The fires had devastated the hundred or so acres just outside the city limits. What once had been lush trees and vegetation, now was barren. She felt sick every time she saw the stark land. Black ashes and charred stumps were all that remained.
Sarah Morton's life was dull. Never very popular growing up, she still had no real friends. A bit on the plump side, her self esteem was extremely low from the years of being teased. All she saw today in the mirror was a fat, ugly, too shy girl that no person would ever love.
Now 26 years old, she had started fresh out of high school at the local glass factory. Over time she had worked her way up to the mail room, making the daily deliveries. Still too uncomfortable to begin a conversation, there were days she never spoke a word.
Management expected the daily mail to be picked up and delivered; by whom, they didn't really care. Rarely did anyone acknowledge her or thank her, all engrossed in their own world of business. Sarah came and went for eight months without anyone even asking her name. It was almost as if she were invisible.
At the end of the day, she returned to her little house on the edge of town. Her yard was full of every type of flower and shrub known to the area; even some new types that she was experimenting with. This was her passion, her enjoyment. It satisfied her in ways the majority of people would never come close to understanding.
The feel of the earth sifting through her fingers was highly erotic; cool dirt, pebbles, textures, all addictive against her skin. After the rains, the muddy soil pulsing with energy, offering itself to her, brought intense pleasure to her body.
On her knees in the middle of hundreds of blossoms, Sarah felt desired. The earth loved her; after all, look how it responded to her. Caring for the plants, nourishing them, she would talk about her day, fingers gently stroking their soft, smooth leaves, imagining how it would be some day soon. It was only a matter of finding the right place.
Driving past the dead, blackened trees one afternoon, an idea began to form. She longed to see the land green and alive once more, but the owners didn't seem to care what happened to it. Sarah believed this plan could bring a small part of it back to life. Just thinking of it made her body tingle with excitement.
Sitting at home that night, Sarah got down to making a list. One column was for the equipment she would need, such as rakes, shovels, hoes and so forth. On the other half she wrote down things like gloves, shears and even a reminder to bring extra water. Almost too keyed up to sleep, it was late before she finally turned off the lights.