Jennie and her friends were sick and tired of the builders razing the forests around Seattle. "We've got to do something about it," she told them. "We have to get people to pay attention." Another development had just been announced and the Seattle division of Save the Earth Now was meeting at the local rec center to discuss it.
Jennie proposed a protest. "Earth Day is coming up," she told the crowd. "They're supposed to be cutting down trees that day. I say we go into that forest and chain ourselves to trees and tell those money-hungry bastards what they can do with their bulldozers and chain saws. We can announce it to the press and maybe we can get on the news. Maybe someone will listen."
The morning of the protest, they gathered early. Jennie spread everyone out throughout the forest so none of the builder's men could cut down any tree without risking injury to a protestor. "The media is coming at 8," she told each one as she helped them on with the shackles and chains that would bind them to their particular tree. "They want to interview us live for the morning show. Hang tight and just tell them the truth when the come to interview you." She put her best speakers closest to the forest's edge, where the reporter would be sure to notice them. Jennie was an organizer.
Jennie was the last to be tied up. Brian, one of the newer members of the group, had offered to help out before heading over to work that morning. He clicked the cuffs on to Jennie's wrists and wished her luck. She was deeper into the forest than any of the other protestors. She wanted to be sure the builders had to spend all day handling this little inconvenience.
Jennie loved being in the forest. She loved the smell of the wet leaves on the ground, the sound of the birds in the air and the strength of the tree at her back. She would do anything to save these woods.
She heard the unmistakable sound of heavy equipment rolling in and knew the builders had arrived. The reporters would be here soon. She smiled and waited.
A few minutes later, the leaves around her crunched under the tread of heavy footsteps. A man was coming through the forest. He walked around and stood in front of her. She recognized him. He was the contractor in charge of this project. She grinned at him. "Hope you have a nice day," she said, with as much sarcasm as she could muster.
"Oh, I think I'm going to have a fine day," he told her. He moved in closer and touched a hand to her cheek. "I'm going to have a terrific day." Jennie felt a thrill of terror. She didn't know what to say. She thought about screaming, but before any sound came out, he tied a bandana around her mouth. She tried to move, but her arms were too tightly bound to the tree.
"So you don't think we should build here," he snarled. "Is that right, sweetheart?"
She nodded. He ran a finger down her neck. She pulled her head away. That only gave him more skin to touch. She swallowed hard.
