Trella with her garden, but when Fall arrived Trella became afraid. "Soon the men with guns will come. It is time for me and my people to go into the hills." she told Steve.
Steve begged her to stay for a few more days. He hadn't realized how lonely he had been until he met Trella. Reluctantly, she agreed to stay.
One Saturday, Trella was not at the garden. Steve searched and eventually found her hiding in a coulee, gravely wounded from a hunting rifle. Steve wanted to get a doctor, but Trella was terrified of the idea, so he did everything he could for her.
In the end, Steve buried Trella next to her beloved roses.
As Steve began his walk, he searched the desert with his eyes. Everything was still and peaceful, but he knew that many animals lived in the desert and the quiet was deceptive.
By the time, he reached the coulee it was near noon and getting hot. Steve had a small lunch on the edge of the coulee and began to turn back when he noticed a bit of color in the landscape.
Steve walked towards the color and was astonished to find a rose garden. The closest home was miles away and he couldn't imagine someone going to all the trouble of growing roses in the middle of the desert.
Steve remained at the garden for an hour hoping to discover an answer to the mystery, but nothing happened.
The next week, Steve hid behind some large rocks about a hundred yards away from the roses and watched the garden through binoculars. Sure enough, after about twenty minutes something moved through the garden. It was hard to see what it was because it moved so fast.
When he got home, Steve went to the hardware store and bought some rose plants. The next weekend, he left the plants at the desert garden and then retreated to the rocks and watched. After two hours, something moved in the garden and Steve laughed as the blurry object planted the Roses that he had left.
In the morning, Steve found a single rose on his doorstep. Apparently he had made a friend.
Steve brought more rose plants to the desert garden and waited. Moments later, a blurry object weaved among the sagebrush and stopped before him. The creature that materialized in front of him was part woman and part bird. Black feathers flowed down her back and arms, but otherwise she was a human female.
"Hello" Steve said to the creature. "Hello to you" the woman said in a high alto voice. "What is your name?" Steve asked. "The woman pointed a feathered hand at her chest. "I am Trella" Steve repeated the motion. "I am Steve."
"Pardon the rudeness of the question, but what are you?" Steve asked Trella. "I and the others like me are creatures of the desert. We were friends with the ones who were here before you, but we hide from the new ones because we are afraid."
"New ones like myself?" Steve asked. Trella nodded. "How come we never see you.?" Steve asked. "We can move very fast when we choose to." Trella replied.
For the rest of the Summer, Steve helped Trella with her garden, but when Fall arrived Trella became afraid. "Soon the men with guns will come. It is time for me and my people to go into the hills." she told Steve.
Steve begged her to stay for a few more days. He hadn't realized how lonely he had been until he met Trella. Reluctantly, she agreed to stay.
One Saturday, Trella was not at the garden. Steve searched and eventually found her hiding in a coulee, gravely wounded from a hunting rifle. Steve wanted to get a doctor, but Trella was terrified of the idea, so he did everything he could for her.
In the end, Steve buried Trella next to her beloved roses.
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