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There’s Something Rotten in Düsseldorf


It is often said that one reaps what one sows. In some cases, this is literal.

“Hurry up Heinrich, or you will be late!”

Young Heinrich Von Strassen rolled his eyes at his mother’s nagging and raced down the stairs, his school uniform shirt half untucked. He skidded to a halt on the slippery linoleum floor. Frau Strassen turned and scowled at her son.

“Was ist das? (What is this?) You look like a poor beggar. Get your shirt tucked in at once!”

Frau Strassen turned to the strudel still warming in the oven while Heinrich grudgingly obeyed his mother. Shirts tucked in were not important to Heinrich. He was more interested in getting to school before he ran into the local bully, Gustaf Hertz. He was two years older than Heinrich and had been picking on him and his best friend Gretchen since first grade. Determined to try to avoid any unpleasant confrontations, Heinrich grabbed his school bag and made a bee line for the door, barely remembering to grab his coat. His mother spotted him just before he made to open the door.

“Where are you going? You haven’t eaten breakfast!”

“I cannot be late, mutter (mother), sorry!” Heinrich quickly lied and pushed open the door.

“Don’t be late getting home. And don’t go taking shortcuts through the woods!” The Frau shouted after the already disappearing form of her son. Shaking her head, Frau Strassen went back to her domestic chores.

Once out of range of the hawk eyes of his mother, Heinrich slowed a bit, waiting for his friend Gretchen to catch up. She lived just a few blocks down from him. As if on cue, a bright red peacoat and pompom hat appeared over the hill. It was Gretchen. Her blonde pigtails bounced jovially as the girl skipped along. Seeing Heinrich up ahead, she waved.

“Guten tag (good morning), Heinrich,” Gretchen said as she skipped up to her best friend.

“Ja, I’m not so sure it is a good day,” Heinrich mumbled skeptically.

Gretchen frowned and stared at Heinrich as they continued on their way to school.
“Was ist los (what’s wrong)?” Gretchen asked.

“I’m just worried that Gustaf will pop out from behind a bush or some building any moment and start his usual bullying. I can’t stand him! I wish he would just leave us alone,” Heinrich vented to his best friend.

Gretchen looked down at the ground and kicked a pebble lying on the cement. She knew how much Heinrich despised Gustaf. After all, Gustaf had been the biggest bully in school for as long as either of them could remember, and he particularly seemed to like picking on Heinrich. He’d aim a few petty comments at Gretchen, but he didn’t push her the way he did with Heinrich.

“I know. Gustaf is a royal pain, but you can’t go around expecting him to pop out everywhere you go. He can’t spend all his time pushing you around,” Gretchen tried to point out.

“Oh really? Sometimes it feels like his sole purpose in life is to make me miserable. You don’t know what it’s like. He never really bothers you much,” Heinrich countered sullenly.

He had a point.

There was a bridge that the two had to cross to get on the road that led to the school in the busier city section of Düsseldorf. They were the only two kids in the whole school who lived in the more suburban outskirt area off of the main city. There was a shorter path through the woods, but they had always been warned not to take shortcuts through the area. Being obedient little children, they always took the bridge.

The two were coming up on the old bridge that spanned across Blackbird River. It was a rickety old structure that had been built back during World War II to create a supply convoy route. The old wooden planks had seen plenty of heavy trucks laden with guns, ammunition, and other supplies pass over it during the war. It was even partially destroyed once by the underground resistance movement. It had been rebuilt not long after, but in the years since the war, the wood had become old and creaky, some planks rotting in places. The whole thing was one big disaster waiting to happen. The city council was supposed to be looking into replacing it with a new metal bridge. The Bürgermeister (mayor) kept stalling.

Heinrich and Gretchen began to cross the old hazardous bridge. At about the halfway point, a loud creaking sound echoed around the bridge, reverberating in the ramshackle bridge canopy overhead.

“Was war das (what was that)?” Heinrich asked as he froze in place, barely daring to breathe.

“It was probably just one of these old boards. You know this bridge is in bad shape. Come on you ninny,” Gretchen said as she passed by Heinrich, still frozen stiff.
Gretchen rolled her eyes at his jumpy nature and took another step toward the end of the bridge. The step turned into an odd leap backward as a dark shape fell from the deep shadows in the upper rafters of the bridge canopy. Gretchen was set to grab Heinrich and run as the shape straightened out and turned around. It was Gustaf Hertz. He had been hiding up in the rafters, waiting for them. The bully laughed hysterically at the mixed expressions of dread and annoyance on Gretchen and Heinrich’s faces.

“Aren’t you babies a little far from your playpens?” The bullying Gustaf jeered at them.

“Why don’t you learn to mind your own business? Now get out of our way,” Gretchen countered firmly. She wasn’t afraid of Gustaf.

“Why should I? Oh, are the little babies worried about being late for their dumb classes? Ha! Maybe I’ll just keep you here so you get into trouble,” Gustaf shot back.

“You will not make us late today, tomorrow, or any other day. We are crossing this bridge and getting to school,” Gretchen said, standing her ground.

She grabbed Heinrich’s hand and dragged him toward the far side of the bridge. Poor Heinrich could only let himself be led along. For girl, Gretchen was surprisingly strong. They were just about to pass Gustaf when he side stepped into their path. Gretchen stepped to the right to go around the other way, but Gustaf stepped back into her path. Glaring, Gretchen stopped and folded her arms across her chest.

“Get out of the way Gustaf, now!” Gretchen seethed through gritted teeth. She had had just about enough of Gustaf Hertz and his jerky behavior for one day. Gustaf continued to stand in the way, a sneering leer on his face.

“Oh, I’ll get out of your way but on one condition. You have to give me your leftover lunch money. If you don’t, I’ll tell everyone you two are a little puppy couple.”
“How dare you! You little weasel! I’ll-”

“Gretchen, please, i-it’s ok. Just do as he says. We have to go,” Heinrich spoke quietly. Sometimes it was just easier to give in to Gustaf. Gretchen didn’t want to back down though.

“Heinrich, you don’t have to do everything he says all the time. You-”

“You’ll get the money, Gustaf. Gretchen, let’s just go,” Heinrich quickly said and made a break for it. He nearly made it around Gustaf, but the bully jumped into his path at the last second, grabbing his coat collar and leering down at him.

“I had better get it, you little dummkopf (idiot), or you’ll be sorry,” Gustaf threatened and then let Heinrich go.

Gretchen passed around Gustaf, grabbed Heinrich’s hand once more and quickly marched him over the bridge and back on the path to school. The day was a deep grey overhead, an imminent storm brewing. By whatever turn of luck, the two had no further trouble from Gustaf on the way to school. But that didn’t mean they wouldn’t later on. Just as the two hit the flight of steps up to the large old school building, the sky opened up with a deluge. Needless to say, Gretchen and Heinrich were both soaked through and chilled to the bone upon entering their school and heading miserably off to class.

The skies continued to pour at an alarming rate all through the school day. There was no recess period outside for any students due to the pools of mud forming all over the school grounds from the torrential downpour. The weather kept everyone in gray spirits all through their lessons, students and teachers alike. Gretchen and Heinrich had a few classes together. This proved to be a good thing. Every time the bell rang for the end of each hour, Gustaf was waiting around a corner, sneering at Heinrich. If Gretchen hadn’t followed Heinrich to his classes whether she was in the class or not, she was pretty sure he would have gotten more grief from Gustaf. They guy was such a jerk.

Lunchtime brought a slight reprieve since sixth year students did not eat with the seventh and eighth year students. Heinrich bought his lunch, but only picked at it. The leftover money sat on his tray, reminding him of Gustaf’s threat and the fact that he was going to once again have to make up some lie to tell his mother when he had to ask for more lunch money. Gretchen tried to cheer him up, but it was no use. Heinrich’s mood was as dour as the weather.

The second half of the school day waged on as the downpour intensified, if it was even possible. Heinrich would have been happy to let his less than interesting history lesson crawl by, but the minute hands on the clock were indifferent to his growing dread. Like a funeral dirge, the final bell toll came. Students raced out of their classrooms, most with waiting parents and nice warm, dry cars to take them home. They had nothing to worry about except getting homework done before the next day. Heinrich’s head hung low as he halfheartedly pulled on his coat and walked the sullen walk of the condemned toward the doors. Gretchen caught up with him easily on the way out.

Gretchen pushed past several people and made a path for Heinrich to get out of the building. Surprisingly, the rain had stopped for the moment. A slight glimmer of hope crept into Heinrich’s heart. Maybe Gustaf would forget the whole thing. That thought in mind, Heinrich fell into step with Gretchen as they started on the trek home.

“See, you worried over nothing. Gustaf probably ran off home, afraid to get wet. I bet he never showers,” Gretchen spoke lightly to Heinrich.

He would have loved to believe her completely, but he was never all that positive. And then all his dread returned in rush. Gustaf was waiting up ahead, just out of the line of sight of the school and its teachers. Even worse, there were two other people with him. The two boys standing to either side of Gustaf were much bigger and older, but they had the same stupid sneer on their faces. They also had the same sandy blonde hair and tiny black eyes as Gustaf. It was his two older brothers. Hermann was an eleventh year, while Albert was a tenth year. Both were as nasty and conniving as their younger brother.

“Hey dummkopf, I want my money,” Gustaf droned lazily. He was sure he’d get what he wanted, especially when he was using his older brothers as backup.

Heinrich froze for the second time that day. He had heard that Gustaf’s older brothers were not just cat-callers, they were physically violent. It was in their school record that more than once they had been suspended for fights. Sometimes they started fights just to get out of going to school. They were bad news. For once, Gretchen wasn’t quite as confident herself. Even she could not deny the bad reputation of the older Hertz brothers. She looked and saw how scared Heinrich was, so cautiously took a step forward.

“Gustaf, we do not want trouble, but Heinrich is not going to just fork over his money. You know his mother can’t afford to give him any extra,” Gretchen tried to reason with him. Her pleas fell on deaf ears.

“I don’t care what the weasel can and can’t afford. I want that money or you’re both going to get worse than embarrassment,” Gustaf retorted as he stared down poor Heirich.

“You can’t make us do anything, and you won’t get away with being a bully forever,” Gretchen shot back, trying to sound brave, but her words faltered.

“If you won’t do this the easy way, then maybe Hermann and Albert need to give you another option,” Gustaf said menacingly as he made a motion with his hand and his two older brothers began to advance toward Gretchen and Heinrich.

It was now or never. If they wanted to avoid a horrible beating, Gretchen and Heinrich had to get out of there fast. Without any hesitations, Gretchen grabbed Heinrich’s hand for the millionth time that day and feigned right, then dashed left, dragging poor Heinrich at top speed down the street. Her rapid move had caught the two older boys off guard, and they stood still, blinking like idiots until Gustaf recovered and shouted, “After them you twits!”

“We don’t have much of a head start. We've got to keep ahead of them or we’re toast,” Heinrich managed to sputter out in between gasping breaths.

Gretchen had a reputation as the fastest girl in the sixth year class, and she was proving her mettle now. But even she couldn't outrun two older teenage boys. The Hertz brothers were going to catch up any second. Heinrich could hear their rapid footfalls against the pavement only seconds behind them. Gretchen continued to tear across the road, Heinrich in tow. Before they knew it, they had reached the park area where the main road split and one side continued on to the bridge spanning Blackbird River. They pounded the rough cement below their feet, running as if for their lives.

“We aren't far….from the bridge. We can…make it,” Gretchen puffed out as she continued to run.

“I've got news for you…..I don’t think… we can go that way. Look!” Heinrich shouted.

The two came to a stop just in front of the bridge. The river, which had already been very close to cresting, was now spilling over the banks, the bridge was covered. A swift current was rushing across the bridge’s old wooden planks. There was no way they could safely cross now.

“Come on, we've almost go them!” came Hermann’s deep throated shout from not far behind the bend in the road. In a few more seconds, the Hertz brothers would make the turn around the bushes blocking the view of the road and then Heinrich and Gretchen would really be in for it.

“What do we do?” Heinrich asked, fear and nervousness evident in his voice.

“There’s only one thing for it. We have to take the short cut through Blackwood,” Gretchen said, not an ounce of hesitation coloring her voice. Heinrich recoiled though.

“Are you crazy?! All of my life, mutter has told me not to go taking the forest paths,” Heinrich squeaked in a full-on panic.

“We don’t have a choice. It’s your neck on the line, but personally I’d rather take my chances with the forest than to deal with Gustaf and his brothers,” Gretchen said vehemently and dashed off into the woods. Heinrich whined in frustration and dashed after her. He knew she was right.

The dark autumn afternoon made the towering trees in the forest cast long, eerie shadows on the ground. The rain had soaked through the dirt, leaving a thick layer of mud on the forest floor. With every step, Heinrich’s shoes squelched in the muck. He was sure Gustaf would hear it and come running after him. The damp smell of mold and mud was overwhelming. The lack of light made it difficult to see. Gretchen was nowhere in sight.

“Gretchen, where are you? Come on, stop fooling around. I want to get out of here,” Heinrich called out, his voice barely an octave above a whisper. He was deeply afraid of the woods.

A twig suddenly snapped off to his left, causing Heinrich to jump and cry out in fright. His shout startled a bird that took off in a frenzied flight, flapping around Heinrich’s head while the boy flailed. The bird finally took off into the woods. By now Heinrich was ready to bolt for the bridge. But then he stopped and realized he had no idea which way led back to the bridge. Everything looked the same in the near-twilight cast upon the woods.

“What are you hanging around for?” a voice suddenly said from behind Heinrich.

He jumped and turned around, afraid he had been found. It was only Gretchen. She had a stray dead leaf stuck in her hair and an annoyed expression on her face. Heinrich was glad to see her, but that was soon replaced with his own irritation.

“Where did you wander off too? You could have gotten lost!” Heinrich vented.

“For your information, I was looking for any sign of a path, and I believe I have found one. Come on. Let’s get going before Gustaf figures out where we went.”

Without waiting for a reply, Gretchen once again started to head off into the woods. Not wishing to be left alone in the dark and miserable forest again, Heinrich trotted after her. For a while it seemed like they were just walking in some haphazard fashion, not going any place in particular. The trees were growing more densely packed, the air felt heavier. That wasn't all that was changing. There was an odd feel to the whole forest the further they went, as if the trees disapproved of the human presence within their domain. Heinrich voiced this observation to Gretchen, but she dismissed it, saying, “Don’t let your imagination run wild. It’s just stuffy from the rain.”

Knowing it would be dark by six, Heinrich pushed the light button on his watch to check the time. It was already 4:30. School had ended at 3:30. They had been fleeing from Gustaf for an hour.

“Gretchen, it will be dark in an hour and half. Maybe Gustaf has given up by now and we should head back the way we came. We could still make it home before dark,” Heinrich called out hopefully.

Gretchen had gone up ahead a bit to see where the barely evident path went next. It was several minutes before she came back in sight. When she did, she had a happy grin on her face.

“Come on Heinrich! I see a light up ahead. I think the way out is not far ahead of us,” She said enthusiastically.

Heinrich wasn't so sure. He still could not shake the foreboding feeling emanating from the woods, and it was particularly strong in the direction Gretchen was pointing. While in the beginning he had been willing to take his chances in the woods over facing Gustaf and his brothers, now he had a sinking feeling a beating from those bullies would have been a cake walk compared to what the forest had to offer.

“I don’t know Gretchen. I think we should go back. At least we know what is back the way we came,” Heinrich said as he turned to look back behind him.

He stopped short and did a double take. What before had been visible trees and scrubby bushes was now a hazy, green fog. He couldn’t have found his way back through it to save his life. He turned back toward Gretchen, his face etched with shock and no small amount of apprehension. Gretchen was standing with her hands on her hips, one eyebrow raised as if to say ‘You were saying?’

Sighing heavily, Heinrich pressed forward in the direction Gretchen had said she had seen light. The two trudged on through the ever growing haze. The trees were getting even closer together. It became more difficult to navigate through the densely packed brush and tree trunks. There was light up ahead, but it always seemed to be just out of reach. Heinrich glanced up to see if there was any light cutting through the top layer of trees, and blanched in horror. The limbs of the trees had begun to look more like human limbs, grey and twisted and covered in a thick layer of green moss.

“Gretchen, are you seeing this?” Heinrich asked in awed horror as he stared up at the oddly morphed tree limbs.

Gretchen stopped and looked up as well, shivering at the sight.

“I have heard tales about evil trees in the woods. They have human hands and they grab at anyone who tries to come through the woods. Of course, I also heard that it is the restless spirits of dead soldiers from the great wars, especially the two world wars,” Gretchen relayed the story as the two picked their way through the demented forest, moving more cautiously now.

As the two friends moved ever deeper into the woods, the trees grew ever more hideous. The trunks began to look like they had human faces, some of them so real looking that one would almost believe it was a wooden carving of a person. The lower branches of the trees continually snagged on Gretchen’s hat and Heinrich’s coat. Once they both had to stop so Heinrich could wrench a rouge branch off of Gretchen’s hat. When he touched the branch with its hand-like twigs, it had a sickening feeling to it, like flesh halfway stuck between bark and skin. Heinrich shudder at the feeling and quickly dislodged the branch.

Not long after that, the air began to smell foul. The moldy dirt smell was now mixed with an odor that could only be described as rot and decay, as if hundreds of dead animal were slowly breaking down into earth. Gretchen coughed and gagged, barely able to stand the stench. Suddenly a dark shape darted through the trees off to the right.

“Gretchen, did you see that?” Heinrich whispered, trying not to breathe too deeply.

She nodded, not willing to speak lest she breathe in more of the wretched scent of the forest. The dark shape appeared again, this time to their left. Another dark, indecipherable shape appeared beside it, and yet a third off in the distance to their right. Terror beginning to seize both of them, Gretchen and Heinrich bolted through the trees, not caring about the horrid smell getting stronger or the way the low tree branches caught on their clothes and left tears. They raced onward, adrenalin pushing them both to their limit until the two hit a ridge and tumbled over into a small ditch. They scrambled up and ran on, following the ditch until it opened out into a clearing. Here they stopped.

The clearing was surrounded by a ring of trees, if they could be called that. Each and every last tree was a person frozen in a state between tree and human, the expressions on the twisted wooden faces ranging from terror to absolute malice. Twisted branches grew outward from the shoulders of the partially transformed people. Even the clothing had been morphed into wood like a carving. Some wore modern clothes, others were older. Some were military uniforms from the two world wars, including quite a few Gestapo. This was not the worst, though.

Right in the center of the clearing, being given an almost respectful distance, was an enormous tree. It rose so high that it was impossible to see the top branches. It was a deep grey and covered in stringy green vines that were reminiscent of seaweed. A jagged, gaping hole was etched into the trunk of the tree. Two deep gouges above the gaping central hole made the tree look as if it had empty eye sockets. But even more terrifying still was the manner in which this tree appeared to be composed of not one, but many people who had been fused into the tree, creating its numerous grasping branches. The scent of rot and decay flowed heavily from the menacing tree.

Gretchen and Heinrich stared in shocked horror at the monstrosity.

“Was ist das?” Heinrich shakily whispered the question, trembling in fright.

“It’s where you get what’s coming to you, dummkopf,” a sickeningly familiar voice droned out into the heavy air in the clearing.

From behind the tree a figure emerged. The pale, sneering face of Gustaf Hertz detached from the shadows of the tree, and the teenage bully came forward. Albert and Hermann Hertz appeared from behind the monstrous tree as well, flanking Gustaf to either side, but several steps behind.

“I-I thought we had lost them,” Heinrich sputtered, confused and afraid. Gretchen was just as perplexed. Gustaf crossed his arms and stood in front of them, grinning like a sadistic idiot.

“When you weren't at the bridge, I knew the only place you could have gone was the forest. It was easy enough to follow your footprints in the mud. I had fun just watching you jump at every little sound. You scream like a girl,” Gustaf teased Heinrich.

“You were following us this whole time?” Heinrich asked, incredulous.
“Of course, the dark figures we saw a ways back. It makes sense,” Gretchen said, anger and annoyance beginning to replace her fear. She stared down Gustaf, glaring at him icily.

“We’re not afraid of you, so just go away. We’re going home,” Gretchen said firmly.

Gustaf just laughed and said, “The only place you are going is a ditch. Hermann, Albert, get my money.”

He leered as his two older brothers began to move forward.
Both of the older Hertz boys were only about five yards away from where Heinrich and Gretchen stood. Albert made to move another step forward, and couldn’t budge. He tried wriggling and jerking his foot off the ground, but he was stuck fast. Hermann was off to his right, also fastened tightly to the ground. Both look angry and a bit bewildered.

“What is going on here? Why can’t I move?” Hermann raged at the ground.

“Stop goofing around you two. I want to get my money and get out of here,” Gustaf barked at his two older brothers.

You will never leave here.

All five teens froze in place. The voice had come out of nowhere. The sound was like a legion all speaking the same thing at once, only it was more of a whisper. Gretchen shivered, not from cold but from fear. Up until now she had not been particularly afraid. Things had changed. There was something out there. She began to look around the clearing, searching for any sigh they were being watched or followed. Her gaze fell upon the monster tree and paused. Where before the two deep gouges that were reminiscent of deep eye sockets had been so dark as to not discern their depth, they now glowed with a sickly green light. Gretchen took a step backward and fell over a root jutting out from the ground. Heinrich looked over at Gretchen.

“What is it?” he asked, almost afraid to know the answer.

Gretchen only pointed toward the monster tree, her wide eyes staring straight ahead, haunted.
Everyone turned and looked at the tree. Even the two older boys, who had to crane around in an awkward position to see anything, ventured a look out of curiosity. The toxic-green haze that had been surrounding them all this time was spilling out form the gaping hole in the center of the tree’s trunk, and the legion voice was heard once more.

You will never leave here. We are hungry. We will feed on your fear and hatred.

By now even the dumb brute Hertz boys were quaking with terror. Gustaf, once the bane of many a school child, was now shaking in his scuffed leather boots.

“Wh-what a-are y-you? What’s g-g-going on?” Gustaf sputtered, stumbling over the words.

The glowing green eyes of the tree flashed and the voice came again.

We are the Tree of Death. It was long ago in the primitive time of kings and castles when we were born from the seeds of hatred and vice. The bloodshed of wars and contention fed us. We grew bigger and more powerful. But for a time very few passed by on which we could feed. The Great War came. The evil, greed, and prejudice of the soldiers of this country empowered us. Many of the security police brought those they deemed lesser beings here to bury the bones. We fed on the fear of the dead and the hatred of the soldiers. We relished the pain and suffering. We consumed them all!

It was twisted, but it now made sense. The faces and limbs on the tree weren't merely human in appearance, but were real people who had been fused into the tree because they had come across its path by one ill turn or another. It had fed on their fear and evil, growing with every person it consumed. And now it was hungry for more.

Gustaf began to laugh. It started out as giggle and turned into a wave of hysterics.

“You won’t do anything, because the joke is up. Nice try Heinrich, but I won’t fall for your dummkopf tricks,” Gustaf said as he whirled around to face Heinrich and Gretchen.

His face was etched with the look of one who had gone completely round the bend, for lack of better description. He was half insane by this point. Suddenly there was a great creaking sound, as of hundreds of trees all bending in a gale force wind. Gustaf looked back and saw to his horror that his two brothers were held fast in the grasp of several powerful roots and were being dragged back toward the Tree of Death.

“Help us!” Albert shrieked.

“Let me go!” Hermann yelled to no avail.

The roots continued to drag the two boys toward the giant tree while Gustaf just stood still as a stone, paralyzed by shock. Now so close to the tree that they could make out in great detail the faces of those consumed by the tree, several great branches bent low with a terrible creaking sound and picked up Albert and Hermann. The boys struggled to free themselves. The grey branches made of human limbs tightened their vice grip, squeezing the boys like rag dolls. They cried out in pain and sheer terror. Then something even worse began to happen. Like an ink stain creeping along, a grey coloration washed over the boys. It stared from where they were held fast by the tree and moved outward. As the color moved, they boy’s joins became stiff. Their bodies twisted and curled up, becoming more like thick branches of a tree. Their faces were frozen in a permanent mix of pain and fear. They had been fused in the Tree of Death!

Gretchen snapped out of her daze and stood up. She looked down and saw that several more tree roots were snaking along the ground toward her, Heinrich, and Gustaf. They would all end up as demented wood carvings if they didn’t move fast. Gretchen ran over to Heinrich and grabbed his arm. She pulled on him and he finally snapped back into the present.

“We need to get out of here,” was all she said as she turned and started heading in the direction from which they had entered the clearing.

But this would not happen. The trees had somehow closed ranks while the teens were preoccupied, created an impenetrable barricade. The only direction to move was forward, past the Tree of Death. Heinrich and Gretchen turned back to face the evil tree. Gustaf had managed to snap out of it somehow and was darting around the clearing, looking every bit the madman as he flailed frantically while ducking and dodging. Roots snaked out to try to grab him from below while the lower branches of the evil tree bent down in an attempt to snatch him up from above.

“We have got to get past the tree and find a way out of this deathtrap forest!” Heinrich shouted.

Gretchen was in complete agreement or she would have told him she wasn't deaf. As she watched Gustaf’s crazed tango with the roots and branches, she began to feel bad for him. He might have been a bully, but he had just witnessed the death of his brothers. She couldn't be angry with him after what had just happened. Her mind made up, Gretchen tightened her grip on Heinrich’s arm and darted forward, entering them both into the same bizarre dance as Gustaf.

Gretchen was quick and managed to keep both her and Heinrich out of reach of the rouge roots and branches. Little by little, the two danced their way over to Gustaf where Gretchen unceremoniously grabbed his arm with her free hand and broke into a full pelt right past the Tree of Death. Stunned, Heinrich and Gustaf let themselves be dragged along. The tree was angry now. It lashed out with its branches and roared.

You will not leave here!

The other trees that surrounded the clearing began to move, their dark roots ripping up the ground as they surged forward to try to capture the three teenagers. Gustaf and Heinrich finally kicked it into gear and doubled their efforts to keep up with Gretchen. They raced blindly through the woods, their hearts pounding with the rapid rhythm of the hunted in flight. The three were so busy running that they did not notice how the forest began to lose the horrible stench of death the further they ran. Light began to filter through the treetops once more. It wasn't until Gretchen realized birds could be heard chirping their evening songs that they slowed their pace and took a good look around.

Breathing hard after the flight from the Tree of Death, Heinrich stood with his hand on his knees, looking down at the ground. He noticed that the ground appeared more normal. A few stray flowers poked through the muddy earth, a welcome sight. Taking in a deep lungful of air, Heinrich let the clear, sweet air of the normal woodland bolster his spirits. The trees were normal, boring trees. No warped faces poked out from the trunks. The branches were plain old branches. Everything was spaced out more. Heinrich actually allowed himself to grin.

“I think we are safe now. We made it,” He said cheerfully. But no shouts of glee answered his statement.

Gretchen was staring at the woods to Heinrich’s back. Gustaf was shaking, pointing a trembling finger at the trees. Heinrich, puzzled, turned around to see what they could be making a fuss over. Green haze was wafting through the trees they had just run through. Beyond, Heinrich could just make out the twisted, horrible tree creatures that played minion to the Tree of Death. Not stopping to even ask how it was possible, Heinrich turned and ran, Gretchen and Gustaf right behind him.

“We can’t keep running forever,” Heinrich said, more as a thought out loud than a comment.

“Look, up ahead! There’s a natural earth bridge across that stream,” Gretchen said as she pointed toward a patch of earth and stone that spanned across a stream that had broken off from Blackbird River.

“So what? Those things followed us this far. What good is a stupid stream?” Gustaf shouted the question.

Heinrich wasn’t sure of the answer himself, but he had a gut feeling that the stream was a boundary, marking a safe zone beyond the deeper forest where the horrible Tree of Death thrived in the darkness. It made no sense, but it was all he had to go on.

“Look, I know you have no reason to believe me, but I’m asking you to trust me. Or would you rather end up like Albert and Hermann?” Heinrich bluntly presented the ultimatum.

Gustaf stopped and stood stock still. Gretchen and Heinrich were incredulous. How could he stop in the middle of being chased by psycho trees that wanted to turn them into wood sculptures? Gretchen impatiently tapped her foot on the ground. Gustaf didn’t know what to do. He was used to being the guy that everyone was afraid of and did as he said, not vice versa. But now his brothers were gone, and all because of his stupid bullying for a few coins. The indecision on his face changed to resolute determination.

“Ok Heinrich, let’s do it your way,” he said, looking Heinrich in the eyes.

Heinrich was stunned. Gustaf had never called him by his actual name before. He stashed that moment away in his mental files to review later. Nodding, he once more took off running, headed toward the small earth bridge and the safety on the other side of the stream. Gretchen and Gustaf were only a few steps behind him.

They were only a few yards from the stream when one of the grisly trees that had caught up with the teens lashed out one of its roots and it wrapped around Gretchen’s ankle. She fell to the ground, screaming in shock and pain. The rough root had cut deep into her ankle. The tree began to drag her backward, reeling in its catch. Heinrich and Gustaf dove for Gretchen, barely getting a hand hold on her torn coat. Gretchen dug her nails into the mud, desperately trying to pull away from the tree.

“Hang on!” Heinrich shouted as he pulled with every ounce of strength he had.

Gustaf was pulling as well. Suddenly the tree gave some slack on the root around Gretchen, causing Gustaf to tumble backward and roll down the muddy hill, splashing into the stream below. He had landed so hard that he created a large splash as he hit the stream, water flying every direction, including right onto the tree. To the amazement of Heinrich, the tree immediately recoiled as the water doused its branches. The root holding onto Gretchen loosened. Taking advantage, Heinrich helped Gretchen up, supporting her weight while she tried to put most of the pressure on her good leg.

Gustaf meanwhile had waded over to the edge of the stream, soaked and in a very bad mood. He looked up, surprised to see that Gretchen was not being dragged off by the trees. His surprise must have been written on his face because Heinrich said, “The water, they don’t like it. I knew we would be safe. Come on! We have to get on the other side of the stream.”

Not needing any further prompting, Gustaf bolted for the bridge. The three teens made it across to the far side of the natural earth bridge just as the tree minions crept up on the bridge. They began to slowly amble across the bridge! If the minions of the Tree of Death crossed to the other side of the stream, no one would be safe. It was at that moment that the sky overhead rumbled with a great clap of thunder and a powerful bolt of lightning sprang down from the clouds, cutting through the tree tops and hitting right in the middle of the earth bridge. The whole structure burst into flames. The minion trees recoiled in fear and began to withdraw back into the old forest domain, far from fire and water. The darkness of night had fallen all around the woods by now, but in the distance, lights from the quiet suburban neighborhood where Gretchen and Heinrich lived twinkled through the leaves, tiny beacons of light guiding them toward a safe harbor.

Gustaf, Heinrich, and Gretchen left the bridge to burn and began the final trek home. They finally reached civilization again, weary and sore. They had no idea how they would explain what had happened to their clothing, let alone how Gustaf would ever be able to explain what had happened to his brothers. The boy hung back from Gretchen and Heinrich as they walked down the street, consumed by anger at himself for being such a jerk, and deep sorrow over the loss of his brothers. Heinrich gently tugged on Gretchen’s hand and motioned back over his shoulder with a nod of his head. She got the message.

“Gustaf, whatever happens, I know it won’t be easy. We aren't really mad at you for anything. This whole situation is much bigger than just us. We’ll back you up,” Heinrich said, offering out his hand, an olive branch.

Gustaf looked up from the ground. A stray tear escaped his eyes, trailing down his cheek. He sniffed, looking away. Heinrich moved closer to Gustaf and stood directly in front of him.

“You don’t have to go through this alone. Instead of fighting people and pushing them away, wouldn't it be easier to try to be friends?” Heinrich pointed out quietly.

Gustaf was silent for along moment. Finally, he looked back at Heinrich, his hand still extended in a peace offering. Hesitantly, Gustaf reached out and grasped the offered hand. The two boys finally had a truce after so many years of contention. Heinrich grinned. The day may have started out worse that boiled sauerkraut, but it had turned into strudel for him, at least. Putting his right arm around Gustaf and his left around Gretchen, Heinrich walked down the lane toward his house, his two friends right beside him.

In the weeks following that horrible encounter with the Tree of Death, the three eventually had to explain what had happened in the woods when it was evident that the two older Hertz boys were missing. Of course the adults were highly skeptical at first, but them some of the elder citizens of the area came forward with their own odd tales of going into the woods as children and barely escaping with their lives from the terrible tree. The police then found old missing persons reports of people who had gone missing in the woods in the approximate location where the teens and other people of the city had indicated the tree could be found.

A strike team was pulled together and the woods were searched, one quadrant at a time. Eventually the dark domain of the Tree of Death was found, and the mystery behind my of the missing persons cases was solved, including that of the two older Hertz brothers. However, the Tree of Death was too strong to eradicate with a strike force. A special chopper was brought in to torch the area from above. After the blaze subsided, the area was searched. Not a single trace of the morphed tree minions or the Tree of Death was found. Officials declared the threat neutralized and the case closed.

Those whose missing loved ones were identified as being consumed by the Tree of Death held final memorial services in the spring. Among those was the service for Albert and Hermann Hertz. Heinrich Von Strassen and Gretchen both went to that service. They stood beside Gustaf as a testament to show that not all was lost that day in the woods.

Everyone eventually got on with their lives. Gustaf remained very close to Gretchen and Heinrich since that dark day. As they grew older and had families of their own, they passed on the terrible tale of what had happened to them. The children and grandchildren would stare, wide-eyed and trembling, at the tale of horror. Even though the clearing in the woods where the Tree of Death had dwelt had been cleared, Gustaf, Heinrich, and Gretchen still warned their children and grandchildren to stay out of the forest. Maybe it was a lingering fear, or perhaps it was by intuition that they issued this warning. They were right to do so. For as long as hatred and evil exist in the world, there will always be a physical manifestation of these negative forces. Deep within Blackwood forest, a dark seedling was growing in the murky blackness. From the ashes of malice, vice, and prejudice grows the fruit of evil. We reap what we sow.