Fallen World

• Yingjie Wang, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2017

The forest floor littered with colours of bright yellow and crimson. The cold bitter air blew, stirring up the leaf carpet into a wild dance, blowing leaves from the massive vast of the maple trees. The trees shook their thin branches, brushing up the last few remaining leaves into a sigh. The mother trees were at least fifty years old and they have grown use to the sight of their children, the leaves, falling dead into the soil. Still, it was sad seeing them fall, they knew that their turn would come soon. It was the hard and sad truth of nature. Everything would eventually perish thus giving birth to the young as the life cycle continued. They have all accepted the fact long time ago. Wind blew again and more leaves joined their brothers and sister on the floor.
‘Goodbye!’, they yelled to the leaves that remained, stubbornly sticking to the branches. ‘Goodbye!’
Finally, all the leaves were gone, the wind sighed happily, their job is complete. Now, they could go and enjoy their free time as winter comes.
‘Hold on!’, one gust of wind shouted, drawing the attention of the other, ‘There is still one left!’
Indeed, on the very top of the branches of the eldest tree in the forest, was a leaf. He was a beautiful example of Nature’s work of art, the tinges of the leaf were lined with gold and the inside slowly darkened into a deep and rich shade of red. He clamped down hard onto the bark with the stem, stubbornly calling out to the winds. ‘I don’t want to go down!’
The old tree gently shook her branches. ‘Come on Child,’ she called softly, ‘it is time for you to rest’. The leave rattled its head violently.
‘No!’, he cried, ‘I want to stay with you through winter and to meet my new siblings in Spring!’
The winds grew silent and all gathered around this persistent little leaf. ‘Come on mates!’, One wind shouted gleefully, ‘let us all blow him down!’
The others howled in conformation and excitement. They danced around the leaf, tearing at him, trying to persuade him to go. The golden piece of maple leaf was losing the game, he could feel the hold on the branch slowly disappearing. Staring down at the forest floor, he felt panic size his heart. What will the future hold in stored for him?
‘Child,’ the old maple tree exhaled tiredly, ‘it’s ok, you will be in the soil, providing nutrients for me and you future siblings. We will never leave you!’
The stubborn leaf glanced at his mother, then to the clear blue sky. Finally, the leave came to a decision, and jumped. Soon after, the beautiful carpet of yellow, orange and red was covered by the thick blanket of white.