The Bloodstained Willow

It all started on a lonely winter night. The wind was still, but there was one willow tree that kept swaying despite the stillness of the night, and I was lying there listening to it rustle. It was beginning to annoy me.

"Why is the willow tree swaying when there is no wind?"

So I waited and waited, but the willow kept swaying. In the morning I got up and asked my parents, "Why is the willow tree swaying?"

My parents replied, "Because it's windy outside."

So I went over to the willow and looked. It looked like it was stuck trying to escape.

As I walked around the willow tree I noticed strange features on it. It looked like it had a face. There were dips in the wood forming what seemed like eyes and a mouth, but it was a sad, almost as if it were lonely. I continued walking until I heard a creaking noise and the willow had moved.

The willow was a meter closer to me and still swaying. I walked around my house and the willow followed as I performed my day to day tasks. The willow was always there, swaying with or without wind. I went to make a sandwich later that night, but we ran out of bread. I went outside and the willow's "face" had changed.

Instead of a sad face, it was a face with a devilish smile. I ignored it and went out to buy the bread. As I walked home, I turned around to see the willow tree. It was walking with its roots like legs and branches as arms. It then grabbed me and it ripped off my arm with that devilish smile on its face. It dropped me and I crawled away.

I managed to call an ambulance and I was taken to the hospital. I managed to recover and as I went home I saw the willow but it looked almost sad and guilty. Its roots weren't even there and every day since, the willow has stayed in the same place with the same bloodstain spelling out:

"I'm sorry."