Under The Angel Tree

In The End The Tree Still Stands

"We're out of time" she cried as he pulled her to his chest, holding her as if she was his last breath, holding her with everything he carried with him. "No. . ." he whispered into her hair. Confused with tears making shining marks on her face in the moonlight, she turns to look up at him. "What?" "I said no. We aren't out of time." His eyes flashed with the glint of the moonlight and he smirked. Before she could question him again, he scooped her into his arms and ran. He ran so fast that she clung to him out of fear with her eyes shut tightly. He kept muttering into her hair, carrying her straight into the forest. "We're going to get out. I promise I'll save you." She peaked at him and recognized the familiar glint of tears in his eyes, as she reached up and swiped her thumb under his eye. He blinks away the tears and looks down at her with an endearing smile, slowing down now and stopping at the base of an old tree. This tree, the same tree they've come to time and time again; the tree under which they met those 6 years ago as children. He gently set her on her feet and walked over to the trunk, gliding his hand over the ancient cracks in the bark while still holding her hand tightly. "Do you remember the day we met?" She nodded to his question even though he wasn't facing her. "I was here on the ground, you were up amongst the branches. I never found out how you got up there without my noticing." She smiled and laughed remembering how he had watched her for hours before asking if she could draw him. "I hadn't remembered either." He confessed, looking up at the branches. As the wind blew through the forest around them, beams of moonlight showed down and illuminated something higher in the tree trunk. "Do you see that?" she asked, pointing up at the small glimmering spot about 20 feet above them. Nodding his head, he jumped onto the closest branch as if he'd done it his entire life and extended his hand to her, "Let's go see what it is." Taking his hand, she jumped up and hung onto him as she gathered her balance. "I wouldn't let you fall." He stated smiling. She smiled back and looked up, pointing at the branch above them, "Can you give me a boost?". Without a word, he lifted her with ease by her waist so she could get a good stance on the next branch in their climb. After what seemed like 30 seconds they both had made it up the tree trunk, now 15 feet above ground. He held onto her waist as she reached for the small shining object. "What do you think it is?" He stared at it, tilting his head slightly. "It seems familiar, but I can't place it." She softly giggled, quoting their favorite movie, "Like a dream?" Looking at her he smiled, "Or a dream of a dream." Turning his attention back to the glimmering stone in the tree his smile fades slightly, trying to pick it out of the tree. The cold wind turned warm, the fall leaves around the tree's base began to circle them. They both gasped as the white shine turned to a forest green glow from the stone, holding on to each other. Once more he grabs at the stone and it pops out of the tree, lying warmly in his palm. Smiling, he holds the stone in his fist, looking at her and saying "I told you we would get out."

Then the wind dies, and the air turns silent. There was no sign of the two teens that were once amongst the branches. Strangely enough, the tree standing alone in a small meadow amid fall had not a colored leaf to see. The tree had come back to its former glory, the weathered bark turning healthy, the leaves turning deep green and growing back seemingly in the blink of an eye. The roots spread out amongst the meadow around it as the surrounding forest whispered with a feeling of familiarity before settling as if nothing happened.