Seeds of Insanity

Seed One

            This may seem virtually impossible to some, but believe me it is real.  If you are one of those still skeptic of how this came to be then gather around to hear the story that I am about to tell.  It all began three weeks ago…

            During my normal routine of visiting my best friend Marty there were these woods.  They were the border between the city and the rural side where Marty lived.  I never understood why his parents decided to live in such an isolated location, but they did and it drove me wild.

            The tall trees were creepy to say the least, but despite my constant fears I kept forward like always.  Okay I lied, I panicked and wanted to wet myself silly, but that’s beside the point.  There was an old Native American legend about these woods that was told mainly to scare the living daylights out of youngsters like me.

            The tale was old and was very confusing to say the least.  There once was a tribe who worshiped the trees and believed in a great god of the woods.  However when the foreigners came to their land they howled and battled for this land until the end result was certain.  Blood was spilled, countless murders were made on both sides, and there were endless tears from said actions.

            Yet no one had noticed the fatal mistake made during their grand struggle.  Several of the trees had been injured and their blood that stained the ground soaked into the roots.  This was the start of the curse as we learned.  For the countless lives lost there was a voice that echoed throughout that claimed the lives that were stolen that day now resided within these trees and if anyone dare destroy them would vanish by next sunrise.

            It was certain to the natives that their god had been angered but the foreigners claimed this to be a hoax and didn’t believe in such words.  That night several of the trees were hacked away until several areas were clear.  Yet those that committed these acts were never seen again after that night.

            Honestly I was scared out of my wits when I heard the legend in full.  But I never thought anything of the old tale since like the foreigners I didn’t believe in such words.  Sure it seems frightening, yet it wasn’t true right?

            It was Friday when the major change occurred in our town.  The mayor with all his wisdom and authority decided to remove the beautiful forest that had plagued the industrial progress of our fine town.  Honestly it was a bunch of hogwash since Marty had explained the contractors had been buttering up the mayor for the past month so they could have more timber for their projects.  And they won.

            Stupidity I thought when we watched them cut down these beautiful trees.  Well not beautiful since they still scared the living daylights out of me.  In some sense I was elated when they were destroyed, but somewhere inside of me I feared what if the stories were true.

            As I thought when I arrived the next day the trees were still missing and nothing had honestly changed.  I assumed the legend was a complete hoax after all, but when I saw Marty’s eyes spilling rapidly that made the fear return.  The words were painful when I asked why he was crying, because I should’ve known the answer would be his father had vanished without a trace this morn.

            Though I felt very concerned by this news I still felt this could’ve just been a coincidence, but when we arrived into the house and flipped the set on the situation dawned on me.  Our friendly local channel 6 news was on, which obviously something his mother was watching from earlier.

            Despite wanting to change the channel immediately I couldn’t as the big bold words flashed across the screen ‘Darington Lumber Company employees were missing.’  It made me sick to my stomach since the last time each of them had been seen was yesterday when they removed the scary forest.  But what was worse was the fact that was that Marty’s dad was also one of the employees.

            I tried my best to wish it all away, but I couldn’t.  The fear sank hard and fast inside of my body until I sank down into the couch behind me.  Marty didn’t speak nor did I and his mother wasn’t around, and there was no telling where his father had vanished.  Not to mention his coworkers had disappeared as well.

            My mind thought such things were impossible, but what if the curse was true what if.  No, I told myself as I rose from the teal couch.  This wasn’t the truth it couldn’t be so I said my goodbyes to Marty and prepared to head back to my home.

            The walk home was usually long and it felt peaceful without the frightful sight of those massive trees all about.  Yet my careful eyes noticed one still around.  It was frail and I feared it wouldn’t survive without the others.  And being the saint that I was I removed it roots and all from the ground in hopes of planting it when I arrived home.

            That night was strange as I had constant dreams of a death surrounding me.  Maybe it was the fact of the legend playing tricks on my mind.  Or possibly the mysterious disappearances were having some effect on my young mind, but I didn’t know the correct answer until I woke the next morning.

            Yet the discovery wasn’t intended as I awoke there like all the rest had done so as well.  I had no recollection of how I had arrived in this location, but I was here and so was Marty’s father.  Was I missing I wondered as I attempted to walk over to him, but I wasn’t able to do so.  I was stuck on something, but I didn’t know what as I tugged at my legs.

             Marty’s dad wailed out for me.  ‘Sean,’ he cried endlessly as his back was too me.  ‘Don’t fight it we’re all trapped endlessly.’  At first the confusion overwhelmed my mind as I tried to understand what he meant, but when I got a glimpse of the horror below me I understood.  The legend was true.  We disappeared, but this was too insane to believe even for me.

            Those who disappeared became the trees our bodies were bound to the forest for eternity despite how many you cut they would always regrow and you would take a spot too.  For we were trapped here forever to be one with the forest, and despite the fact that I had only removed one the curse still applied.

            This wasn’t the life I wished for to be bound in this way.  Eternally trapped as a young oak tree like the one I had removed.  My tale may not be one many believe, but it’s true.  I’m still here in this forest even though many years have passed and the forest has regrown and been destroyed countless times.

            We never died, we felt the constant pain of those we had taken, and were forced to return again.  This was our eternity forever trapped within the trees.  So take my words well when you visit my swell town there’s a tree in the forest.  It’s the smallest of the bunch near where Marty used to live.  That sapling is me and these are my words so be warned never harm, remove, cut, or destroy the trees or else you’ll disappear just like me.

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