The Willow

In the still of the night, the crickets' and frogs' sing their songs'.

I found my favorite spot, by the big weeping willow tree. As I leaned against it, a branch tickled my face. This tree, the crickets' and frogs' had become the only true joy I'd felt for a long time. It's so peaceful and inviting here. Night had became my favorite time. day seemed to almost drive me crazy with all the speeding cars and lawnmowers running constantly.

When I leaned my head back onto the willow and closed my eyes to enjoy the sounds, it turned completely silent! Not a whisper of the wind or an owl in the distance. Fear took hold of my soul. A chill ran from the very tip of my head to the points of my toes. I shook inside my jacket as I realized the reason I felt this.

My father had told me many times, "If it gets dead silent, get away from the place you're in. Because something is about to happen."

"Run." There is no other choice.

In a flash, I was off and running. My feet seemed as though they had grown wings "Impossible," I thought. The how of it all worried me not. I was just happy it was working so well.

After what I guessed to be around a mile and a half, I stopped. It was time to slow my breathing and decide if there was still a need to run. For a minute, I couldn't tell if the crickets' and frogs' were singing. The only thing I could hear was the sound of my heart beating un-naturally loud. THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!!!! I bent over and rested my hands on my knees until my heartbeat finally slowed to normal.

It was still dead silent. Except...a whisper?

"You're hearing things," I thought

I couldn't understand what it was saying. Then decided I couldn't understand it because my imagination was going out of control.

As I stood to listen and brush my long red hair from my face, there stood a woman right in front of me. Didn't hear her walk up. Only the whisper.

She wore a long black cape with a hood and something white. The white covered the front of her body, looked silky and seemed to glow.

She raised her hands. They were fair colored and stood out in the darkness. She didn't speak, she only slid the hood of her cape back. I then realized the white "thing" hanging in the of her was her hair! Her face was just as pale as her hands. Not the faintest of color.

I guessed maybe I should be scared of her. I was, a little. She was more interesting than scary.

"Who are you?"

The woman turned her head slightly, then looked at me.

"Whoa!"

I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing things. As they re-focused, I discovered I really wasn't.

Her eyes were as blue as ice. So icy, in fact, they were glowing like her hair. To my surprise, she spoke, which made my hear skip several beats.

"I'm Ariela. I live in a cave much deeper in the woods. I'm in search of someone to keep my company there. A friend."

For someone scary looking, her voice was soft and friendly. It took a moment for me to get the courage to speak. My voice crackled as I did...

"My name is Grace. It's nice to meet you...I think."

I didn't really mean for it to come out that way...but what's done is done.

"Nice to meet you too...for sure."

"Wait, wait, wait! You said you're in search of company, in a cave no less? What does that mean? What are you? Why are your eyes so blue and your hair and skin so white? I don't understand this."

"Oh Grace, you have went over the edge now. Your imagination is really messed up," I thought

"It's not your imagination. This is a reality that only you will be able to understand. There are different sides of you. I am simply one of them. The cave keeps me from the sun. That's why my skin is so fair."

"How can you be a side of me? I don't live in a cave! What about your hair and eyes? You didn't explain that."

"Lets go to my cave. You will get your answers there."

My thoughts ran wild. Should I go with her? Should I run? Running wasn't an option. She'd always be ahead of me. I had to admit, she WAS like me. She had the same features as me with the exception of her seemingly glowing hair, ice blue eyes and fair skin. So...why shouldn't I trust her?

Her cave looked a lot like my whole house. Candles covered every possible surface. Some red, some blue, purple, and white. A long mirror with vines etched into the glass was propped against a huge stalagmite along the back of the cave.

We sat down in the two black chairs that were placed on either side of the cave. Ariela started the conversation, "My hair and eyes look this way because I am the cold side of you. The ice in your heart and mind. When you ignore different parts of yourself, they eventually manifest and at some point find you, just as I found you by the willow."

"I don't understand this. I'm just Grace. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Oh, you are so much more than you think. You're a very powerful woman. The hot headed, flames of furry part."

She stood up. This made me uneasy. She walked up and scratched my arm. It burned and hurt something awful! I almost cut my finger off once while cutting carrots and that didn't even compare to the pain of this scratch.

"What's wrong with you? Why did you scratch me? I trusted you and this is what I get in return?

I noticed crimson red running down her hand and off the tip of her thumb nail. She had a scratch on her arm the same as mine, even the trail of blood ran the same path as it did on me! We ARE the same!!!

The last thing Ariela told me was this..."The willow tree you lean on, I planted it for you. I give it the cool water it needs to survive. When you lean on it, you give it the warmth it needs to grow bigger and stronger. Its branches tickle your face because it knows you make it the beautiful thing it is!"

FINALLY, I'm needed. If only by a tree and another part of me!!!