Steiner 1
Abby Steiner
Mrs. Belden
Period 4
October 14, 2014
The Willow Tree
The cold waves of the pond splashed against my feet, and my toes dug into the thick sand. It was a cold night, and the wind pierced through my jacket like a thousand tiny knives. I hardly noticed.
My mind was numb. It had been ever since October 20, 2013. It was a year later, and it hadn't gotten any easier since then. My heart was still in as million pieces.
I looked up from the pond to see the willow tree. That stupid willow tree. It was beckoning me with its long, dead arms. The bark was still jagged and rough, the tree still dead. I walked over to it and ran my hand over the ridged tree back.
My mind was instantly taken back to a year ago.
It was a beautiful, spring Saturday night in Montana. I was sitting in my room listening to music when my mom walked in. She was wearing a beautiful blue sundress, my favorite one. She walked over to me and immediately the room was filled with the aroma of peppermint, her signature smell.
"Kara!" she yelled. I took my headphones out.
"Your father and I are leaving for downtown to go to dinner. We should be home no later than 11:00, but there's no need to wait up for us," she said.
"Have fun! Bye!" I called as she race out the door.
I spent the night typing my French essay and drinking as much coffee as possible, since the essay was due by midnight and I hadn't even started. Just as I finished, I glanced at my watch, and jumped back in shock. 11:30?! How had it gotten so late? I hand't even noticed while I was working.
I left a lamp on downstairs for my parents when they got home. I figured dinner was just running late; downtown was always busy on Saturdays. I climbed into my bed, pulled my cream comforter around me, and pulled out my book.
Another hour passed by.
I couldn't shake the feeling of worry in my stomach. It was a seed, growing more and more every minute. My parents were never late, and they were supposed to be back a hour and a half ago.
I dialed my moms cell phone, and waited for it to ring. Straight to voicemail. I tried my dads phone and the same thing happened. I climbed back into bed, trying not to let fear take over me.
10 minutes later, there was a pounding on the front door.
"Mom? Dad?" I called, looking through the peephole. A police officer met my eye.
"How can I help you?" I asked, opening the door, confusion and panic evident in my voice.
His face was a face I will never forget, filled with deep sorrow and pain.
"Miss... I have some news about your parents. They-" his voice caught in his throat, and he cleared it. I clenched my hands together to keep myself from shaking.
"Your parents were in a fatal accident tonight. As they were turning the bend around the pond to come home, the car caught on something on the road. They flew headfirst the will tree by the pond. I'm so sorry Kara. They didn't make it to the hospital in time." The sheriff said, bowing his head.
My mind went blank. I felt like I was going to throw up, and this new reality suddenly felt like a dream. My heart felt as if it were splitting into two pieces. I knew I had to get to that willow tree. I had to see that this wasn't true, that I was on some prank T.V. show. Anything was better than the truth.
The pond wasn't far from my house, and it took me three minutes to run there. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the tree.
It was almost split in half, with a huge hole in the middle. The bark was destroyed where the car used to be, ragged and spiked around the edges. The car and my parents were taken away from the scene. I walked over to the willow tree, hating it. I started sobbing uncontrollably, and wrapped my arms around the tree.
I snapped out of the memory, and saw my arms wrapper around the tree. I hadn't even noticed. I wasn't mad at the world anymore, but instead I wanted to happy things my parents had brought to this earth.
The gaping hole in the tree was healing. I held the tree tight, and gave my parents one last goodbye hug.
"I love you guys," I whispered, finally letting go of the willow tree.
I walked away from the tree, and started to walk back to my house. I turned around one final time, and saw that the willow tree had small, pink flower buds growing on it. It was starting fresh, starting a new life even with all its scars.
And so was I.
I dialed my moms cell phone, and waited for it to ring. Straight to voicemail. I tried my dads phone and the same thing happened. I climbed back into bed, trying not to let fear take over me.
10 minutes later, there was a pounding on the front door.
"Mom? Dad?" I called, looking through the peephole. A police officer met my eye.
"How can I help you?" I asked, opening the door, confusion and panic evident in my voice.
His face was a face I will never forget, filled with deep sorrow and pain.
"Miss... I have some news about your parents. They-" his voice caught in his throat, and he cleared it. I clenched my hands together to keep myself from shaking.
"Your parents were in a fatal accident tonight. As they were turning the bend around the pond to come home, the car caught on something on the road. They flew headfirst the will tree by the pond. I'm so sorry Kara. They didn't make it to the hospital in time." The sheriff said, bowing his head.
My mind went blank. I felt like I was going to throw up, and this new reality suddenly felt like a dream. My heart felt as if it were splitting into two pieces. I knew I had to get to that willow tree. I had to see that this wasn't true, that I was on some prank T.V. show. Anything was better than the truth.
The pond wasn't far from my house, and it took me three minutes to run there. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the tree.
It was almost split in half, with a huge hole in the middle. The bark was destroyed where the car used to be, ragged and spiked around the edges. The car and my parents were taken away from the scene. I walked over to the willow tree, hating it. I started sobbing uncontrollably, and wrapped my arms around the tree.
I snapped out of the memory, and saw my arms wrapper around the tree. I hadn't even noticed. I wasn't mad at the world anymore, but instead I wanted to happy things my parents had brought to this earth.
The gaping hole in the tree was healing. I held the tree tight, and gave my parents one last goodbye hug.
"I love you guys," I whispered, finally letting go of the willow tree.
I walked away from the tree, and started to walk back to my house. I turned around one final time, and saw that the willow tree had small, pink flower buds growing on it. It was starting fresh, starting a new life even with all its scars.
And so was I.
