the tall one

the tree of lost hopes and dreams

As I walked through the field that was once green soft and vibrant but is now wet and damp with mud, I noticed that I was losing daylight. As the bright beaming sun left me, and the dark moonlight began to show.

It was a full moon, and for some reason looking at it sent chills down my spine. I was scared. Was it because I was lost? Or because of having the sheer fear of knowing that I'm alone? However out of the darkness I noticed a tall, thick tree at the edge of a wood. It being the only sort of sign of being somewhere, I decided to stumble towards it. Dragging myself through the damp and cruel mud, determined to keep me where I am. When I got to the tall and sinister looking tree I could tell immediately that it was old and worn away, pieces of bark would fall off of it at the slightest touch. The knotted roots were showing, making the tree look like it had several arms. I could smell the smell of old dry bark as pieces of the tree crumbled between my fingers.

Suddenly my feet became rooted to the ground like the tree before me, as two tall slender looking silhouettes emerged from the darkness at the other side of the field where I had just came from. "What were they're doing?" I asked myself. "What were they here for?" I was surprised to see anyone out this late in the evening. But this made me question what I was doing here? I can hardly remember what urged me to get out there. Everything was such a blur. The dead cow. Is it all just in my head? Argh. why did father not listen!?

I soon realised that one of the silhouettes was taller than the other, much taller. I could just about make out that the taller one was wearing a red tie, a suit maybe? The two of them was spaced out from each other, just gazing each other, not really knowing what to do. Soon a misty fog began to emerge, and takes over my vision of everything that was going on. I soon get the feeling I needed to hide, but I couldn't move! I was paralyzed. Frozen in fear. As if each blade of grass was holding on to me, not letting me leave. but why? Why was I so terrified? I always had the constant fear of someone following me.... watching me, ever since i was old enough to carry in firewood for my family, i had been immensely paranoid.  soon the fog will reach me, however somehow I got the fortitude to move my legs closer to the tree as I use all my strength to hoist myself up the branch. It was the only thing I could think of. Each leg and hand I put upon the branches seemed like they would snap at contact. I was shaking all over, as i felt chilling waves of death approaching run down my spine.

My pace was quickened by the sound of footsteps running towards my direction. I get to the top of the tree and look down upon whoever it was, they run just past the tree and stopped dead. He was out of breath and began leaning on his knees, looking back from where he had just came. There was no sign of the tallerman in the suit, however I now had a clear look at the person before me. He was panicking intensely and His hair was jet black and scruffy, with his fringe that went down to his eyebrows, with a thin yet gaping cut down the side of his right cheek, blood pouring from it. He was muddy, sweaty and looked as if he had ran for hours. After looking back for a few seconds he began running again, off into the darkness of the woods. I looked back from where he came and the fog had gone and so had the more slender looking man. and then... 

SNAP! the weak and feeble branch snapped before my very feet, sending me a great height down to the dirt. I landed dead on my feet, making me fall to my side, whilst letting out a great cry of pain. I stayed there, holding my right ankle tightly, for a good thirty seconds. Eventually, i conjured up the strength to make myself stand, limping toward the tree to rest upon. after wiping my face full of dirt, clearing my vision. I looked toward where my hand was placed, and let in a huge breath of icy cold air into my lungs. The head aches, the illnesses... the tall one in the suit... It had all came rushing back to me! the reason I was here, the reason for my nightmares, paranoia and the chills down my spine. Him... It hit me like a brick wall, giving me an intense ringing inside my head. I wanted to scream, cry and call for help. But i knew it would all be pointless.

I closed my eyes, slowly backed away from the tree and fell to my knees, with my head and arms limp. As if I was pathetically worshiping, no praying to this tree, this tree of lost hopes and dreams. begging for forgiveness. "i'm sorry,"  I whispered. "please forgive me."  And then. Darkness...