But he was lonely. Aside from his brothers, who were too busy helping with the farm, and his sister, who was still too young and also a girl, Jonah didn’t have any friends. Except for this tree.
It had been awhile since Jonah had been outside. It rained for a week straight which was great for the crops but not so much for little boys. Jonah went out to his tree and immediately climbed it. The leaves were so green and more had shown up on the long branches. Jonah thought about his powers. He didn’t need to remain here in this tree. Jonah could bring the tree to life, go somewhere away from the roads, away from the city, and play with the tree. Then bring the tree back and put it back to normal. He had saw his father do a spell similar in order to move a rock in their field. His father and his brothers quickly rolled the rock out of the field and made it lifeless again.
Jonah ran his hands along a couple of branches and spoke the words he heard his father say. The branches began to move, almost like they were being blown by the wind. The tree began pulling its roots out of the ground. It suddenly made a terrible screech and was free from the earth.
The noise and the anger scared Jonah. Feeling something in its branches, the tree shook violently, small branches and leaves falling off. Jonah was thrown from the tree and landed hard on the side of the road, head splitting open on a rock. The tree screeched again and began lumbering toward the town, roots dragging along behind it.
As the tree entered the town, it smashed its branches into buildings and used its root to strangle and crush the necks of the townspeople. Jonah’s brother, George, happened to be in town buying grain when he saw the tree. Knowing what probably happened, he dropped the grain and ran back to the farm.
Realizing that Jonah was not around and that he had an affinity for a tree, his family went into a panic. The men quickly ran to town where the tree had decimated a good part of it. Numerous dead bodies were strewn about the cobbled roads. It appeared that some residents were able to get a spear and an axe into the tree but it was clear that they didn’t slow it down.
When Jonah’s father and his brothers brought the rock to life, as soon as the rock was out of the ground, they pushed it over and rolled it away as quick as they could and immediately turned it back to a lifeless object. They blamed themselves for not telling Jonah how inanimate objects act when brought to life. They blamed themselves for what was happening to their town.
George quickly tried to stop the tree but one of the roots came down, tearing through his chest and exiting his back. Jonah’s other brother, Lucas, created a flame to distract the tree while their father worked his magic.
Within seconds of the spell being cast, the roots attached to the ground and began sinking. The tree went silent and then lifeless. The tree went back to normal, as if nothing had happened, right near the center of town.
A man with a cart entered the city, carrying Jonah on top of his wares. His father gently touched Jonah’s hand and then lifted him off the cart and slowly carried him home to the farm. Jonah was gently placed on the ground by a tree near the house. Lucas grabbed a wool blanket from the barn and covered Jonah. Jonah’s mother and sister, Elizabeth, came out and started crying when they saw the covered body. Jonah’s father retrieved a shovel and began digging a hole for his son.
A hole was dug, Jonah was carefully lowered into it and covered with dirt. The family said a little prayer and began to head back to the barn to get a cart so they could retrieve George. As they walked away from the grave, they heard a commotion and looked back toward the town to see a mob of angry townspeople.
