365 Q&A #55: The Tree of Life
I love nature. In the summer and fall you can find me hanging out in a tree or gazing out into the wilderness in wonder. There are so many amazing creatures and other forms of life out there to discover. My love and curiosity of nature comes from my Dad. At one point the man had a little fox that he fed every night, much to my stepmother's dismay. Now he sticks with hummingbirds, chipmunks and a small family of deer. September 9th's writing prompt also had a little bit of nature in it:
Use some kind of unique flora - it could be a Joshua tree, a bird of paradise, a redwood, a Venus flytrap, etc. - as an essential element in a short piece.
There it was, right in front of us. Months of traveling and we finally found it. The Tree of Life. Unfortunately, you didn't make it through the treacherous journey. I hope this tree does breathe life otherwise dragging your body along for the ride would have been for naught. It wasn't fair what happened to you. It should have been me. It was supposed to be me! Goddamn traffic made me late and by the time I got there the virus had broken out. You were so young and full of life. Now look at you, all covered in black blotchy patches, your lips blue and eyes lifeless. A frail shell of the man that once was.
I couldn't save you then but I'll be damned if I can't save you now. I only pray this tree can bring you back.
Wind swirls around the tree. A voice says "a life for a life". The man nods and begins a ritual. He pulls out a candle that has symbols carved all around it. He creates a circle around himself, lights the candle and begins to chant. He wills everything he has into this candle.
It blows out and the ritual is complete. He moves the body of a young man and sits it upright against the tree. The sky goes dark and man touches the tree. His body begins to disintegrate into tiny particles. Those particles fuse with the tree.
It begins to rain. The once lifeless body of the young man begins to regenerate. Lightning strikes and the young man gasps for breath.
"A life for a life", whispers the wind. The rain ceases and the sky slowly begins to brighten.
