When the Willow Speaks

I Had No Idea She Could Freaking Talk!

Chapter One:

My name is Lavender Crest, and I intend to live forever.

I have never been normal. No friends, always skipping school. But who needs school when you'll be around for all eternity? I have been alive since 1924, when I was resurrected by a mad scientist known by the name of Lucas Horrezo, an evil man living on the outskirts of Amileo. He claimed to everyone that he found me in an abandoned wheat field, but I knew better.

 It was 2 years before I realized that I was different. Whenever the wind rushed between the branches on a tree, it sounded like a thousand bells chiming, a thousand faeries singing and laughing. For the few moments I was happy in my life, there was always a brilliant sunlight that danced on every windowsill. And, every day I would seek out the willow tree in the Forest of Reiwoods, whom I would pour my heart out to every chance I could get away from Lucas.

Lucas would always force me to shine every brass kettle, and scrub away every stain on the floor. My hands were covered in callouses, and my heart was too, for Lucas never showed me any love or compassion like a real father would. He treated me as a slave, a robot and nothing more.

I lived there until one day when the willow convinced me to run away. Now, I had now clue that she could understand me, much less talk herself. I was mumbling on about how last night I missed a small crumb on the floor while sweeping. Lucas slammed my head into the table repeatedly, while calling me worthless and stupid.

She then said "Lavender, Honey. Do not shed a tear for that evil man. Soon he will realize how truely amazing you are."

I stared, utterly amazed. I have seen flowers and shrubs agknowlege my presence, but never once had I heard a tree talk before. Confused on what to say, I replied dumbly.

"How do you know my name, uh, Mrs. Willow Tree?"

"Lavender, child, call me Dasyer. I have known you since your rebirth and-."

"Rebirth" I inturrupted, hesitant to ask my next question. "Dasyer? What exactly do you mean by 'rebirth'?"

"You cannot possibly believe that you are related to that evil man. No father in my lifetime, and i've lived a very long time, has ever shown the level of cruelty that Lucas shows you. Why do you think you are so different? Why do you think you can control how fast the grass grows, or how green the stem of a flower is.

"Lavender, he created you, and you must run away, for he plans to do very evil things. Things of yet I do not know. But I have seen him planning and I believe he plans to rid the world of crystals, and he needs your powers to do it."

I was confused. "Then why does he need me? Can't he just give himself the powers instead?"

"That is because he-".

Mid sentence, Dasyer stopped. I heard it too. Someone was coming. Immediately I realized the soft familiar footstep pattern. It was Lucas. He turned the corner with something small and metal in one hand, and in the other a large container which held some sort of liquid, sloshing around as if it were a bottle of the ocean.

Dasyer did not speak, or even move. I did the same. He came around the corner with a twisted smile and said, "I know you have been talking to this tree every evening. I see you run off like field mice would scamper. You need to remind yourself that you work for me. And there are no breaks.

"And to make sure this never happens again, I'm just going to burn this tree down," he continued as he poured around the tree what now smelled like gasoline. I panicked and stood up.

"Now now Lavender, not in a hurry are you?" He shoved me back onto the ground. I watched in horror as he struck a match and lit the gasoline aflame.

I sat with my mouth open, to shocked to even move. My friend, even though I never knew she could speak, was forever gone.

I stayed until the flame finally died out.I hope she found her peace. Dasyer, I can finally give her a name. But to me, she will always be Willow, my willow.