The Quercus Alba
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Emma Kilby, Grade 8, Richmond High School
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Short Story
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2021
Excellence Award in the 'The Write Note 2021' competition
Staring into the cloudy translucent sphere, I vision a majestic Oak tree. It seems as though a person or being is leaning on the tree. A wood and hessian rope ladder hangs from the tree causing me to question if this may be a treehouse. There isn’t any ground though, is the person floating? What’s going on?
Observing the golden cerise sunset shining through the crystal ball, weeping willows shadow the sunset and I am elevated by this beauty. There are birds, hastily gliding past to enter slumber before the sun. As the darkness extends into the evening, bats replace birds in flight. I catch a glimpse of the neighbour's cat rushing past as I assume it is going to bed just like the birds. So peaceful. I am tuning into calming sounds within this hemisphere, accompanying the aroma diffuser creating a cloud of soothing scent. My mind is vacant with nothing to cause fret or fear, nothing disturbs me in this current state of exaltation.
The miniscule bubbles inside the crystal sphere appear similar to clouds. These clouds are surrounding the Oak tree and I am concerned that they are becoming oppressive, somewhat treacherous. I reason that the person there is naively safe and comforted by the seductive charm of their perspective and feeling much like myself in this present moment. Why is there questionable angst within this magnificent, aged Oak tree? I imagine this person that I vision deep in the crystal is watching the sunset in company with me. But what if they are trapped? Perhaps there is no escape and they are entombed within the manifestations of my mind. Maybe they aren’t untroubled, or are they?
The sun has all but disappeared, my vision now changing. I am now aware of the emotion occurring in the character, fear with the unknown. The sky is now a bleak gloomy oxford blue, speedily becoming stygian black. Scarce stars appear throughout the dark cover. I can no longer catch sight of the person under the tree, perhaps their home, as they have faded away into the night. Where did they go? Just as the light faded, so too did my companion, no longer visible. I sense that I too must rest and suspend my meditation for deep, decompressing rest.