This life, by myself

Chapter 2

Cale stared at the two children.

"I won't" he retorted.

"You will!" The red one replied.

"That's a man eating tree!" The silver one followed.

"You think I don't know that?"

"..."

"Anyway I won't die, I'm just looking" Cale continued walking to the dead looking tree and stopped when he was a few steps away.

There was a gaping, pitch black hole at the base of the tree as big as an adults head. He knelt down and stuck his hand in the hole.

It's cold. And tingly.

-F-food. I want food. I'm so hungry. I need to eat. Give me food.

'Just wait, I will feed you soon' He replied feeling slightly creeped out.

Cale retreated his hand and made sure there was nothing wrong with it.

As he walked back down he saw the siblings still outside the fence with shocked faces.

"What?" He snapped. If you're so scared of the tree, why are you here?

"N-nothing"

Cale passed by the siblings and started to walk back home. Are kids usually that thin?

When Cale arrived home, he checked in his desk drawer and pulled out another pouch, this one filled with gold coins he has been saving up. He went back out again but instead went to a bakery.

Ding a ling

Cale inhaled the scent of freshly baked bread.

"Hello! What can I get for you?" A lady asked.

"I'd like everything"

"...Beg my pardon, did you say everything?"

"Yes. I'd like to buy everything you've baked" Cale threw a gold coin on the desk "Is this enough?"

"O-oh! Yes! I will get everything packed for you!" The lady bowed and ran to the back. "Pack everything! Someone is buying everything! Hurry up!"

Cale waited for a few minutes, watching the lady and another man packing all the food in show, before another other man came out carrying a sack full of bread.

"I packed all the bread at the back" the man said.

The lady nodded. "Sir, you gave us too much money and we don't have enough bread or change to give you. If you need more bread, please come again and we will give it to you for free" the lady bowed again.

"Depending on the situation I might come back again tomorrow" Cale answered.

"Y-yes! Please have a good day!" The lady said as Cale walked out with three sacks of bread.

As he was walking down the street, Cale was receiving odd gazes but he ignored them all. Once again, he walked through the slums to the Man Eating Tree. And once again, the two siblings were at the fence, this time asleep.

Cale walked carefully, trying not to walk them up, but the older one sensed him and glared at him. She clenched her little brother, who was in her arms tighter, making him wake up.

Cale grabbed two pieces of bread and threw it at them "Don't tell anyone I was here" and walked away.

The red haired one hurriedly snatched the bread before looking at his sister for permission.

"I'm back" Cale said standing at the base of the tree "and I have food"

He emptied all the sacks into the hole and stood back. The hole was no longer black but white and the tree was now a holy silver in colour.