Gemotions

The morning sun practically bounced off of Leo. He practically skipped down the familiar path, a spring in his step that hadn’t been there since he was a kid. Today was the day! He’d been planning this for weeks: a return to the old oak he’d planted with his grandfather. A smile stretched his face, nearly splitting it in two. The air smelled crisp, and the birds were singing a symphony just for him, he was sure.

He rounded the final bend, his heart giving a joyful leap. But… where was it? The familiar shape, the grand, spreading branches he'd pictured in his mind for weeks, was gone.

A raw, jagged stump was all that remained, a wound gouged into the earth. His jaw dropped, and the smile vanished as if it had never been.