Chapter 12
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The old man was ready to pelt Alex as soon as he reappeared in the white space. All Alex saw when he opened his eyes again was a brief glimpse of the orb before it smashed his nose and smacked him between the eyes. The collision knocked him out and sent his mind into a more mundane darkness as the usual spiral of dark energy took him to another life in another place.
As he came to, a strong wind was blowing through the leaves of a nearby tree. His body seemed to be moving in time with the sound of the wind as if he was laying on a swaying tree branch in the middle of a cool September day.
[This is so relaxing. I could snooze here all day.] Alex couldn't help unclenching his mind and body letting all of his stress flow away with the gentle wind. He was content to just take a nap and not worry about anything.
[I've died so many times, death itself is losing all meaning to me. The only thing I haven't gotten used to is all the pain that usually precedes my untimely end.] The memory of starving as the goblin comes back to him. [As nice as this is, I'd better figure out where I am this time and find some food.]
Alex tried to raise his arm and realized that he couldn't feel any of his limbs. It was like he was numb all over but could still feel his body as if he had no appendages but could still remember how they should feel. [Why can't I open my eyes!?]
The calm from moments ago was quickly replaced with sheer panic and claustrophobia. No matter what Alex tried to do to gain control of his body all he could feel was the coolness of the breeze and a gentle rocking motion. [Is this how it feels to be wrapped up in a cocoon and strapped to a tree? Somebody help! Help!]
The fact that Alex couldn't open his mouth didn't stop him from calling out for help. He was on the brink of completely losing his mind when all of a sudden an intense euphoric feeling of pleasure drowned out his senses. The sudden and extreme change in emotions was as if a bright light instantly illuminated a dark room.
[What is this feeling? My God this is intense!] The panic was washed away and when Alex could finally think again, he was dumbfounded by what he had just experienced. Even as his thoughts gathered and organized themselves once more, his whole being felt energized. A warm fulfilling glow infused his upper body while what felt like his legs and toes were soothed by a pervasive damp coolness.
[Just what am I this time? I can't even open my eyes or bend and touch my body to feel my form. And what the h*ll is making me feel so d*mn good? If I could bottle and sell this crap, I'd be a god d*mn billionaire!]
With his mind calm and emotions in check, Alex began to take notice of strange sounds around him. [That sounds similar to the high pitched ringing in my ears I used to get.] Listening closer the ringing started to change and morph into incoherent murmuring.
[It's starting to sound like words... I can almost make it out but... Wait, what's this feeling?] As he concentrated on the new noise, Alex began to realize that he could feel the leaves blowing in the wind. At first, it all felt like a single, constant pressure on his skin as if he was wrapped in a frayed blanket. Now the feeling was increasingly differentiating into separate but similar sensations as if the thousands of leaves rubbing together were the very hairs on his arms.
[This is insane.] If Alex had eyes, they'd be wide open in shock. He tried to wiggle his toes but they were completely stuck in place. [Its like I have cement shoes on.] Having his feet trapped as they were would have made Alex panic as before but the permeating warmth was keeping him calm and collected.
He tried wiggling his upper body and... there was motion! [Eh? Is this all I can move? All I seem to be doing is swaying a little. Or is that the wind?]
Alex was at a loss for a number of minutes as he let his body sway with the wind. [Am I a tree?]
[Wonder if I'm a larch...]
[That coolness on my legs and feet must be dirt and stones and those are probably my leaves blowing in the wind.] It wasn't so much as hearing the leaves in the wind as it was feeling them with his body as the air swept over them but the brain uses what it is familiar with when trying to understand new situations and stimuli. Thus as his mind adjusted to his new body, his human senses also became more in tune with those of a tree.
[If I'm a tree right now, how am I able to think and feel?] Even if he was asking the audience at large, Alex got no answer. He did, however, begin to feel an itch on his torso as if a beetle was burrowing its way through his wood. [I wish I could scratch that d*mn thing.]
As he was thinking of ways to satisfy his need to scratch himself the murmur from before clarified enough that Alex realized it was really different voices he was hearing. They were all jumbled together but he could pick out bits and pieces of utterances about such things as how the morning sun always felt so dazzling and how the cool topsoil of a fresh morning was the best.
[These trees can talk.] At this point, Alex's poor brain was becoming more and more desensitized to shock. [Wonder if they can hear me talking?] With just the intention of being heard Alex's voice rang out, "Hey Guys! Can you hear me? Hey!"
Among all the background voices a few came back especially clear.
"Who's this guy?"
"What's with the yelling? Are you in trouble?"
"What the heck's going on? Why you have to be so noisy and ruin my morning?"
Alex was overjoyed at the prospect of not being trapped and alone anymore. "Hey! We're all trees aren't we?"
"What's this guy saying?"
"Are you ok? Have you been getting enough nutrients?"
"Some of us are obviously made of denser wood than the rest."
Not caring in the least how silly he seemed to be acting and feeling the sublime power of sunlight suffuse his leaves, Alex couldn't contain his excitement. "Being a tree is actually pretty awesome isn't it!?"
...
Somewhere else in the forest not very far away a number of hunters and trappers were waking up and preparing breakfast.
"Hey Joe, let me get the fire started. You always take too long."
"Stop complaining. I've been starting my own fires to cook since I was five. Why don't you crack some of those bird eggs and give me a moment eh?"
"I'm not going to crack them till the fires good and hot. Here budge over and I'll show you the right way to rub wood together."
"D*mn it all Greg, just let me do this."
"Fine! Tell you what let's see who can get the fire going first."
"Fine by me."
The two hunters furiously twirl and rub dead leaves and dry branches together, their rivalry igniting faster than the kindling before a strong breeze kicks up and huge sparks unnaturally flare up shocking and terrifying the two veteran foresters.
"Oh D*mn!"
"WooHah! Holy sh*t!"
"What is this!? Greg, you're too damn good at starting fires!"
"This wasn't just me! I think a mad spirit found our campsite! Let's get out of here!" Greg yelled over the growing wind and blooming fire that was already spreading out of control.
...
Alex was still embarrassing himself when the sounds of the forest abruptly changed.
"Wait, guys, do you hear that?" One of the other trees asked.
"It sounds like screaming."
Alex could hear distant screaming as if thousands of people were crying out at the same time and it was getting louder and louder as if it was moving closer every second.
"The air feels wrong. No. It can't be..." A grizzled old oak said in dismay. "We haven't had a fire here in years."
"A fire!?" A smaller younger maple yelled out in fright which sent all the surrounding trees into a frenzied panic.
"Guys! Guys! Listen!" The old oak did his best to be heard but only Alex, who was already mostly used to death, was paying attention.
"What is it old man? I can hear you." Even among all the yelling, the voice of each tree was distinct and could be heard by Alex now.
"Old man? Saplings do talk oddly these days. I was just trying to tell you all how to prepare for if the fire burned its way here."
"I'm listening, please go on." Alex was curious and eager to learn some wisdom from the old tree even in this kind of situation. Being as calm as he was, his voice began to bring the frightened trees around him out of their panic allowing them to listen to the old oaks words.
"Alright, Listen here. If the fire reaches us, I'm not saying that it will but just in case. If the fire reaches us, some of us may survive and those of us that do will be able to enjoy a more nutritious soil. So the fire won't be all bad and many of our seeds could escape the conflagration."
The murmur from the forest all around Alex sounded just like millions of leaves rubbing together. But as the fire burned its way closer and closer the murmuring began to rise in pitch as panic began to spread again and agonized screams began drowning out all other noises.
"I think the fire is coming for me." Alex said under his breath in a somber tone but the old oak was still able to clearly pick it out from the growing cacophony.
"What do you mean young one?" A hint of unease could finally be heard in the old oak's voice.
"I've been getting killed over and over again. This isn't my first life I've lived old man. But ever since I died the first time it seems like some force has been hunting me down and causing me to die once again. Almost every time..."
"What are you talking about?" The old oak was struggling to understand what Alex was telling him and a few other trees began focusing on Alex's words as a means to distract themselves from the roar of the flames that could now be heard drawing near carried along by the gusting winds.
"And I think this fire was caused by this evil spirit to kill me again. I'm sorry everyone. This is probably because of me." Alex continued to explain to himself as much as to his fellow trees all around.
"Hmm. If what you say is indeed true then we are all in a great amount of trouble. But I've lived a long time already and am not afraid of the fire. All things die in the end. Perhaps we all shall live again just as our young sapling here says. If so I hope we all live an excellent life in the future. I love you all"
The fire was finally upon them and the countless screams were now coming from the north and south of Alex as all the trees to the east had already been incinerated and replaced by the roaring fire, silencing their pain forever. Finally, a warmth much harsher than the gentle glow of the sun took hold of Alex's branches striping his leaves and bark. All his thoughts burned and only pain remained as he cried out. His roots didn't run very deep and they cooked as his internal fluids boiled.
In the end, all that remained of the tree that fell in the forest was soot and ash.
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The old man was ready to pelt Alex as soon as he reappeared in the white space. All Alex saw when he opened his eyes again was a brief glimpse of the orb before it smashed his nose and smacked him between the eyes. The collision knocked him out and sent his mind into a more mundane darkness as the usual spiral of dark energy took him to another life in another place.
As he came to, a strong wind was blowing through the leaves of a nearby tree. His body seemed to be moving in time with the sound of the wind as if he was laying on a swaying tree branch in the middle of a cool September day.
[This is so relaxing. I could snooze here all day.] Alex couldn't help unclenching his mind and body letting all of his stress flow away with the gentle wind. He was content to just take a nap and not worry about anything.
[I've died so many times, death itself is losing all meaning to me. The only thing I haven't gotten used to is all the pain that usually precedes my untimely end.] The memory of starving as the goblin comes back to him. [As nice as this is, I'd better figure out where I am this time and find some food.]
Alex tried to raise his arm and realized that he couldn't feel any of his limbs. It was like he was numb all over but could still feel his body as if he had no appendages but could still remember how they should feel. [Why can't I open my eyes!?]
The calm from moments ago was quickly replaced with sheer panic and claustrophobia. No matter what Alex tried to do to gain control of his body all he could feel was the coolness of the breeze and a gentle rocking motion. [Is this how it feels to be wrapped up in a cocoon and strapped to a tree? Somebody help! Help!]
The fact that Alex couldn't open his mouth didn't stop him from calling out for help. He was on the brink of completely losing his mind when all of a sudden an intense euphoric feeling of pleasure drowned out his senses. The sudden and extreme change in emotions was as if a bright light instantly illuminated a dark room.
[What is this feeling? My God this is intense!] The panic was washed away and when Alex could finally think again, he was dumbfounded by what he had just experienced. Even as his thoughts gathered and organized themselves once more, his whole being felt energized. A warm fulfilling glow infused his upper body while what felt like his legs and toes were soothed by a pervasive damp coolness.
[Just what am I this time? I can't even open my eyes or bend and touch my body to feel my form. And what the h*ll is making me feel so d*mn good? If I could bottle and sell this crap, I'd be a god d*mn billionaire!]
With his mind calm and emotions in check, Alex began to take notice of strange sounds around him. [That sounds similar to the high pitched ringing in my ears I used to get.] Listening closer the ringing started to change and morph into incoherent murmuring.
[It's starting to sound like words... I can almost make it out but... Wait, what's this feeling?] As he concentrated on the new noise, Alex began to realize that he could feel the leaves blowing in the wind. At first, it all felt like a single, constant pressure on his skin as if he was wrapped in a frayed blanket. Now the feeling was increasingly differentiating into separate but similar sensations as if the thousands of leaves rubbing together were the very hairs on his arms.
[This is insane.] If Alex had eyes, they'd be wide open in shock. He tried to wiggle his toes but they were completely stuck in place. [Its like I have cement shoes on.] Having his feet trapped as they were would have made Alex panic as before but the permeating warmth was keeping him calm and collected.
He tried wiggling his upper body and... there was motion! [Eh? Is this all I can move? All I seem to be doing is swaying a little. Or is that the wind?]
Alex was at a loss for a number of minutes as he let his body sway with the wind. [Am I a tree?]
[Wonder if I'm a larch...]
[That coolness on my legs and feet must be dirt and stones and those are probably my leaves blowing in the wind.] It wasn't so much as hearing the leaves in the wind as it was feeling them with his body as the air swept over them but the brain uses what it is familiar with when trying to understand new situations and stimuli. Thus as his mind adjusted to his new body, his human senses also became more in tune with those of a tree.
[If I'm a tree right now, how am I able to think and feel?] Even if he was asking the audience at large, Alex got no answer. He did, however, begin to feel an itch on his torso as if a beetle was burrowing its way through his wood. [I wish I could scratch that d*mn thing.]
As he was thinking of ways to satisfy his need to scratch himself the murmur from before clarified enough that Alex realized it was really different voices he was hearing. They were all jumbled together but he could pick out bits and pieces of utterances about such things as how the morning sun always felt so dazzling and how the cool topsoil of a fresh morning was the best.
[These trees can talk.] At this point, Alex's poor brain was becoming more and more desensitized to shock. [Wonder if they can hear me talking?] With just the intention of being heard Alex's voice rang out, "Hey Guys! Can you hear me? Hey!"
Among all the background voices a few came back especially clear.
"Who's this guy?"
"What's with the yelling? Are you in trouble?"
"What the heck's going on? Why you have to be so noisy and ruin my morning?"
Alex was overjoyed at the prospect of not being trapped and alone anymore. "Hey! We're all trees aren't we?"
"What's this guy saying?"
"Are you ok? Have you been getting enough nutrients?"
"Some of us are obviously made of denser wood than the rest."
Not caring in the least how silly he seemed to be acting and feeling the sublime power of sunlight suffuse his leaves, Alex couldn't contain his excitement. "Being a tree is actually pretty awesome isn't it!?"
...
Somewhere else in the forest not very far away a number of hunters and trappers were waking up and preparing breakfast.
"Hey Joe, let me get the fire started. You always take too long."
"Stop complaining. I've been starting my own fires to cook since I was five. Why don't you crack some of those bird eggs and give me a moment eh?"
"I'm not going to crack them till the fires good and hot. Here budge over and I'll show you the right way to rub wood together."
"D*mn it all Greg, just let me do this."
"Fine! Tell you what let's see who can get the fire going first."
"Fine by me."
The two hunters furiously twirl and rub dead leaves and dry branches together, their rivalry igniting faster than the kindling before a strong breeze kicks up and huge sparks unnaturally flare up shocking and terrifying the two veteran foresters.
"Oh D*mn!"
"WooHah! Holy sh*t!"
"What is this!? Greg, you're too damn good at starting fires!"
"This wasn't just me! I think a mad spirit found our campsite! Let's get out of here!" Greg yelled over the growing wind and blooming fire that was already spreading out of control.
...
Alex was still embarrassing himself when the sounds of the forest abruptly changed.
"Wait, guys, do you hear that?" One of the other trees asked.
"It sounds like screaming."
Alex could hear distant screaming as if thousands of people were crying out at the same time and it was getting louder and louder as if it was moving closer every second.
"The air feels wrong. No. It can't be..." A grizzled old oak said in dismay. "We haven't had a fire here in years."
"A fire!?" A smaller younger maple yelled out in fright which sent all the surrounding trees into a frenzied panic.
"Guys! Guys! Listen!" The old oak did his best to be heard but only Alex, who was already mostly used to death, was paying attention.
"What is it old man? I can hear you." Even among all the yelling, the voice of each tree was distinct and could be heard by Alex now.
"Old man? Saplings do talk oddly these days. I was just trying to tell you all how to prepare for if the fire burned its way here."
"I'm listening, please go on." Alex was curious and eager to learn some wisdom from the old tree even in this kind of situation. Being as calm as he was, his voice began to bring the frightened trees around him out of their panic allowing them to listen to the old oaks words.
"Alright, Listen here. If the fire reaches us, I'm not saying that it will but just in case. If the fire reaches us, some of us may survive and those of us that do will be able to enjoy a more nutritious soil. So the fire won't be all bad and many of our seeds could escape the conflagration."
The murmur from the forest all around Alex sounded just like millions of leaves rubbing together. But as the fire burned its way closer and closer the murmuring began to rise in pitch as panic began to spread again and agonized screams began drowning out all other noises.
"I think the fire is coming for me." Alex said under his breath in a somber tone but the old oak was still able to clearly pick it out from the growing cacophony.
"What do you mean young one?" A hint of unease could finally be heard in the old oak's voice.
"I've been getting killed over and over again. This isn't my first life I've lived old man. But ever since I died the first time it seems like some force has been hunting me down and causing me to die once again. Almost every time..."
"What are you talking about?" The old oak was struggling to understand what Alex was telling him and a few other trees began focusing on Alex's words as a means to distract themselves from the roar of the flames that could now be heard drawing near carried along by the gusting winds.
"And I think this fire was caused by this evil spirit to kill me again. I'm sorry everyone. This is probably because of me." Alex continued to explain to himself as much as to his fellow trees all around.
"Hmm. If what you say is indeed true then we are all in a great amount of trouble. But I've lived a long time already and am not afraid of the fire. All things die in the end. Perhaps we all shall live again just as our young sapling here says. If so I hope we all live an excellent life in the future. I love you all"
The fire was finally upon them and the countless screams were now coming from the north and south of Alex as all the trees to the east had already been incinerated and replaced by the roaring fire, silencing their pain forever. Finally, a warmth much harsher than the gentle glow of the sun took hold of Alex's branches striping his leaves and bark. All his thoughts burned and only pain remained as he cried out. His roots didn't run very deep and they cooked as his internal fluids boiled.
In the end, all that remained of the tree that fell in the forest was soot and ash.
The old man was ready to pelt Alex as soon as he reappeared in the white space. All Alex saw when he opened his eyes again was a brief glimpse of the orb before it smashed his nose and smacked him between the eyes. The collision knocked him out and sent his mind into a more mundane darkness as the usual spiral of dark energy took him to another life in another place.As he came to, a strong wind was blowing through the leaves of a nearby tree. His body seemed to be moving in time with the sound of the wind as if he was laying on a swaying tree branch in the middle of a cool September day.This is so relaxing. I could snooze here all day. Alex couldn't help unclenching his mind and body letting all of his stress flow away with the gentle wind. He was content to just take a nap and not worry about anything.I've died so many times, death itself is losing all meaning to me. The only thing I haven't gotten used to is all the pain that usually precedes my untimely end. The memory of starving as the goblin comes back to him. As nice as this is, I'd better figure out where I am this time and find some food.Alex tried to raise his arm and realized that he couldn't feel any of his limbs. It was like he was numb all over but could still feel his body as if he had no appendages but could still remember how they should feel. Why can't I open my eyes!?The calm from moments ago was quickly replaced with sheer panic and claustrophobia. No matter what Alex tried to do to gain control of his body all he could feel was the coolness of the breeze and a gentle rocking motion. Is this how it feels to be wrapped up in a cocoon and strapped to a tree? Somebody help! Help!The fact that Alex couldn't open his mouth didn't stop him from calling out for help. He was on the brink of completely losing his mind when all of a sudden an intense euphoric feeling of pleasure drowned out his senses. The sudden and extreme change in emotions was as if a bright light instantly illuminated a dark room.What is this feeling? My God this is intense! The panic was washed away and when Alex could finally think again, he was dumbfounded by what he had just experienced. Even as his thoughts gathered and organized themselves once more, his whole being felt energized. A warm fulfilling glow infused his upper body while what felt like his legs and toes were soothed by a pervasive damp coolness.Just what am I this time? I can't even open my eyes or bend and touch my body to feel my form. And what the h*ll is making me feel so d*mn good? If I could bottle and sell this crap, I'd be a god d*mn billionaire!With his mind calm and emotions in check, Alex began to take notice of strange sounds around him. That sounds similar to the high pitched ringing in my ears I used to get. Listening closer the ringing started to change and morph into incoherent murmuring.It's starting to sound like words... I can almost make it out but... Wait, what's this feeling? As he concentrated on the new noise, Alex began to realize that he could feel the leaves blowing in the wind. At first, it all felt like a single, constant pressure on his skin as if he was wrapped in a frayed blanket. Now the feeling was increasingly differentiating into separate but similar sensations as if the thousands of leaves rubbing together were the very hairs on his arms.This is insane. If Alex had eyes, they'd be wide open in shock. He tried to wiggle his toes but they were completely stuck in place. Its like I have cement shoes on. Having his feet trapped as they were would have made Alex panic as before but the permeating warmth was keeping him calm and collected.He tried wiggling his upper body and... there was motion! Eh? Is this all I can move? All I seem to be doing is swaying a little. Or is that the wind?Alex was at a loss for a number of minutes as he let his body sway with the wind. Am I a tree?Wonder if I'm a larch...That coolness on my legs and feet must be dirt and stones and those are probably my leaves blowing in the wind. It wasn't so much as hearing the leaves in the wind as it was feeling them with his body as the air swept over them but the brain uses what it is familiar with when trying to understand new situations and stimuli. Thus as his mind adjusted to his new body, his human senses also became more in tune with those of a tree.If I'm a tree right now, how am I able to think and feel? Even if he was asking the audience at large, Alex got no answer. He did, however, begin to feel an itch on his torso as if a beetle was burrowing its way through his wood. I wish I could scratch that d*mn thing.As he was thinking of ways to satisfy his need to scratch himself the murmur from before clarified enough that Alex realized it was really different voices he was hearing. They were all jumbled together but he could pick out bits and pieces of utterances about such things as how the morning sun always felt so dazzling and how the cool topsoil of a fresh morning was the best.These trees can talk. At this point, Alex's poor brain was becoming more and more desensitized to shock. Wonder if they can hear me talking? With just the intention of being heard Alex's voice rang out, "Hey Guys! Can you hear me? Hey!"Among all the background voices a few came back especially clear."Who's this guy?""What's with the yelling? Are you in trouble?""What the heck's going on? Why you have to be so noisy and ruin my morning?"Alex was overjoyed at the prospect of not being trapped and alone anymore. "Hey! We're all trees aren't we?""What's this guy saying?""Are you ok? Have you been getting enough nutrients?""Some of us are obviously made of denser wood than the rest."Not caring in the least how silly he seemed to be acting and feeling the sublime power of sunlight suffuse his leaves, Alex couldn't contain his excitement. "Being a tree is actually pretty awesome isn't it!?"...Somewhere else in the forest not very far away a number of hunters and trappers were waking up and preparing breakfast."Hey Joe, let me get the fire started. You always take too long.""Stop complaining. I've been starting my own fires to cook since I was five. Why don't you crack some of those bird eggs and give me a moment eh?""I'm not going to crack them till the fires good and hot. Here budge over and I'll show you the right way to rub wood together.""D*mn it all Greg, just let me do this.""Fine! Tell you what let's see who can get the fire going first.""Fine by me."The two hunters furiously twirl and rub dead leaves and dry branches together, their rivalry igniting faster than the kindling before a strong breeze kicks up and huge sparks unnaturally flare up shocking and terrifying the two veteran foresters."Oh D*mn!""WooHah! Holy sh*t!""What is this!? Greg, you're too damn good at starting fires!""This wasn't just me! I think a mad spirit found our campsite! Let's get out of here!" Greg yelled over the growing wind and blooming fire that was already spreading out of control....Alex was still embarrassing himself when the sounds of the forest abruptly changed."Wait, guys, do you hear that?" One of the other trees asked."It sounds like screaming."Alex could hear distant screaming as if thousands of people were crying out at the same time and it was getting louder and louder as if it was moving closer every second."The air feels wrong. No. It can't be..." A grizzled old oak said in dismay. "We haven't had a fire here in years.""A fire!?" A smaller younger maple yelled out in fright which sent all the surrounding trees into a frenzied panic."Guys! Guys! Listen!" The old oak did his best to be heard but only Alex, who was already mostly used to death, was paying attention."What is it old man? I can hear you." Even among all the yelling, the voice of each tree was distinct and could be heard by Alex now."Old man? Saplings do talk oddly these days. I was just trying to tell you all how to prepare for if the fire burned its way here.""I'm listening, please go on." Alex was curious and eager to learn some wisdom from the old tree even in this kind of situation. Being as calm as he was, his voice began to bring the frightened trees around him out of their panic allowing them to listen to the old oaks words."Alright, Listen here. If the fire reaches us, I'm not saying that it will but just in case. If the fire reaches us, some of us may survive and those of us that do will be able to enjoy a more nutritious soil. So the fire won't be all bad and many of our seeds could escape the conflagration."The murmur from the forest all around Alex sounded just like millions of leaves rubbing together. But as the fire burned its way closer and closer the murmuring began to rise in pitch as panic began to spread again and agonized screams began drowning out all other noises."I think the fire is coming for me." Alex said under his breath in a somber tone but the old oak was still able to clearly pick it out from the growing cacophony."What do you mean young one?" A hint of unease could finally be heard in the old oak's voice."I've been getting killed over and over again. This isn't my first life I've lived old man. But ever since I died the first time it seems like some force has been hunting me down and causing me to die once again. Almost every time...""What are you talking about?" The old oak was struggling to understand what Alex was telling him and a few other trees began focusing on Alex's words as a means to distract themselves from the roar of the flames that could now be heard drawing near carried along by the gusting winds."And I think this fire was caused by this evil spirit to kill me again. I'm sorry everyone. This is probably because of me." Alex continued to explain to himself as much as to his fellow trees all around."Hmm. If what you say is indeed true then we are all in a great amount of trouble. But I've lived a long time already and am not afraid of the fire. All things die in the end. Perhaps we all shall live again just as our young sapling here says. If so I hope we all live an excellent life in the future. I love you all"The fire was finally upon them and the countless screams were now coming from the north and south of Alex as all the trees to the east had already been incinerated and replaced by the roaring fire, silencing their pain forever. Finally, a warmth much harsher than the gentle glow of the sun took hold of Alex's branches striping his leaves and bark. All his thoughts burned and only pain remained as he cried out. His roots didn't run very deep and they cooked as his internal fluids boiled.In the end, all that remained of the tree that fell in the forest was soot and ash.
