Golden Woods

Legend says that the golden woods are in a place that looks ordinary. That they could be anywhere from your backyard to the local park. They say each tree is filled with a golden core, as if the bark was a crust and the gold was the filling to a pie. The forest sits there, filled with fog, waiting to be discovered.

One day, a man walked into the woods looking for a Christmas tree to put in his living room. He was middle aged, bald and poor. He wore dirty smelling rags, yet he had the grandest smile on his face, for he knew he would find a good tree to put in his living room. He may not have had the most richest things, but he had a pure heart with good intentions. He found a good sized, nice Christmas tree and swung his axe, hitting it with a thud. His eyes widened in shock as right there in front of him shined a metal brighter than bright. He heard birds sing around him and smiled feeling as if these birds were celebrating for the grand Christmas he would have after selling this pure gold he’s found.

The man took the tree home. Shaved the bark off revealing the gold from it’s camouflage and sold it. The family opened enough presents around the Christmas tree to last them years, and had a giant feast on the table, that would last them days and days, or maybe even weeks and weeks. There was enough of everything to please any family, nonetheless a recently poor one.

Yet, the man got greedy. Soon he went back to the forest, planning on taking another tree to receive even more riches. He spent his day in the forest searching out the perfect tree. One that would have the largest core, the most purest gold for him to sell. This time though, the forest was different. The birds were not chirping, animals were not scurrying about. There was an eerie silence to the place, one that sent ripples down his spine.

“Creepy,” the man said the sound of his whisper carried and echoed throughout the forest. Although he was growing scared, the man knew that in the time it takes him to cut down the tree he was in search of and lug it home, he would be the richest man in the country. Maybe even the richest in the world if he came back for more.

He did not understand the ways of the forest. Did not understand the magic that lingers in the mist. He was not the first man the forest allowed to bring home a tree filled with gold. Not the first man who came back for more. The man found himself in the center of the forest, where stood the the thickest, tallest tree the man had ever laid eyes on. It must have been two-hundred feet in diameter, four-hundred feet tall. This will be my tree, the man thought. His mouth drooled filled with desire for all the riches he could gain for so much gold. He would be at the top of the world, with more gold than ever known to mankind.

He got in stance, hips squared, his axe back behind his head ready to make the hardest swings he could muster with his average sized muscles. He yelled with all his might and swung the axe as hard as he could, hitting the tree with a loud, satisfying thud. Then, a loud, terrifying scream escaped the man's lips. An ultimate scream, so filled with fear, and pain that it sent chills down the earth’s crust.

The man fell to his knees, he hunched over on the ground holding his stomach. Red liquid oozed out drenching his shirt, his pants, his arms. Did I miss? He thought in his agony, but realized that was impossible. For the axe was in the tree now. He gathered his strength reaching up and tearing the axe out of the tree. Another heart wrenching scream tearing through him. He looked up, seeing blood dripping out of the tree, and then pouring, showering him in the trees blood, mixing with his own. His whole body felt numb as his heart pounded in his head, his hands holding onto his wound. He’d never felt this much pain in life though he had gone through many injuries.

Then, as quickly as it had all happened the man was frozen. The wound in his stomach healed, along with the trees. The blood soaked into the ground. To look at the man, you would have seen his eyes opened in fear, as if he had seen a ghost, his mouth hung open at an unnatural angle, still filled with terror. The body of the man sunk into the ground. His memory erased from all the minds he had ever touched. He was completely forgotten by the power of the forest. His body lay among many others, all in the same positions with mouths open eyes wide with fear and their axes frozen with them. No one will ever know what they all saw when being frozen. No one will ever know what each greedy man was thinking when cutting into the giant tree.

The next day a young man ventured into the forest looking to find a little tree he could cut down and impress the ladies with. He was completely shocked when he found a little core of gold.

The End.