Drifting in the wind, the bright yellow leaf gently settled on the ground. Many of its types covered the forest floor. Red, yellow, orange, and brown. The warm fall colours lay strewn about to contrast the nip in the air. The trees were in the final stages of the season as they prepared for the coming cold. The wind blew across the floor, turning leaves over and rustling those still clinging to the branches. Few green leaves remained, those few holding a futile effort to maintain their colour as their neighbors grew black and brown spots before drifting away. Another leaf snaps free and spirals towards the forest floor. Landing on an exposed patch of dirt so lightly makes no noise. Not far away beneath the canopy of the fallen, the silver hull of the ship gleams in the gold sunlight of the god rays that touch the hidden floor of the forest.

The crew of the ship darts about in and around the ship. Desperately working day and night to fix it and escape the planet. They have found refuge in the forest and a safe haven beneath the fallen and dried leaves, but they fear the winters of this world will be much unkinder to them than the Autumn. Forced to make an emergency landing mid-flight, the ship has been stranded for a month. No responses to the distress signals sent out by the ship while home to many are left on its own. Work is progressing, and hope is high, but time is running out. The ship and crew can manage a few stray leaves, but snowfall of this scale could be beyond disastrous. Onboard food supplies had expired long ago, but the crew found solace in the tree that towered over them. It took time for expedition crafts to reach them, but they had been able to establish effective mining operations in the red apples that hung from their branches. Mazes of tunnels ran through the fruit as the denser areas were carved away for sustenance. While they had grown tired of the single food source, it was either that or starvation, so they made do with what they had.

They worked to fill their reserves onboard with the fruit, fearing they might become trapped come the first snowfall. The fear of being buried beneath the white blanket ran deep among the crew, but they pressed on. Home was close, and they could feel it. Or maybe it was the odd rumbling they felt. It was as if the fruits were falling from the tree once more, but there were so few fruits left on the tree, and they were sure the stem of the one currently housing their operation was solid for the time being. Lookouts desperately tried to climb their posts to see over the sea of dead vegetation, but the sky was gone before they reached their posts.

The black sky descended; panic rang out as the shadow grew darker. Dried leaves cracked and shattered around them as the boot pressed down on the leaves. The ship was no match for this weight, as the slick silver hull collapsed with ease. The once sleek vessel, a pride of their fleet, was reduced to a twisted hunk of metal pressed into the forest floor. A small puff of smoke escapes the tread groove of her boot, dissipating into the fall air long before it can reach her nose. Drawing her hand from the brown glove, she reached out and grabbed hold of the bright red apple hanging at eye level. The landing craft used to ferry those from the ground to the fruit mine is crushed against the soft flesh of her hand and the red flesh of the apple. With a simple tug, the stem snaps, and the apple is free. Those trying to flee the crash site are silenced as they vanish beneath her butt as it is placed on the ground. Her butt crack briefly peeking out of her beige trousers as she made herself comfortable on the hard forest floor, a few brown leaves crunching beneath her.

Leaning back against the weather-worn brown trunk of the tree, she uses the bun her bright orange hair is braided into as a sort of pillow. Turning the apple softly in her hand, those who can see outside see her gigantic sky-blue eyes staring down at them from behind the frame of her glasses. They brace themselves as the apple moves once more.

*CRUNCH*

Her white teeth tear through the red flesh and yellowish interior. The miners cry out in a unified panic as a large section of the fruit is snapped off. Her pink tongue curls forward and drags the piece of fruit into her mouth. Miners are shaken from tunnels on both sections of the fruit as they plummet towards her lap and the forest floor. Those who were dragged into the darkness of her mouth are subjected to the process of her teeth shredding the apple and the tunnels within it that they worked so hard to build. The horrified miners are devoured with the apple, and a simple gulp is all it takes to condemn them to the contents of her stomach. Those swimming in the juice running down her chin are smeared against the back of her hand as she wipes the sugary drip away. The lights in the apple flicker and burst as the power is cut off as she takes another bite. Those deep in the tunnels have no idea what’s happening as they are sealed in darkness, forced to listen to the sounds of the caverns around them being ripped apart by her teeth. One darkness traded for another as they are overwhelmed by her saliva as she devours the fruit.

Wild apples are an opportunity she can never pass up! Tossing the stripped core away, it bounces across the dead leaves on the forest floor. A soft belch releases warm air from her stomach into the chilly evening air. She relieves the pressure within her as she pats her stomach beneath her blue jacket. Tightening up her red scarf, she stands up and stretches, brushing the dirt from her pants. She heads home as the orange sun paints the fall forest around her. Hoping to get home before it’s too cold, she is thankful for this peaceful moment.

The high-tech spaceship is now reduced to nothing more than another pebble in her black boot tread. With each step, it falls apart more until it is scattered across the woods behind her. Those left at the crash site with no shelter, safety or warmth quickly succumb to the planets elements. Most don't make it through the first night and none will see next spring. For them their first contact with the planets locals was also their last.

As for the girl all she is thinking about is how it's always a good day when you can sit back in the woods for a couple minutes and enjoy the Fall Colours.