By Makayla

As I walk on the crumbling ground that had been surrounding the ancient tree for years,

The wind whispered unknown words into my cold ears.

I stare at this tree, it is different from the pictures that I have seen, it as if someone had ripped the soul out of it and left it there to give up the ghost of its life, but I believe there is beauty within this tree.

I start to climb, some would run, I scale this ghoulish ruin. The thunderclouds in the sky don’t help, the darkness is absorbed by my lantern and replaced with bright light that is hanging off one of the creaky, lone branches, that won’t be growing anything, well, not while I’m around.

Thunder claps. I cling to a branch in shock, but it is brittle, and snaps at the touch. Falling into the hollow trunk of this nightmarish setting. But something glistens and catches my eye. I pick up a handle, and there is an amazingly broken, cracked mirror, that gives me hope. But when I press a hidden button, out pops a rope.

Slowly but surely, the rope hooks itself onto a sturdy branch after hours of attempting to save myself, I am finally free to leave this field of death.

I am free. This old, crumbling oak cannot hold me a prisoner anymore, and I got an ace relic from this place of place of torment.

- By Makayla