When the Petals Fall

When the Petals Fall

What would happen if a deity grew disillusioned with the job the gods bestowed upon them? Well, the Deity of Nature wasn’t happy, thanks to the ungrateful nature of humans.

The gods watching over Earth knew what humans were like. They knew that humans took everything for granted. That they asked the gods for so much without ever thanking them. Client ungratefulness is a hell of a risk factor for job dissatisfaction. The gods knew what humans were like, yet they still sent deities to serve them.

Floros, the new Deity of Nature, worked for the gods, hoping to become a god himself someday. A few years ago, the gods sent him to Earth to replace the retiring Deity of Nature. Floros’s job was simple. He’d grow and manage plants and flowers of all kinds. He would use the spring and summer months to spread nature everywhere. Thus, he spent half his year in the northern hemisphere, and the other half in the south.

At first, everything was fine. To spread nature, Floros would use the magic in his fingertips to sprinkle flowers, plants, and tree saplings wherever he went. His other hand would provide water and nutrients for everything he planted.

Not that any humans believed Floros when he said he had powers of nature. Imagine the conversation Floros shared with the humans upon falling to Earth.

‘Yeah, sure, you’re a “deity.” Now why are you really here?’

But after a few years, when the world saw Floros’s powers, everyone’s attitudes shifted. The humans grew demanding. Just like the other gods, Floros was now just a genie to them. A floral genie. It didn’t help that Floros’s magic would only last a day before the plants wilted without his touch. So, the humans demanded more from him. And his patience, like a flower’s petals, was dropping away with every request the humans gave him.

This morning, Floros was sitting under a random beech tree, his knees drawn up to his chest. His head rested against carvings of hearts and initials that some selfish couple had tainted the tree with.

‘Hey, Floros, dude! You got a minute?’

A grinning man shook Floros’s shoulders, then leaned back. Floros forced his eyes open, leaving them half-open to glare at the man.

‘You mind touching up the park a bit? We’ve got an event tomorrow. We want the park to look its best, y’know.’

‘For you to generate higher profits, you mean?’ Floros stretched, the back of his head scratching the flaking bark of the tree. ‘How much money do you humans need? I plant flowers for your happiness and health, not your wealth.’

The man shrugged. ‘The boss asked me to get your help. C’mon then! We’ve got work to do!’

The idiot rushed downhill, dissolving into the mist below. Fighting the urge to sink into the pillow of grass beneath him, Floros rose and followed the man.

Requests and demands like that had become unavoidable over the last few years. He could still hear the demands rattling around in his head.

‘Floros, can you fix my garden? My flowers are dying, look!’

‘Hey, Floros, it’s Mother’s Day tomorrow, can you give me some flowers?’

‘Floros, our harvest failed, help us!’

How does a deity go about writing a resignation letter? The gods were in a different realm; it wasn’t like they had a postcode Floros could mail a letter to. Floros couldn’t fly home either – the realm wouldn’t reopen without the gods’ permission. No, the only method of communication was prayer.

Resting his knees on the shaven grass (again, thanks to humans interfering with nature), Floros lowered his head. Why did the gods send him to Earth? Couldn’t humans rely on themselves? Humans could grow plants and flowers. They just couldn’t be bothered.

‘Why?’ Floros whispered. ‘Why?’

The gods whispered their response into his mind, like a kiss against his soul.

‘Humans need nature. You bring instant nature to the world. If they planted their own flowers and crops, those plants would take ages to grow.’

‘So, I have to use my power while being unrecognised and unappreciated… No.’

‘No?’

‘I quit.’

The gods must have expected those words. The moment that statement left Floros’s mouth, he felt his body lift off the ground. He floated into the air and disappeared. But the gods wouldn’t learn anything from this, Floros was sure. They would find someone to replace him. Floros’s successor would fall to Earth next week. And the humans would remain ungrateful and uncaring until the gods opened their eyes.

Imagine how the humans would react when they realised that Floros was gone. When they were without a Deity of Nature for a few days, until the gods’ latest victim was hurled down to Earth as Floros’s replacement. The humans would weep delicious tears. They’d pray in front of plants. Without Floros’s touch, said plants would wilt. When the petals fall, only then will they realise how much they’d taken Floros for granted.