Tuesday, March 17, 2009

The Killing Tree

This is my story for the Your Photo Story prompt this week.


Anthony smiled broadly when the ax struck the tree for the first time. Not even getting the blade hung in one of the tree’s huge knots squelched his satisfaction at cutting the monstrosity down.

Each whack of the ax killed a grizzly memory. Memories of secret meetings his father called and he was forced to attend. Memories that had left scars on his soul no therapist had been able to erase.

Anthony swung a wide arc. The thwack of the ax resounded through the woods, and reminded him of other, more haunting, sounds the woods had endured over the years.

After the last cut, while he watched the great tree fall, Anthony searched his heart for even a shred of sadness over his father’s fate. He knew the therapist thought he should be sorry the state was executing his father, but the therapist didn’t know how many people his father had ordered executed under the killing tree, white hood hiding his identity, keeping his secrets.

The souls of many heard this tree fall in the woods, he mused sadly, listening to the sigh of the breeze through the trees, before he turned and headed to the penitentiary.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

very nicely done. so much was only hinted at, or left unsaid, and yet communicated anyway.

Unknown said...

This one affected me very personally in the subtle references to the fate of his father. Sometimes a well placed reference is all it takes to tell the whole story and you did that. Excellent read.

Angel said...

Thank you both very much. I was hoping everything came through that I wanted to. Even though I like flash/micro fiction, it is challenging sometimes!