Last Tree Standing

My branches sag without hope. These savage
humans have cut down my family and my friends. They have destroyed my only joys and crushed my spirit. I can hear the thrumming of their machines and feel the wind pressing hard against my tall frame. Leaning dangerously close to the ground, my eyes brush over the many hundreds of stumps, all lifeless and void of any warmth. I am jerked into the clouds again and before my tears can fall, the wind has taken them in its massive palm and thrown them to the heavens. I am powerless to stop the blinding winds, as I have always been. For several hundred years I have stood in this forest and sheltered countless animals. Why do these selfish humans have to come and destroy me, just as I reach the peak of my youth?
It won’t be long now. They are coming and once they begin there will be no stopping them. I just hope my dead body crushes a few of them. Another gust of wind allows me to see just how close the humans are. Fear spikes through me as the true outcome hits me. They are going to wipe us out. I am the last White Leather Bark tree standing and when they sever my life force, the souls of the White Leather Bark trees will die.
I try with all my strength to fly away and leave the humans to sit and wonder at my
disappearance, but only succeeded in straining my muscles and scaring off my only companions, the birds. As their final squawks reach my ears, it is like the last calling right before the guillotine claims its next victim. I look around with glazed eyes and see rolling clouds in every direction. The almighty tree god Harris has decided to bless my death with a bountiful storm.
A massive sound pierces the gathering wind and an excruciating pain erupts across my feet. I scream out to Harris, “Why do you curse my race so?” My cries of pain will remain in the district, forever echoing around the haunted forest. This time no wind, however powerful, can stop my tears. I cry for myself, I cry for my race, but most of all - I cry for my lost loves.
I feel my body being slowly torn asunder. With a sickening crunch, I land on the forest floor, hearing bones snap beneath me. With my last breath I utter one word...VENGEANCE.
As Harris watched the destruction of her
favourite race, she screamed down to the
perpetrators of this crime with such fury it ripped their machines in half and every human quailed beneath her wrath. Then she resurrected every tree from their stumps and the forest was reborn.
The infuriated tree god screamed, “You humans will be trapped forever in this forest of Black Leather Bark trees. The trees no longer need to worry about being hurt. I am watching. Good luck weak humans!”

FOLLOW US


25

Write4Fun.net was established in 1997, and since then we have successfully completed numerous short story and poetry competitions and publications.
We receive an overwhelming positive feedback each year from the teachers, parents and students who have involvement in these competitions and publications, and we will continue to strive to attain this level of excellence with each competition we hold.

KEEP IN TOUCH

Stay informed about the latest competitions, competition winners and latest news!