And my Bones for the Trees.

And my Bones for the Trees.


Day was fading fast in the autumn forest. Shadows were becoming bold, painting once bright spaces with their dark. Very soon the forest would be engulfed, swallowed whole by the night.

He moved slowly through the cathedral of dark branches. Feet ghosting over leaves. His voice calling out, "GRANDPA!" He had been searching and calling out from midday. His calls becoming more urgent as he walked between silent giants. The trees said nothing. As always they only watched. Finally he found grandpa buried under a pile of golden leaves.

"Grandpa?" 

He moved closer to the old one. Closer. Closer. He felt fear's winter touch his summer heart. He couldn't see if Grandpa was breathing: His eyes were closed. "Grandpa? Do you hear me?" Leaves fell to the ground and the giant oaks watched as he approached. The forest held its breath in the silence. Grandpa’s eyes flew open! The young one jumped back in a blur of startled motion, flying leaves, and with a loud crash that the forest seemed to greatly disapprove of. Those eyes, oh those eyes, grandpas eye glowing like fire.

"I am old," groaned Grandpa.

"Awwwww, Grandpa, I wish you wouldn't talk that way!"

"I am old," he repeated softer than before and then said, "memories flash away from me like silverfish when I try to catch them. The sun doesn't warm me any more as it once did. Irs almost like it has given up on me now. I ache."

"Been looking for you"

"I have been sleeping here with this coat of leaves to keep me warm. I have been sleeping all day long."

As they talked, Like death come home, the setting sunlight turned the colour of blood as the day surrendered to the supremacy of the night. A cool night breeze carried with it dark forest smells of green and black, brown and amber. Roots, earth, plants and death things. Grandpa stood, copper coat of leaves drifted silently to the dark earth.

"I was once young, in the summer when it was warm and death was a but a black dream. I was young and powerful. I was a leader. I was a KING. The gaze of my eyes was enough to pin my enemies to the spot, caught like trapped mice." Grandpa sighed. The silence lay between them like oceans.

"One day, you will be a leader! You have the blood of KINGS burning through your veins."

"GRANDPA!"

"Yes, it is true, you will be king, you have your father's blood and you have my blood burning in you. It is the blood of kings. I see they look at you with fear and lust for a kill. They are searching for a weakness. DON'T show them one. You must not or they will be upon you like crows to a corpse. They will drink your blood with a terrible thirst."

I'm not ready," he said, hanging his head low, turning from those gleaming eyes.

"No, you are NOT ready! But one day, one day, you will be ready, you will lead us all." He sniffed the damp air. Night has spread into the forest as they had talked. Shadows pooled under a bone white moon.

"Soon I will be gone. Soon I will die."

"Don't, don't, talk that way! It makes me afraid"

Grandpa smiled and said "I see the fear like fireflies in your eyes. The heart beating faster? That's living, young one. YES, I will DIE very soon, but I'm not afraid to die. I have never been selfish and gladly will give my flesh to the forest to feed and my bones to the trees."

Night sat in a throne of dark green ivy and thorns. The night filled the forest and ruled. Night things stirred from their holes and places. Things real and some not quite moved in the dark. Death seemed closer now than ever... Its laughing skull seemed hidden by the shadow.Death seemed so very very close. Grandpas eyes were closed again. He shivered and moved closer to grandpa. Grandpa spoke softly and quickly. "Will you remember me when I'm gone? Will you SING for me each moon? PROMISE!?"

"I WILL"

Grandpa smiled in the dark. "Then, I am not afraid to die for I will be immortal. You will sing my songs and I will live in them" The two of them lay wrapped in the spicy scent of leaves. Time had no meaning. There was only warm bodies and companionship. Time had no meaning at all here, if only for a while.

They hear it from deep in the woods. The lone haunting cry of a wolf howl. Another added to the chorus and then another and then another until the forest was filled with it. Every tree and leaf seemed to quiver with the sound. The woodland shook with it. The very earth trembling at the ancient sound. Suddenly, grandpa threw back his head and HOWLED with eyes blazing fire yellow in the darkness. The sound of grandpas howl always brought a spider soft shiver crawling down his spine. Thought gave way to instinct. Ears flattened he joined his own unique voice to the song. Each voice distinct and each strand of the song different.
Hearts raced and blood boiled. They merged with the forever and sang to the moon and stars as they had done for millions of years and more. Grandpas eyes were on fire.

"I'll die soon die I am old, but not tonight. Tonight. We hunt. Tonight I'm young." With that, he raced off like a grey ghost into the dark. Grandson followed grandpa with joy in his heart and the beating of his own blood in his ears. They raced through moonlight woodlands. They joined the pack. They raced together in the dark. Blood and glory under the moon. AH, now that was living. Tonight was not a night for dying.

THE END.