The Tree's Girl

Chapter Forty Eight (Ken's POV)

"We have to go back now. So I guess we'll see you two tomorrow. Bye!" Anna said as the two of us bid farewell.

Our walk to the school was noisy. Anna will never stop talking. Though most of the times I couldn't understand a word she says, as long as it makes her happy then I wouldn't mind her yapping endlessly her entire life.

When she had finished fangirling over Maria and Joseph, our topic returned to the death of this one girl named Cheryl. It was one of the few topics that would leave Anna silent for a minute or two. And it worried me.

Such a topic wouldn't have such an effect on her- on us!- if we didn't see it for ourselves.

Just think, Anna and I wanted to go to school early that day because she wanted to go to the rooftop before classes started. She only wanted to feel the fresh air to start off her day. But no-- we had to see the dead corpse with our own eyes. How the body's feet was severed. How it was almost cut into half. We saw the dried blood on the grassy floor. No words could describe the sight. Oh wait--it was simply brutal.

The guards arrived seconds after we did along with our principal. It was yet another death case. The school seemed to have been experiencing too much of it already. The death of three students who were known to be gangsters, the death of the teacher who was said to commit suicide, the death of our student council president alonf with the disappearance of a number of students who were said to be a gang. Now this.

Immediately, an autopsy crew came along with an ambulance and one police car; one mere police car. The principal had obvious uneasiness about the happening. Not because he was worried about the students' welfare,  but because he didn't want to add more reputation-ruining news to the school's records. I know if this continues,  the school will eventually shut down and he will lose his job.

He threatened us to stay silent about what we saw. He said he was going to expel us if we dare say a single word.

I wouldn't have minded,  I could study anywhere. But Anna couldn't. She is under a scholarship in the school. She has no parents anymore,  she works part time every night while balancing her grades all at the same time. Being expelled wasn't something that she could handle. She had no choice but to say quiet,  and for her sake I would too.

Having said that,  we still told Maria and Joseph,  especially when we also heard that the girl who died there was the one who posted the video about them. We just couldn't help it. Our conscience was eating us alive!  We had to tell someone and they were the only two that we trusted enough.

"The rumors in school have really taken its toll on Joseph and Maria. It's pretty obvious the Joseph is stressing over it." She remarked and I just nodded.

"To think that I'd hear that from Joseph, poor guy." I sympathized him. Just the mere idea of calling himself a monster means he has already had enough.

We were silent once again. We were both frustrated. I could feel it. Everything around us has been turning topsy turvy and we couldn't do a thing about it.

"I blame the tree," I heard her mutter to herself and I just couldn't help but ball my fists.

I know it sounds crazy, but yes, we hate the tree.

I bet you're wondering why? What did a harmless tree ever do to us except give us clean air and a better world? Well, the tree we're talking about is dfferent.

It eats humans.

I know it's hard to believe, but we saw it with our own two eyes! Back then, we were still kids. We were playing with out friends when a girl in a white dress approached us inviting us to play with her under the tree. I could remember that Anna and I didn't join because it was already late. My parents called us and we were about to go home, but Anna forgot that she lent her doll to one of our friends so we want back just to retrieve it, then the sight that greeted us was--