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10/13/2015 8:48 AM  #1


The Tree - A Short Story

This is a story I wrote a while ago when I was feeling really stressed. It's pretty depressing, but I kind of wrote about what I wished I could do at the time. (There's a huge big tree near my friend's house, and I call it Neverland, becuase my pet tiger nearly ate me and when I climb it it feels like another world, without problems.) Sorry if it's too depressing.

Epiphany sat under the tree, leaning on its trunk. She sighed and looked up at the sky with teary eyes. The leaves rustled above here and cast the sun in beautiful patterns all around, but it almost seemed to sadden her more. She wanted to get away; to feel free – to be alone, and not feel like an outcast. Hard as it was, she would not let a tear roll down her cheek. She closed her eyes and shook her head, but it only seemed to make things worse. Why did people never understand her? Why must she always be in trouble when she had never meant any harm? Why must people she was close to be hurt? Why must there be so many arguments, and so many pressures – money problems, studying for exams, looking after friends, trying to stay from the people who upset her… And why must people get old? It wasn’t fair. She loved her Grandma, maybe more than anyone else in the world, and now to have her always talk about dying… She’d never heard her Grandma talk like that before, but now every phone call seemed to end with, “It’s so lovely to speak to you, Epiphany. You’ve got a lovely voice… I wish I could see you again…” Tears suddenly rolled down both cheeks at once, and Epiphany scowled at herself. She tried to brush them away, but the flow only quickened, and eventually she gave up, as much annoyed with herself as she was saddened by life. She sat against the tree, looked out at nowhere, with tears streaming down her face. She was still thinking about everything that was upsetting her, and that only made it worse.
Eventually, with wet face and hair, she determinedly scrunched her eyes shut and forced herself to stop crying. She looked hopelessly up at the sky and slowly shook her head, with a sigh. She shifted and turned to look at the tree, putting her hand to its trunk. Just touching it almost seemed to be comforting; even though her problems were still there, it at least felt like something to hold onto, somehow. She slowly got up and looked into its branches. I could climb up there… she thought. She had done it before, and it felt like a special place. It might be comforting to climb into the tree for a while.
Feeling sad and burdened, she slowly started to climb the trunk. When she reached the first real branches, she stopped for a while to sit down, and think. She sighed sadly again and she rested her legs on the trunk in front of her, and leaned sideways onto one of the forking branches. Looking out from up here, things didn’t seem so bad… There was the world, right in front of her, but somehow it seemed detached and a little less true. She still felt out-of-place; she was still worried about her schoolwork, and she still felt like crying for her friends and her Grandma, but at least here the tree seemed to support her. It wouldn’t let her fall; it was safe up here, and no matter what the world looked like, it couldn’t destroy her – not up here. The tree was carrying her. She rested her face on the rough bark of the branch next to her. She didn’t care if it was scratchy – right now, it felt like the tree cared, and she felt safer in its arms.
After a few minutes, she began to realise that she had calmed down considerably, and although she was still sad, she was somehow at peace. She stood and looked up at the outstretching branches in front of her, and started to slowly climb across them. She paused again at the place where the branches split again; one part reached straight up for yards and yards, and the other stretched out ahead of her, almost horizontally. She chose to take the one that went up, but first she stood for a while at its base, holding onto it quietly, and looking out at all the leaves and branches around her. It was all beautiful. This was like another world. The leaves rustled, and the branches swayed under her, as a gentle gust of wind swept through the tree. This wasn’t the life she had been in a minute ago; it was a different place. There wasn’t any sadness up here – that was down on ground, where things could be wrong. Nothing could be wrong up here; it was too wonderful. It was peaceful, and quiet, and soothing, and suddenly it seemed as if nothing she had worried about could exist. She clung to the middle of the branch next to her, feeling comforted, and peacefully happy. With a sigh – this time in happiness – she began to climb up the extended branches. As she went, she paused to look all around her. Everything was beautiful. As she got higher and higher, the world seemed to fall away beneath her, and it really did begin to seem as though the tree was the only world that really existed. When she got the top, she paused and leant against the branch behind her. She was at the highest reachable point of the tree now, and she looked up around her. It was beautiful. All around and above her in the tree, she saw the branches and leaves reaching out, and wished that she could be even higher. But this was good enough. It was magical, and the ‘world’ below seemed unreal. She looked out at everything between herself and the horizon, and stared in awe. She couldn’t stop looking. The world from up here was just so beautiful. And this seemed real; the wind in her hair and the spring sun on her face – this was her life. She could stay up here forever. Holding on to the branches next to her, she looked up at the sky. From here, it wasn’t sad either; it was part of the magic of this land. The tree was a world of its own, and as she stood at its top, she felt as though she was flying.
 

Last edited by DodgersGirl (10/13/2015 8:53 AM)


I'm a banana, I'm Nikki! I'm 17 years old, and live in England. I love almost anything to do with the arts, as well as musicals (especially Phantom of the Opera and My Fair Lady), climbing trees, Disney, and the '70s! I'm a little bit crazy sometimes.;)

 

10/13/2015 9:03 AM  #2


Re: The Tree - A Short Story

This was awesome, Nikki It's sort of depressing but not really, 'cause it has a happy/hopeful ending.

It's that same 'I'm on top of the world and nothing can bother me here' feeling...



~Manta~
 

10/13/2015 9:26 AM  #3


Re: The Tree - A Short Story

Thanks! I felt like I was kind of 'writing away my sadness'.

Yeah... The tree is one of my favorite places.


I'm a banana, I'm Nikki! I'm 17 years old, and live in England. I love almost anything to do with the arts, as well as musicals (especially Phantom of the Opera and My Fair Lady), climbing trees, Disney, and the '70s! I'm a little bit crazy sometimes.;)

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