When Jay was just a little boy just barely starting school, his mother would take him out into the forest to pick berries.  Always in the same spots, never anywhere new but one particular day he slipped right out of view.  For a little while she didn’t notice, not until she found a precious and rare berry that she wanted to share with him.  Frantically she ran about calling his name in vain.  She wept a little as she called but she kept up just the same.  She thought about going for his father but that could take too long and the thought of what could happen was just too damn strong.

Finally she told herself that there was only one place he could be and she ran as fast as she could and found him sitting under a rather large tree.  Too happy to yell in anger, she thought that she would weep, but then she saw the women lying at his feet.  She was very lovely and from where she was standing there wasn’t one ounce of imperfection.  As she sat there staring she noticed a slight change, the woman seemed to be growing younger, right before her eyes.  Frozen, she stood there watching and hoping nothing would go wrong.  When she noticed the cottage in the distance was only a mirage.

What could this mean?  She thought but she didn’t really care.  Freeing her self from becoming stone she ran as close to them as she dared.  “Jay, honey, please come here to mommy.” she called ever so meek.  The woman laughed a little and she knew she sounded weak, but she called again and again until he finally looked.  The woman’s smile faltered and her eyes turned a dark green.

She sat up and leaned forward, whispering something in his ear.  “Mommy, she isn’t mean.” he said in an ecstatic voice.

“That doesn’t matter.  You come here right now, we have to go home.” she said.  Instead of just obeying he looked to the woman instead.  For one split second she was going to walk over and grab him by the hand but there was something in the air that she had never felt.  Again the woman leaned forward and kissed him on the head.  He smiled and laughed and finally ran over to his mother.