Under A Tree

• Joshua Pollok, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2011

A boy sat under a tree. Although sun beat down on his body and the warm summer’s day brought beads of sweat to his brow, he shivered and closed his eye. Despite the fact that he was in total solitude he laughed aloud, moaned in despair and jumped in fright. Though the day was calm and nothing strange was to be told of, his heart was racing and at occasions he would let out a slow sigh of relief.
The heat of day did little to arouse the boy’s attention, and he was more intrigued by the cold that held his mind’s eye in its freezing grip. Surprise was his only visitor that day, often bringing grief in its regular visits. But he had learnt to expect it while under that tree. The boy was quite ordinary if not slightly skinny. No one knew that he could sink into worlds of adventure, war friendship and triumph. He loved these moments and hated to be away from the tree. The majority of hours separate from the tree he was to be found at school. This boy did not like school. It was a waste of time, when he could be under his tree, besides the fact he always got into trouble with the teachers. Not because he was rude and not because he wasn’t doing his work was he punished but, as his teachers constantly reminded him, he never payed attention.
The three o’clock bell rang and he was first out the door. On to his bike and away he rode, into a small, grassy paddock with a friendly looking tree. He jumped of his bike and leant against the tree. How good it felt to be back in his favourite place, filled with memories of battles won and mysteries solved. The boy pulled something from his bag. He leant against his folded knees and soon he was in his latest adventure. It was filled with treasure and dangerous foes. Friends could not be trusted and sacrifices had to be made.
The boy loved the suspense in his gut then the unforseen twist that led him to discovery. He looked at his watch and jumped with shock he was late for dinner and his mother would surely be hysterical with worry anger. He shoved the object back in his bag and ran with his bike to the road. But not before looking back did he jump on his bike. “Tomorrow.” he whispered and pedalled as fast as his legs would allow.
After a good telling off he was sent to bed, and instantly fell into a deep slumber. Dreams filled with faces and places he knew and action of the sought not found in this world or the next. The next day he was up before the rooster’s crow and almost missed breakfast in his hurry to leave. As the sun rose over a small grassy paddock, a boy sat under a tree- reading a book