A Strange "Initiation"

Morning came sooner than I wanted. The sun peeked through a tree hitting me in the face. It jarred me awake but I'm still not all together. I struggle to wake up when I heard her, "Good morning Red. Ready for your day?" I struggle to stand but answer, "Yes, Madam Odette. What's for breakfast?"

"I already ate. The sun is up, now you do what I tell you to do. You missed your chance at breakfast. Come with me."

I stagger out into the light following her through the garden. Today she has on a black shirt with pink bell bottom-looking pants. What are we doing today that she's dressed like that? I continue to follow her around the garden as she leads me to an area just off of the grounds. "Ok Red, Doug marked the trees you're going to cut down with an orange 'x'. Your ax is over there. When you are done with them talk to the badger at the door and he will get me. If you do not finish before sundown I will come to you. 14 trees need to be cut down. Have at it." She turns around and walks away. "How will…"

"Did I ask you or give you anything that hinted you to answer me?"

"No, but…"

"Hm?"

I jar myself to a stop, "No, Madam Odette."

She walks off leaving me to the trees. With a heavy sigh, I grab the ax and start swinging at the tree. They all look to be about 25 feet around and 70 feet or higher. "This would be a lot quicker with a chainsaw. Why is she making me use an ax?"

"To teach you."

"Oh, sweet raptor Jesus!"

I fell right on my ass she scared me so bad. "Remember, do not talk to anyone but me and it's 'Madam Odette' when addressing me." She left again, leaving me alone. I picked up my ax and wonder how she did that. Just show up out of nowhere. I go to open my mouth but she may show up again. I go back to hitting the tree. Around noon my stomach growls letting me know I'm hungry. I put the ax down to think for a moment before speaking, "Madam Odette? You around?" There's no answer. "Madam Odette?" I look trying to find her. "I guess she can't be around me all the time."

"You will address me as Madam Odette at all times."

I cringe immediately at the sound of her voice. "I'm going to make this clear for you. There is no 'she' or 'her'. It is always Madam Odette. Try it again." I struggle for a second, I guess Madam Odette can't always be around me."

"Good, and I can, and I am. Now, what do you want?"

"Lunch?"

"Are you uncertain of what you want?"

"No. Can…"

She cut me off, "No? What?"

"No, Madam Odette."

"Again, what do you want?

"Lunch."

"Have you earned it? How many trees have you cut down?"

"None yet."

She shrugged her shoulders at my answer, "Sounds like you have work to get done then. Back to it."

I try to stutter out words but nothing comes until I finally give up, "Yes, Madam Odette." I watch her walk off to make sure she leaves. She does look back to smirk at me once. At this point, I'm thinking this is just to get free work out of me. But with no foreseeable way out I have to keep at it.

Before I know it, the day is gone. The sun just disappeared behind the mountain casting its shadow over the grounds. The tree is about halfway to where it will fall. "Red!" I know that voice, "You are done for the day." I drop the ax from my sore paws almost falling to the ground myself. I follow Madam Odette back to the main house where I finally ask, "What's for dinner?" She turns to me and I can see that look on her face where I screwed up.

"Red, how do you address me?"

I drop my nose to the ground, "Madam Odette."

"And how did you address me?"

I stop, think, and cringe feeling my ears fold back, "I didn't."

"Every time you speak to me, about me, or around me, you will address me as such."

"Yes, Madam Odette."

"I worked very hard to earn that title, now, try again."

"Madam Odette, do you know what's for dinner?"

"How many trees did you cut down?"

I release a heavy sigh, "None."

"Hm?"

"None, Madam Odette."

"Sounds like you didn't get any work done. You have to earn your keep here."

I'm stunned silent. "But, there is a lot of open land around here. You can forage." That was it. I give up and fall to my knees before her. I stare at her face with what I can imagine is the most pathetic face I can make. I'm tired, I'm hungry, and defeated. I watch as she walks up the stairs to her luxurious home leaving me outside. My stomach growling reminds me of the predicament I am in. With my last shred of motivation, I pull myself and move over to my overhang.

I pass a small vegetable garden with red tomatoes on the vine. I grabbed one before looking around some more. I also found a green pepper and an eggplant. I'm too tired to cook it and don't have the means to anyway. Nothing tastes good but my stomach was full for the night. I grab my blanket from my bag and slowly start drifting off to sleep.

The sun hits in the face waking me up. As I stand I feel every tense muscle in my body begin to hurt. I don't even look around but I know she's there, "Good morning Madam Odette. I will continue working on that tree." I finally find her. She nods, "I will check on you regularly. But Red…" I messed something up. I can feel it. She has this specific tone in her voice when it happens. "Remember; speak only when spoken to." I bite my tongue at first. I'm too tired to fight with her, "Yes, Madam Odette." I turn away and trudge to the forest.

The ax is right where I left it. Just grabbing it made my paws hurt. My first swing shook me to my spine. I forced a tighter grip to swing again. I kept going pushing through the hurt until I was too numb to hurt. I lost track of time as I kept wailing on the tree. My stomach growled letting me know it was lunchtime. With the tree still standing I told myself there was no lunch and kept pushing. I suppressed it as much as I could to continue. One swing landed into the gash I had left. I pulled the ax out to swing again. Before my next swing, I heard a very faint crack sound. I stop to listen. There's another. They start coming closer together until it continues. I step back to see the top of the tree sway in the wind.

My body feels warm as I watch. The massive trunk that once held up this mighty tree now gives way to my work and efforts. It was less than a second that the tree fell, but the cracking of it hitting the ground shook the area. I'm my mind I celebrate while my body relaxes for a second.

"Madam Odette, one tree is down. Have I earned my lunch?" There's a set of footsteps behind me. I immediately know who it is, "Well done, but it is 3:17. Lunch is over." I sigh in defeat. I got so close but ended up falling short, again. "But I will have a hot plate set aside for you at dinner." I still feel defeated right now but knowing that there will be a full meal for me lifts me enough to keep me going. But she continues, "One down, 13 yet to go. No time for slacking Red. I want these down in two weeks."

I have a deadline now. It took me a day and a half to take down one. I needed to do at least one a day but I'm behind. With a slight nudge, I get myself up again and find the next marked tree. With one swing I start again. It takes a while to tear the bark but I make it and begin chipping away till Madam Odette returns. "Red, you are done for the day." The ax head hits the ground but does not leave my grip. "Your food is on a table by the tool shed."

"I don't get to eat indoors?" She purses her lips but I catch myself, "Madam Odette?"

She smirks, "You earned your food, not a luxury. Do you understand?"

Although defeated I agree, "Yes, Madam Odette."

The two of us start walking back. I bring the ax with me this time. This strikes her as odd and she asks, "Why are you bringing the ax with you?"

"It's gotten dull and needs to be sharpened, Madam Odette. I saw an old stone spinning wheel in the shed. I was going to wing getting this sharpened."

"Hand me the ax. I'll have it sharpened for you."

She takes the ax and hands it to one of the moles to be sharpened. Under my overhang, there is now a small chair and table holding a plate with a small but delicious-looking piece of meat. The small steak is accompanied by some mixed green vegetables and mashed potatoes. A very simple dish but I don't care at this point. It's real food! It quickly disappears and is washed down with a glass of water. Madam Odette comes over with the red fox from before to clean up. The maid cleans the table and takes the dishes back into the main house. I get to sit back and relax for a moment with a full stomach. It's a simple yet enjoyable feeling.