Creepy things that Make for Good Stories

Hi Everyone

Well I posted this one on The Cozy Mystery Magazine, but it turned out so well (at least in my humble opinion) that I thought I would post it here as well. With a few well placed edits of course.
You see each author has a setting for their mystery stories, even of the cozy variety. The genteel county manor, the secluded beach, a romantic cruise, a tea party with suspect tea...the list goes on. Since my mysteries tend towards (fake) haunted houses, mysteries islands and such I thought I would share one of the things that truly creeps me out. 

Okay truth to tell many things creep me out, I’m a coward that way, but the number one thing is…trees. Seriously, they are creepy.
Don't believe me? I have photographic evidence!

 
Extremely Creepy Looking Trees. Don't They Fill Your Heart With Terror?

See what I mean? They’re just…there. Waiting. For what? Who knows? That's creepy. But that doesn't mean they don't do stuff...

Disgusting Leaves Left By Creepy Trees That I Will Now Have to Clean Up











Okay I'm bitter about this, but that's beside the point. So what is the point? It never ends! And let’s not even get into the sap that gets on your car and you can’t get it off without ruining the paint job. It's a conspiracy I tell you.

And worst of all...



Creepy Birds That Live In Creepy Trees That Drop You Know What











Okay so it's fake chicken on a bush. I couldn't get a real bird to pose. Why? Alfred Hitchcock knew the truth. They're creepy they know it, and they don't want it documented. I'm on to you creepy birds!
Now my mother, a very logical person, has told me I need to get over this tree
conspiracy thing because they are just trees after all, but don't confuse the logic with the creepy factor. Sure they're pretty, except for those darn magnolia trees behind my house. They just dump leaves everywhere...anyway they look harmless, but I tell you it's all part of their evil, creepy plot to take over the world. Remember Day of The Triffids by John Wyndham? Sure he doesn't come right out and say that the plants getting up and around and eating people were trees, but trees are plants you know so you can't rule it out.
Please tree lovers don’t judge me. I know trees aren't really evil, at least that's what they want you to think, but this all comes from growing up in an area where scary tree stories were everywhere.
First there was The Orchard, The Evilest place on Earth (yes it really existed I didn’t just make it up for the books). Okay, it was gone by the time; I got old enough to remember things, but I was old by my sisters that it was truly the most frightening place ever. They know because our older brother Jack told them so.
Then there was the Gully, a forest…okay a grove… okay a line of trees where you went in but never came out. I know this because my sisters told me and Jack told them...Oh you've noticed a theme here huh? It is true that Jack was known to love to torment his little sisters with scary stories, but get tree roots into your plumbing sometime and you begin to wonder if there's not an evil genius at work somewhere.
I admit, now that I'm an adult, I know they were only stories, but these things stick with you. To this day I still tend to give trees a second or third look before enjoying their shade during hot California summers. When I'm desperate. You never know, they may be up to something.