The Love of an Earth Goddess

The Doppelganger

One day, Earth met a man, who seemed astounded by her fierceness, not afraid. Intrigued even. He seemed tender and caring. He took her into his arms and kissed her canyons, declaring them national wonders. He built bridges and dams for her rivers, directing them in beautiful patterns. He called himself Doppelganger.

He was like her, so she thought. He had been made of sand and hardened into rock by his life. He had learned to be tough, like her, but wanted to be gentle with her. He wanted to kiss her battered body, lick her bleeding rivers.

But he was not like her. He was a dark imp. Her dark twin. When she had been born in the shining morning light, he had been born under the dark and gloomy moonlight. Greedy, he secretly stole from her most precious hiding spots. He stole her glittering pebbles, her colorful shells, her dazzling corals. The more he took, the less Earth sparkled, and the darker and angrier she became to those around her. Whenever she moved, the world shook and her volcanoes spewed out lava.

When her body had been picked clean, he stole her healing herbs to stay healthy while she wasted away. She became sick as he licked her rivers with his poisonous tongue.

Earth gave Doppelganger everything he asked for, everything he wanted. After all, that's what you do when you love someone, right? One night she showed him where she kept her most prized gem, her blood ruby. It was one of the most special gifts she could gift him of her. It wasn't until he snatched it from her hands and easily shoved her weak body to the side that she understood just how much he had poisoned her mind, her soul, her spirit.

"Why did you do this to me?" she asked him, still crumpled on the ground. "Have I not given you everything you could want? I thought... I thought you loved me. I thought you understood me."

"Stupid bitch" he spat back at her. "You were my plaything from the beginning. Hurting and bleeding, like a wounded deer. And I'm the hunter, closing in to take advantage of the weak prey that you are." He stared into the ruby with adoration. "This is what I really wanted. So beautiful, don't you agree? It will look so nice with the others in my collection." He cackled before leaving her broken and crumpled on the floor.

Earth stayed where Doppelganger had abandoned her for months. Every couple months an elf or sprite would happen upon her and try to help heal her, pleasure her. But there was nothing they could do to heal the empty spot inside her where the blood ruby used to rest.