Gemotions

The towering silhouette was gone, replaced by a raw, discolored stub. The old cherry tree, the first tree he'd ever planted, a token of his youth. A coldness settled into his bones.

He stood before it, unable to move. A wave of regret washed over him. He felt a need to apologise to the tree, as if he had failed it. He remembered the cherry blossoms, the fruit, the shade, all now a distant echo.

He closed his eyes, remembering the feel of the small sapling in his hands. It was like losing a friend, a silent guardian. The silence in the air around the stump was almost unbearable. He opened his eyes and turned away, his shoulders slumped.