the witches willow tree

the willow tree was old, my mother said it was planted when my great great grandpa was young. it was very old if that's true, my friends always tried to play on it but the trunk was to thick and she branched to high. I never bothered trying, instead of play on the swings. something about the tree creeped me out. I told mother once and she said that it's just my imagination. that could have been the when I told her at 7 years old. But being 14 now, it was something else. maybe it was the way the sunlight never seemed to be able to shine through, or the dark colored leaves that grew blocking the sun. or maybe it was because I never found bugs alive on the tree, or maybe, just maybe, it was because when the tree was planted it was given soil by the witch that had haunted the woods we now call home. and I don't mean she gave it soil, I mean she was the soil, her body burn and ashes spread around a tree so she could never see the light. instead she would be stuck in a dark cold damp place for eternity.

"do you think the witch is watching us?" said Kelly, she was always trying to scare the children.

I looked at her, "do you?" chi, and little boy asked very seriously. she paused and looked at him, "oh, no of course not just silly folk tale stories, right?" she looks at me for reassurance.

"maybe." I respond touching the tree with my hand, even the trunk was cold and gave me the chills. I walked away and moved my hand slightly, to call the children to follow me back home.

when we got home the large dinner table was set up and ready, we only had about 75 people in our little village. we sat down and waiting for everyone to follow. we all took each other's hand, brought them up so that the sun could see and all together we said.

"may you not take us today, may you let us live other day, we thank you for this food, and the lives you have given us. amen" after we prayed we all started to eat, I had mash potatoes with some turkey and gravy, corn, and a piece of bread. when we finished we took our plated to the wash where prisoners would clean the plates. then it was off to bed.

The next morning the kids were begging us to go to the willow tree, I finally gave in and shouted for Kelly but she didn't answer. she was probably doing chores, i then saw Mya and asked her to come along since I could find Kelly.

"she said she was going to the willow tree like 10 minutes ago." Mya said, "I'll still go with though."

"ok thank you." I say.

we walk the long path to get to the willow tree a few of the kids ran in front when we saw it. that's when I heard one of them give the most blistering scream known to man. Mya ran in front of me towards them as I told the other children to wait, but when Mya got there her eyes went wide terrified of she was seeing. confused I walked up to them and looked down. my heart nearly stopped, Kelly's body laying there limp. her eyes were wide open as though she was scared. we all know who the murderer was, the willow tree.

it had to be burned.

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