The Wishing Tree

Evan sat on the branch, swinging her legs as she had done a thousand times before, as she had done since she was a child. The Wishing Tree continued to whisper to her, soothing, caressing, each tender shoot and leaf urging her onwards. The pounding rain lost its power here. Nothing ugly could touch her in this magical place. Shards of moonlight poked intrusively from between the swaying canopy. She sighed. She could lose herself here, utterly. If happiness was a place, something tangible you could grasp or just be in, this was it.

She was vaguely aware of the acidic glow of the streetlights from the top of Hillrise and the distant hum of cars on the motorway. For so many people, this small neglected wood was no more than a dumping ground. Fly-tipping mounds, the cliché of broken shopping trollies, used condoms, porno mags, beer cans and dog shit littered its dells and grassy knolls...but it was still beautiful.

From an early age Evan had been drawn to the Wishing Tree, though she never knew why. Only she was able to climb its awkward gnarled branches. Only she had ever been brave enough to reach its fingers stretching ever skyward, then dangle like a deranged monkey while her friends screamed and cackled below. She had been invincible. But age tears down such possibilities, age tells you to tread carefully…age puts the fear in you.

Evan watched the breeze catch the leaves around her, as they danced in the broken starlight. She closed her eyes and raised her arms in the air. She thought of the

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Comments (10)

Sophie E Tallis
1 week ago

Thank you, Lianne, very much appreciated! :D
LianneGraziella
1 week ago

I really enjoyed reading this. It is incredibly well written. Great stuff!
Sophie E Tallis
2 weeks ago

Thanks, Jeff, really glad you liked it. Yes, I'll definitely be sharing more short stories, just busy finishing my second novel. Cheers.:
jeff mantel
2 weeks ago

Very well written Sophie E Tallis, will you be sharing more of your shorter stories with us?
Sophie E Tallis
2 months ago

Many thanks, Tom, that's very kind of you. I must say my favourite short stories always have some kind of duality and ambiguity about them, I think it makes for a more interesting multi-layered tale.
Thanks again! :D
Tom Benson
2 months ago

Great storytelling with good imagery thoughout and very good characterisation. The character is in a bad place and a good place at the same time so the tale is haunted by some sort of silent tragedy. You've done a great job of painting this picture in words. Impressed by nice touches like the detail of the cottage and the lighting of the fire. Entertaining and would have recommended if Robert Tucker hadn't already picked up on it.
Sophie E Tallis
2 months ago

Thanks for the feedback, Sheepyblue, very kind of you. :D
Sheepyblue
2 months ago

Great story, sad though, but really captures the emotion ;D
Sophie E Tallis
2 months ago

Thanks Rob, much appreciated! ;)
Robert Tucker
2 months ago

Thanks for uploading Sophie. Great story. Am recommending to Staff Picks