The Tree That Ate Me
As I neared the edge of the forest behind me, trees cleared a path leading to an empty meadow.
Except for the Oak.
My uninitiated guess was that it had been there for quite some time – at least since long before I was born. It dominated the landscape, branches triumphant over their shadows below.
My curiosity outfoxed me, so I approached – respectfully, mind you, so as not to invade its privacy. Trees can be very picky about their privacy.
The Oak began to move, which was most unexpected. I was startled. A single thick branch settled at my feet, leaving a wide imprint in the grass. Fallen leaves moved out of its way. This mystery enticed me, so I reached out and felt the branch’s knotty bark. It suddenly moved upward so vigorously that I had to throw my leg over it just to hang on. Up it went until I was deposited where I could balance on two feet.
Pruned branches provided steps to the heavens. I climbed slowly with one arm flush against the tree’s trunk. I continued until I reached the top, where I beheld glory I had never seen. Mountaintops soared. There were forests, rivers, and valleys, all in glamorous colors.
Was this Paradise? I was about to find out.
Wind swept around the treetop, knocking me off balance. I knew it was time to fall. The branches bade me farewell as I hurled toward the ground. The Oak’s great roots ripped apart beneath me, leaving a gaping hole to the underground.
That was the last thing I saw as I plunged into what waited below.
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Andrew, I think it's about not having the first clue what's going to happen next -- hence your first assertion. How much closer can you get to Paradise and then (a) not only know that it's your time to fall, and then (b) get hurled into a (hungry) abyss with -- again -- no sense of what awaits you.
So I would go with your first assertion with the very kind "absolutely, positively . . . important" part.
As always, thank you so much for reading and for your encouragement. Both mean a lot to me.
This is absolutely, positively either an important piece about existential hope and dread, or it's a scene out of Super Mario Bros.
Alternatively, Super Maro Bros tackles heavier stuff than we previously thought.