The Whispering Tree

Written and Illustrated by Chris Francis

CHAPTER Two

The Story so Far: During a class field trip, Henry is upset about the Ogre-beast being locked up in a cage along Glarington River. As the tour guide rambles on about various sites along the trip, Henry feels a strange pull from a tree floating in the river. When Henry hears a mysterious voice telling him ‘it’s coming’, he decides to jump off the boat.

Landing in that icy-cold water felt like I was just hit by a cement truck. A shot of pain bolted up and down my body as I flapped about furiously under the surface. The muffled sounds of bubbles stirred inside my head as I forced myself upward. I wanted to open my mouth. I wanted to breathe, but I was worried I would swallow a fish or something. I hate fish.

Anyway, I closed my eyes and with all my strength pulled myself up to the surface. However, my baggy overalls and sized thirteen shoes made it difficult to float. I needed to get to the tree. “Swim,” said the voice. Waves splashed all around me as I bobbed my head up and down. Gulps of cold, fishy water poured into my mouth. I wanted to gag.

I was positive I threw up a little too.

I remember learning that staying calm was really important whenever I felt the need to panic. I was pretty sure I was panicking. I mean, I was drowning in a freezing cold river trying to chase down a talking tree. If you ask me, that was a pretty good reason to freak out.

As my head once again dipped under the water, my mother popped into my head. I remembered she told me that I needed to picture myself in a happy place. She told me to close my eyes and focus on this place until the feeling of panic went away. So I did.

I imagined myself back at school, sitting by the learning garden with Chloe Swan. She would be smiling at me with her warm brown eyes and beautiful smile. I would have tingles running up and down my back.

“I really like your freckles,” Chloe would say. She’d reach out her hand and take my intergalactic turbo star seeking spaceship from me. I’d smile back at her as I watched her prepare it for countdown.

I pictured Corban Barkley nodding at me as he walked by with his cool eighth grade friends and ask me how my day was going. He’d pat me on the back and apologize over and over again for picking on me every day at recess.

The Ogre-beast would be there too. People wouldn’t be scared of him anymore and he wouldn’t be locked up. I wouldn’t be seen as a stupid hero who saved the town from his so-called attack the month before either. They would realize that I didn’t do anything special. They would realize that I just talked to him and got to know who he was. I would simply be seen by the school as a regular kid who cared enough to get to know somebody who was different.

“Do you want to go for a ride?” The Ogre-beast would lower his great claws to the ground.

“Yes please,” Chloe and I would say. I’d pick some marigolds from the garden and offer them to him.

He’d sniff the petals right off the stem, sucking them up his nose. He’d pick us up and place us on his shoulder. As we enjoyed the scenery I’d whisper into Chloe’s ear and tell her my secret.

My secret.

As I sank farther into the darkness of the river, I thought about my secret. I wondered how Chloe would react if she knew what my secret was. Would she still be nice to me? I wondered if little grade three kids would spit on me again during recess. I didn’t want to go back to that time. It was a horrible place to be. I was respected now. I had friends. People liked me and accepted me for who I was. Sure I was big and had massive red clown hair, but that was who I was. And I was proud.

But I still thought it best that my secret stayed with just me for a while longer.

“Henry!” The voice echoed inside my head. “Hurry, before it’s too late.”

I opened my eyes and looked around, past the rising air bubbles. A dim light appeared from above as I began kicking my feet toward the surface. Like before, I once again felt the pull.

Above me, the dark silhouette of the massive great whispering tree floated patiently over the waves. A strange silence came over me as I pulled myself closer to its great trunk. The voice returned excitedly to my ringing ears. “Yes.”

I gasped for air as I pulled my head above the water again. In front of me now, the tree crashed steadily through the rushing water. My nails dug into the bark as I clawed my way up onto its base. Wrapping my legs around the trunk, I pulled myself upright. I was safe.

For now.

The river didn’t seem so wild and ferocious from the ferry-boat. Then again, I’m learning really quickly that nothing really is as it seems.

My body shook as I steadied myself and focused on keeping my balance. Along the shoreline, small cottages and docked boats blurred as I passed. A group of Ninja Fighting Mango Monkeys wrestled each other near the parking lot where our school bus was. The driver sat at a picnic table holding an umbrella. I looked out ahead of me, realizing I was leaving Port Glarington and heading out to sea.

I never knew a current could be so powerful in a river before.

The clouds rippled and molded into a grey tangled mess of darkness. Drops of rain began to fall from the sky.

“Welcome to the Whispering

Tree.” The voice drifted over me again.

“Thank you,” I said, grabbing tightly onto the bark. I took a moment and scanned my temporary ride.

The branches stretched out like a confusing maze. The leaves, heavy and rubbery, weaved carefully into each other creating a thick wall of green. The structure was just like a thatched cabin, sitting perfectly on a gigantic trunk. I couldn’t believe its size. I was in a floating jungle! And I was Tarzan.

Not really.

Anyway.

I didn’t realize it when I was high up on the boat, but the tree was almost the size of the star observatory at my space camp... or one and a half Ogre-beasts.

Just as a loud crackling sound erupted from the dark clouds above, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

To Be Continued: Tuesday January 30