short story

SHORT STORY


In a quaint old town along the beach lived an old nurse Cecelia with her grandchildren, Zachary and Abigail. They stayed in a small but neat cottage surrounded by trees. But the largest and most intriguing tree of them all was an oak tree.
Everyday Zee and A along with their dog, Stefano would come up with new ways to hurt the tree as this was their idea of fun. The poor tree bore it with patience, for that’s what trees do. (Not like they have much of a choice!) But one day, their lives came crashing down when they learnt that their grandmother had unstoppable (and mind you really loud) hiccups. These hiccups being unbearable, the poor old grandmother was taken to the hospital. The children of course not knowing that their grandmother only had a bout of hiccups wailed and wept under the great oak tree. Much to their surprise and bewilderment they heard a voice from above, the children thought they had heard the voice of God, but it was only the oak tree. (It was followed by disappointment but they lived with it, after all one does not meet a talking tree everyday)
The tree explained to them how it was in fact a magical, enchanted oak tree with healing powers and if they listened carefully then it could cure their grandma. In all excitement the children agreed to do what they were told. The tree told them that all they had to do to make her well again was each to give up their most favourite thing in the world. Upset, the children had no choice but to give in to the tree’s demands. Abigail decided to give up her favourite pair of jeans and Zee gave up their dog, Stefano.
It was a dark and stormy night when the children took their offerings to the great oak. Drenched in rain they reached the tree and gave up their possessions. Little did they know that the tree had been working for this moment for a long time. All its life it had been a victim to their harshness and it bore everything with patience. (For what else can trees do.) The tree confessed that it never had any intentions of curing the grandmother but in fact it was all a ploy. Gathering its entire wrath the tree used its magic with a vengeance and instead of curing the grandmother of her hiccups it made them worse. A few minutes later, the grandma choked on her own hiccups and died.

Shraddha
Kripa
Navya
Purnima
Varnika
Pia