“I don’t get what all the fuss is about,” Krista said. “They’ll never find out. We’re wasting time, running across half the country.”
“True,” Ms. Wyndham admitted. “But we have to weigh the risks. If they do find out, I’ll be gone before you know it. Then they’ll have to transfer you to Graham.”
Krista groaned. Not Graham. She gazed out the window of the pickup truck as it sputtered down the road. “There’re so many trees here,” she mused.
“Different from your usual skyscrapers, eh? They say that each tree contains one human soul; that when you die, your body turns into a tree.”
“Crazy hicks,” muttered Krista. Ms. Wyndham chuckled.
They pulled into the townshall. A lopsided wooden sign read: Welcome to Dodona. Population: 156. Krista sighed. This town had as much people as her old apartment building. She was about to beg her mother to turn the truck around when she remembered her admonition. Not Graham.
Ms. Wyndham swung open the truck door. “I’m going to fill out the forms. Want to stay in the car?”
“Yes ma’am.”
The door slammed shut. Krista gazed out the window and soaked in the foreign landscape. The sky was a cloudless, crystal-clear blue. The grass was a lush green, stretching out for acres. Scattered sparsely were small white houses and a few larger buildings-which Krista presumed to be a church and a school. The horizon was a flat strip with no outlines of buildings on it. And the sun, at its zenith, coated the grass blindingly with its rays. But what really captured Krista’s attention was the tree. It was smack dab in the center of this scenery, a tall oak exceeding four stories high, its trunk wide and sturdy. Krista saw tiny figures swinging from a branch and smirked. Is this what country kids do for fun? It was pathetic, in all honesty. Back in Aeda, every child’s free time was spent scaling buildings. Or on a phone. But taking it all in, Dodona seemed an idyllic and comfortable little town.
Just then Ms. Wyndham slid back into the truck. “We’re all set,” she said. “You start school tomorrow at Dodona Junior High.”
“Can’t wait,” Krista murmured. She turned on her phone and opened Twitter, but nothing loaded. No Wi-Fi. Figures.  She sighed. I guess I’ll be playing at the tree.

School the next day was going smoothly. Both the students and the teachers welcomed Krista warmly. At noon, the new girl plopped down at a table and pulled out her lunch.
“Hi.”
Krista looked up. A girl with rosy cheeks and brown braids was grinning down at her.
“I’m Daphne. You’re the new kid, right?”
“Yeah. Krista Wyndham.”
Daphne extended her hand. “Pleased to meet you.”
They shook. “Same.”
Daphne seated herself. “I hear you’re from Aeda. What’s the city like?”
“Well.” Krista sipped her juice. “There’s lots of skyscrapers. And streets. Paved, of course. And it’s a lot less sunny than here.”
Daphne nodded. “Are there lots of trees?”
Krista shook her head. “Barely any.”
Daphne lapsed into a silence. Just then, a tall and lanky boy swaggered up to them. He had slicked, greasy hair and large, meaty hands. He pulled back on Daphne’s shirt collar.
“Chicken neck,” he sneered. “Weakling.”
“I am not,” Daphne huffed.
“Prove it then. Hanging tree, today after school.” He released her shirt and walked away.
“Who is he?” Krista asked. And what is a hanging tree?
“That’s Ezra,” Daphne said. “He usually ignores me, but I begged mercy at the tree yesterday. He’s been mocking me ever since.” She sighed and gingerly rubbed her neck. Krista could detect faint red marks. She sucked in a breath. “Did Ezra do that to you?”
Confused, Daphne followed where Krista’s finger was pointing. “Oh…” Daphne mumbled, “I just wasn’t strong enough.”
Krista pitied the girl. Back in Aeda, many gangsters roamed the streets. It was common for any unfortunate soul that crossed their paths to return with scars and bruises. She assumed there wouldn’t be any bullies in a small town like Dodona. Clearly, she was wrong.
“It’s okay,” Krista said. She pat Daphne’s back. Daphne glanced at the clock.
“Lunch is over. Let’s head to class.”
Throughout the afternoon, Krista heard the words “hanging tree” repeatedly. What the heck is a hanging tree? She found out soon after school.
“Come on!” Daphne yelled as she grabbed Krista’s hand.
“Are we going to the hanging tree?”
“Yep! It’s really fun!”
They dashed across the seemingly infinite sea of grass towards the large oak that Krista first saw upon arriving at Dodona. Many kids had formed a ring around it and many more were hurrying towards it. Something large, like a sack, hung from one of the branches.
Daphne turned to Krista. Her eyes were filled with glee. “It’s Florence! Let’s hurry so we won’t miss it.” They sprinted faster. Finally, they arrived panting at the tree. Krista looked up and shrieked.
Tied tightly around a branch was a thick rope, fraying at the edges. And hanging from the branch was a pale and skinny boy. He hung limply, his head lolled forward.
Krista screamed, “What is he doing?!”
She pushed her way forward, but a meaty hand clamped over her mouth. Ezra.
“Stay back,” he barked.
Krista watched in horror as the boy-Florence- kicked his little legs. The kids giggled as he struggled.
“Eeeeee,” he screeched. “Eeeaahhhhh!”
What the heck are these crazy hicks doing?! Where are the adults?!
After more painful seconds of struggling, the boy sputtered, “G-give, gimme! Gimme it, please!”
The kids erupted in laughter. Ezra took a wooden stool and set it beneath the flailing boy. Florence placed his feet on it and gasped, then quickly untied the rope and leapt to the ground. His neck was a mass of raw, red flesh.  Ezra shoved Florence hard.
“Chicken boy,” he jeered. “Not even two minutes.” He shoved him again, and Florence staggered back to the crowd.
Krista turned to Daphne. She looked flustered, almost guilty. “What in the world is the matter with you all? Are you trying to kill yourselves?”
“It’s a game,” Daphne explained, “that all the kids of Dodona play. You hang for as long as you can and try to beat the longest time.”
It dawned on Krista that the red prints on Daphne’s neck weren’t caused by Ezra. They were rope marks. She felt like throwing up. “And the parents are okay with this?”
“It’s a traditional children’s game. Generations have played it.”
“And what happens if you lose?” Krista whispered.
A pause. “You die.”
Krista’s head spun. Just like that. A simple children’s game, where there’s a chance of dying.
“What if you fall unconscious?”
“You lose anyways. Death almost always follows unconsciousness.”
Krista buried her head in her hands.
“Don’t worry,” Daphne reassured. “Most people beg mercy, like what Florence just did. I did yesterday. But those who beg mercy are often ridiculed, especially by Ezra. He currently holds the longest record.”
“How long?”
“Five minutes exactly.”
Impossible. Surely, any average human being would experience asphyxiation or cerebral hypoxia before five minutes was up. Or their neck would have snapped under their own weight. Krista glanced nervously at Ezra. His muscles bulged and the veins under his neck pulsed. He suddenly seemed much more menacing. Just then he turned to Daphne.
“C’mon. Time to prove you’re not a weakling.”
Krista tried to pull Daphne back. “No!”
Daphne gave a sad smile. “Don’t worry. I’m a tough girl.”
Ezra placed the stool underneath the dangling rope. Daphne climbed the rungs and sat on her haunches. She stood and reached for the rope. Then with delicate fingers, she tied the rope around her neck in an intricate loop.
Ezra counted, “One, two, three, go!” He grabbed the stool from under Daphne’s feet, and then she was hanging midair. The kids chanted.
“Go, go!”
“You can do it!”
Krista prayed that Daphne wouldn’t lose. Daphne knew better than to struggle like Florence. Her eyes were intent on the horizon, her limbs still.
Three minutes passed. Four minutes. Krista was clenching her hand so hard, her knuckles turned white. But it seemed like Daphne couldn’t hang any longer. One more minute, Krista prayed. Hang in there. Daphne’s eyes were bulging and her breaths escaped in short gasps. She locked eyes with Krista.
“Heeelp….me,” Daphne wheezed.
Krista couldn’t take it anymore. She pushed her way forward.
“That’s it,” she cried. “Enough of this bullshit! Give her the stool, she’s dying!”
Ezra grumbled, “Shut up girl. You come to Dodona, you play things our way.”
Daphne’s eyelids drooped. She let out one last shuddering breath, and then her body went still.
Silence.
“Is she dead?” a timid voice peeped.
A red-haired girl walked up to the hanging body. She lifted a pant leg and pressed her finger on her ankle. Seconds later, she turned to the crowd, her face grim.
“She lost.”
All commotion broke loose.
“Daphne, dead!”
“-finally, someone lost-“
“I can’t believe it! I thought she would win this time-“
“Enough!” Ezra boomed. The chattering stopped.
“Cara, take down the body. Everyone else, help bury it.”
The red-haired girl climbed onto the stool. She undid the rope, being careful to not tangle Daphne’s braids. She scooped up the body and dropped it to the ground. It landed with a thud. Kids hoisted the body from the ground and carried it to a shallow hole that had been dug. Krista nearly jumped when she heard a low voice behind her.
“It’s a shame, really,” Ezra said. “I thought that maybe she would win this time.” He shook his head. “What a shame.”
Krista was consumed with fury. She screamed. “Aggggghhhhhh! You freakin’ monsters! Murderers!” She screamed again and strode up to the tree. She slammed her fists into the trunk and kicked the roots. “Stupid, stupid, stupid!” What the heck is wrong with them!?! Her energy drained quickly. Krista sank to her knees and sobbed until all the kids had gone home, to their parents who had played this same game. Sniffling, she turned her head to where a small mound of dirt lay. Daphne’s grave.
“Sick,” Krista whispered. She stayed there on her knees under the oak tree. The hanging tree. Dusk was approaching, and finally Krista stood and trudged home.

That night it rained. Krista dialed rapidly and paced across the floor. The voicemail blared, “Hi, you have reached the office of Klaire Wyndham, lawyer located in Aeda. Please leave your name, phone num-”
Krista slammed the phone down. She stomped to her room, locked the door, and collapsed into her bed. Her sleep was plagued with nightmares. Krista dreamed she was underneath the hanging tree. Above her hung a pale girl with pigtails, whose cheeks lacked their usual flush. She reached for the girl’s arm when her eyes snapped open. They were coal black.
“Help me,” she screeched. The girl’s breath was foul.
Krista jolted awake, panting. Sheets of rain were pattering against the window. She knew what she had to do. She was going to play the hanging game.

After school, Krista sprinted as fast as she could to the tree. She was the first to arrive. Moments later, Ezra appeared, the stool in hand.
“I’m going to hang myself,” Krista declared.
“Well, well,” Ezra chuckled. “Decided to play the game?” He set down the stool. “See how long you can hang, urbanite.”
She climbed up the stool and stood on her toes. The rope was fraying around the branch. Kids were gathering around the tree now. She made a noose and tied the rope around her neck. It was still damp from the rain. A crow cawed in the distance.
“One, two, three, go!”
The stool disappeared from beneath Krista’s feet and she was dangling midair. She felt like she was falling off a cliff, but unable to allow gravity to take its course. Suspended above the ground, but not able to fall. The rope was rough against her skin, and she could feel her airways constricting.
“Come on, now!”
“You can do it!”
“Go, go, go!”
I can’t breathe. It was like drowning. I need air. Krista gagged. The rope squeezed harder. Her limbs tingled like pins and needles. The sensation augmented until Krista’s body became completely numb. Are my legs still there? Below, the kids cheered her on. Krista gazed at the beautiful scenery she had admired the day she arrived. The sky was a cloudless blue, the grass sweet and green as ever, and the horizon a flat line. It was a beautiful image, really, for one to see before their death. No, Krista thought. I’m not going to die. I will win this game. Her eyes darted to the mound of dirt below. For Daphne.
“Five minutes!”
Krista beat the record. But she had to keep hanging. I’ll show them.
“Krista, you won! You can stop now!”
Ringing. What was that ringing? Make it stop, please! But the ringing continued, drowning out the voices below. Beautiful skies. Clear. Beautiful. Ringing. Is it church bells? I can’t see, I can’t think, take me now! Take me now!!!
“Krista, you’re turning blue!”
“It’s over, you can stop!”
“PLEASE STOP!!”
Flashing lights. Everywhere. A kaleidoscope of pinks, purples, reds.  Her vision bombarded by brightness.  But where from? There are angels in the distance. Daphne is one of them. Krista’s muscles were completely paralyzed. What is that ringing sound? Mommy, please.  I can’t… feel anything… I…..CAN’T…..BREATHE… A wave of darkness engulfed Krista.

The children were uneasy. The hanging girl was motionless, but her dark eyes were wide open, staring up at the sky. Did she lose consciousness? A murmur ran through the crowd. She had beaten the record, but did she still win even though she died?
Snap!
The rope broke, falling to the ground, bringing down with it Krista. Everyone shrieked. Krista remained sprawled on the ground, her face in the dirt. Seconds passed. The hanging branch groaned. She sat up. The kids gasped. Her eyes were bloodshot. In one swift motion she untied the rope, revealing a collage of black and blue. Then she walked up to Ezra and thrust the rope into his arms. “Game over.”