MYSTober 2024

31 vignettes based on single-word prompts. One story.

15. Tree

Jacob sat on his bed, fingering the chain around his neck. The view from his window was one of people going about their day: talking, laughing, walking from place to place. They all looked so happy, like nothing was wrong.

His parents didn't know about the necklace. If they did, they surely would have told him to get rid of it. He couldn't do that – it was the only thing that gave him comfort after the bad times. He grasped its pendant, some kind of brown spiral with chambers, and rubbed the smooth side with his thumb. A wave of relief spread across his body. The bad time was over today.

"Jacob, are you okay in there, buddy?" called out his father from the other side of his door. It was only a matter of time until his father or someone else learned about the necklace. He needed a better place to hide it.

He tucked it into his pocket and opened the door with a smile. "I'm good! Just getting ready to go play."

"Well, take your brother with you, then. He needs to burn off some energy."

"Okay." Before leaving, Jacob wrapped his arms around his father and gave him a hug. He came up to the middle of his chest now. Simon was still short.

His father patted his head. "I love you too, buddy. Go have fun."

Jacob crossed the house to exit. Simon ran to the door ahead of him and hurled himself outside as only an innocent child can do. Keeping the necklace secret would be harder now that he wasn't out alone.

His little brother was waiting for him outside. "Where are we going?"

"Let's go to the woods today."

"Yay, the woods!" Simon raced off ahead of him. Jacob ran after him, to keep him within sight. He wasn't worried about his brother getting lost, but it was good to know where he was.

As Simon entered the woods, Jacob slowed to a stroll. He was searching for a particular tree. It didn't take him long to find it – he'd noted it many times before. It was the one with a hole in its side, as if it had been hollowed out specifically for him. He traced the perimeter of the hole with one finger.

"Come on, Jacob, chase me!" called Simon from deeper in the forest.

"Just a moment," he called back. He pulled the necklace from his pocket and placed it gently inside the hole. Then he grabbed some twigs and leaves and tucked them in after it, so that nobody else would know it was there. It had to be kept a secret. He closed his eyes and took a reverent breath, before exhaling and calling out, "Here I come!"

MYSTober 2024

Table of Contents

15. Tree