The moon, a lifeless rock that owns the night, lingers in the bright blue sky waiting for the sun. Gusts of air fly through the forest, whistling and shouting nonsense at one another.
The murder of crows, spying amidst the branches, screech in unison alerting the willow that someone is approaching. A girl, wide-eyed and pure, emerges from beyond the haze, tightly grasping the trunks of nearby trees. The willow tracks her every move as she wobbles through, frantically searching for the next thing to grab onto. There are no thoughts as to why she's alone, poking around in the darkest part of the forest, only bloodlust. Liquid as hot as the Earth’s core courses through its body. Its restlessness grows as the girl moves closer.
The haze thickens as the girl travels deeper into the forest. When she can no longer see what’s right in front of her, she turns to head back home; however, the sudden sound of water piqued her interest. A screech from one of the winged creatures causes the girl to slip on the rocks and into the murky water below her. When she looks up, a beautiful willow tree emerges from the fog just on the other side of the water. Its wondrous stature catches the eye of the girl, luring her in. She stands in awe, engulfed in how large in size yet graceful the willow tree is. Wonder enters her mind as to why it’s trapped deep in the forest with only the company of the crows.
Before she can finish her thought, a bird as big as the sun, as dark as night, with claws sharp enough to tear a hole in the sky appears. The girl tries to run, but its speed is unmatched. She falls to the floor and squeezes her eyes shut, wishing that she never left her home. She remembers the flowers she planted getting ready for Spring, the pleasant sounds of the birds singing and the animals chatting, her mother calling her in for dinner.
Heavy breathing and eyes full of tears, she grips her arms tight, so much so that the pigment of her skin appears white. Wondering why she has not been torn to shreds, she opens her eyes to find the enormous bird gone and a small crow where it once was. It stares intensely at her, and before the girl can react it flies away. She quickly gets up and runs towards the direction of home, but the willow tree appears in front of her again. In disbelief that she got disoriented, she turns to head in the opposite direction. However, the tree is there once more. She tries and tries again, yet no path is leading her to anywhere else except the frightening tree.
Running around until her feet ache, the girl falls to the ground and stares at the sky through the haze above her. Thinking she might be going insane, she turns her head to look at the willow tree not too far from her. She gets up and heads for the tree, however, the small crow from before glides down next to her. It stares at her once again, and then hops along the floor. Hesitant at first, the girl travels behind the crow as it leads her back to the tree. It gives her one last look, almost pitiful, and flies up into its branches. Following it, she reaches out and grabs onto the tree. The girl, like a fool, trusted the crow.
The blackhole moon finally captures the blazing sun, leaving nothing but murderous red light emitting from the willow. Screams emanate through the forest as the girl cries in horror, watching her hands start to melt against the burning tree. She thrashes around, breaking away what’s left of her hands. The winged creatures that were once ordinary birds now have the horns of a ram and tails of a lion. They dart towards the girl, weaving through the thick branches. She attempts to escape, but the creatures surround her, forcing her to crawl back towards the monstrous tree.
The willow whips its branches out and grabs the girl by her arms, causing them to bend and snap. She wails, begging the tree to stop. It tears its roots out from under the Earth and wraps them around the girl. She flails under the burning roots, and the screams that were once heard are now sobs.
How did it come to this? She didn’t mean to travel this far alone, she didn’t mean to go up to the unknown tree, she didn’t mean for any of this. She just wants to go home to her family. To her mother preparing food, scolding her little brother and sister for sneaking in some sweets before dinner. To the comforting sight of her father stoking the fire, chasing the cold out. She tries to hold onto the memories of her family as her consciousness fades, but it’s all too much. She exhales her final breath, regretting ever leaving the front yard.
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