Fantasy: The Tree With a Heart

Remember the old tree, filled with concrete in the backyard?  Some of my readers were wondering what happened to the stump that ironically had a cross section in the shape of a heart?

Imagine, it's after midnight, the first warm night of the year.  You fell asleep watching a movie and you go to shut the door before you head to bed; however, you hear soft, high pitched laughter in the back!  You head out to investigate but as you get closer, the noise stops.  The next morning, you wonder if it might be the cicadas, you heard it's their year.

Imagine, time passes and after a long day, you're walking home and you again hear the same soft sound, almost like laughter. It's past midnight and you are exhausted, but you quietly, stealthily, tip toe into your backyard and realize that there is a soft glow coming from the stump.  You mention it to someone the next day and they too think it's the cicadas or perhaps, your friend chuckles, tree fairies! 

Imagine, you're out working in the yard and the sun begins to set.  You're quietly finishing up when you hear it again, softly. You see what appears to be a little glow from over near the stump. The glow and the sound seem to be the same ones you have heard before, but it could well be the angle of the sun setting or perhaps you've been out in fresh air too long!  You casually mention it to your neighbor as he stops to say hello.  He laughs aloud, the kind of belly laugh that implies you might be sniffing too much fertilizer and then says, "Perhaps it's the tree decomposing. Hope there's not nuclear waste in there! It'll ruin the value of my house!"  With that he laughs again and leaves you thinking you really have been outside too long! 

Imagine, it's a hot summer evening and you are sitting quietly listening to the sounds in the neighborhood when you hear it again, softly.  You see what might just be a little glow from over near the stump too.   At first, you think it might be the wine, but then you wonder what magic might just be inside your old stump!  You figure you better not mention it to anyone! 

Imagine, time passes, life goes on and the heart-shaped stump continues to do its thing: singing and offering soft light in the darkness.  You have long ago given up trying to determine what might be living in or decomposing inside the tree!  Over many years, the sound quiets and the light dims as your own life becomes filled with new trees, experiences, and sounds.  One day, walking home, you remember the tree stump mystery, realizing you can no longer hear or see the stump and wonder if it is because your own yard and the neighborhood seem to be noisier these days.

Imagine, one day you read about a family of fairies who live in a tree stump.  They had moved into their home after falling in love with a magical heart shaped stump.  Over time, the fairies grew older, had fewer parties, but their home was always filled with love.  Over time, fairy duties waxed and wained as the tooth business is fickle; so in their spare time they invented a game called Fairy Opoly.  You smile as you read and wonder about what the author knows....perhaps you might want to talk to her about this....but perhaps you should just let it be.....she has quite the imagination!