The Girl By The Willow Tree

• Hannah Mulkerin, Grade 7, Clapham Primary School
• Short Story
• 2017

Excellence Award in the 'Spread The Word 2017' competition

They say that the girl by the willow tree was different. They say the girl by the willow tree died a long time ago. They say she wants to play...

The girl by the willow tree swung on a wooden swing, by a weeping willow tree. She didn’t care that the tree was dying. She didn’t care that the swing might give her splinters. I mean... Can she even get splinters? She is dead after all... Right?
The legend says that many people went down to that same willow tree with the same old swing to play with the same dead girl by the willow tree. As soon as you step into her space... Everything goes black and white... And there she stands before your very own eyes, the girl by the willow tree. “Have you come... To play with me?” She would say, blinking with her pitch-black eyes. Nobody could reply though, a gust of wind blew the small girls white dress and short black hair around. They stepped back. “You... Want to leave now?” She would say, saddened. People tried to run. But before they could get away, the girl by the willow tree screamed out in pained sadness, tears streaming down her face. The young girl would grab you and pull you back to the willow tree, she would push you against the tree trunk and you would become a part of the tree.

This is what the legend says... This is what they tell me... They say that the girl by the willow tree was different. They say the girl by the willow tree died a long time ago. They say she wants to play...

Is this true? Are you going to play with the girl by the willow tree?