The Tree of Despair by Ruben Cukier

Things often are not what they seem. When you walk into the wood of your own tangled thoughts, you’re sure to encounter, at some point in your travels, the golden tree. It glints at you through the shadows, winking and elusive, something akin to a bright oasis in a darkened desert.

It ignites your curiosity, and your wonder, and you approach.

When you reach this tree, there will be many red flowers popping up around your feet. Look for them, but do not breathe deeply. The aroma of these poppies has maddened the mind of many a man, and to no good purpose. If you are drugged by their scent, you’ll fall into a downward
spiral of a sleep from which it is nearly impossible to rouse you.

The tree itself will astound you. It’ll be larger than you imagined, with great yawning hallows in its trunk that may seem snug and comforting from the outside. Do not dare crawl inside them. They will suffocate you like a pillow of sand, and you will never emerge alive. There are patterns engraved by time on the bark. If your finger brushes against them, you will get a taste of what means madness.

It doesn’t seem as beautiful anymore, does it? This is the tree of despair, and you would do best to stay clear of it.

~Angreek87