Stephie Lynn's Two Cents

"

She remembered standing in her neighbor’s field. Her small arms outstretched from her sides and her head tipped back to feel the heat of the sun on her skin. As the wind picked up, strands of her light, orange hair gently blew over her face and she could feel the tall grass brushing against her knees. The sent of lavender that the wind brought with it filled her, along with a sense of peace and freedom.

 She knew she would never feel that free again. She would never see the light dance around the grass as it blew in the wind. She would never see her large family of ten. Most importantly, she would never, ever see her mother—her best friend.

The young girl had never lost anyone close to her before her family’s death. When they were gone it didn’t feel real at first, not until she felt the ashes—what was left of her house—run through her fingers. Everything she knew had gone up in flames.

She wandered into the forest, a place she has been many times with her siblings. She remembered the laughs and giggles. Thoughts of her family overwhelmed her as she continued through the forest. It began getting darker than she was used to, and the trees had a damp smell to them. Cold was setting in as the sun went down. There were only small rays of light breaking through the trees. Being alone in the forest was something she was not accustomed to. She felt abandoned, scared, confused, and so very alone. Visions of her mother’s warm arms wrapped around her encompassed her thoughts. The young girl barely recognized where she was as grief consumed her, though she knew she went to this spot to play daily. She came here to hide, but from what she wasn’t sure.

The trees didn’t seem like part of a playground as they once did, but like bars—holding her in. The long tree branches, with leaves drooping from the last night’s rain seemed to reach for her, as if they wanted to scratch and grab her. The darkness settled in around her. The cold seeped into her. She could just make out her foggy breath coming out before her. She clung to herself, trying to hug warmth back in. The girl decided to turn back the way she came. To get out of the woods.

She tried running up the same dirt path that had brought her into the forest, but it disappeared under her feet. She slowed to a spot, confused as to which way to go. She wasn’t able to make out where she was. Tree roots slowly inched towards her feet and grabbed onto her. The girl tried to shake them off, but they held on tight. The bark-like fingers started towards her knees and then went to her waist, covering her. She let out a piercing scream, but it didn’t last for long. Her skin turned to rough bark and covered her mouth. There were knots where her eyes had been. Her once orange hair strung out and faded into dark branches. She became rooted to her spot. She would never be free again.

"