Aurora's Angel

by Emily Noon

It was probably one tree she decided after studying it more. Just an old one of a variety unknown to her which was hardly surprising as she didn’t spend time in forests unless she absolutely had to. It wasn’t that the tree was a tall giant. Instead of pushing upwards it had expanded sideways investing in its roots which was probably wise considering the fierce weather and heavy rains that hammered this area at the base of the mountains. During their trek into the forest she’d seen many trees lean precariously against their neighbors and numerous ones on the ground in various stages of being overgrown or cannibalized by colorful mushrooms. Squinting at the tree to keep random raindrops out of her eyes Evie got the peculiar impression she was looking at a stout matriarch weighed down by several layers of heavy skirts that ballooned out from her hips, obscuring her feet. This thought made Evie blink several times. She had to be very tired to see an old woman in a tree; her mind had a way of offering her odd perspectives when she was overtired or stressed.

The writing is so awkward