The Spirit of the Tree

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It was very late in the evening and the sky above the glass-covered garden was dark, as the moon had already set. The garden was very peaceful for Ichiro Katsumi as he walked the main path near a small babbling stream. A few moments later, he settled on an old wooden bench beside the running brook. The sound of the moving water always helped him to relax, so he closed his eyes and rested his head for a few minutes. Soon the beeping of his watch told him he needed to return to his late night work. He stood up and stretched as his ear caught the faint sound of singing drifting on a non-apparent breeze.
“Where is that coming from?” he wondered to himself aloud as he strained to listen.

Ichiro’s curiosity caught the better of him as he walked toward the soft melody. He followed the man-made brook and came upon a Japanese maiden dressed in a full kimono sitting at the water’s edge. She had a basket of Japanese pears on the ground next to her and was singing ever so softly. Ichiro watched from behind a bush for a few minutes before he decided it was time to present himself.

“Excuse me young lady, but may I be of some help to you?” he asked in Japanese as he stepped into the open. The maiden focused her attention on Ichiro as she gracefully stood to her feet. Her singing grew louder and completely mesmerized Ichiro. She held out her arms and he started walking toward her. His face displayed total bliss as he found himself wrapped in her outstretched arms. She raised her lips up to his and they kissed. Tears of joy streamed down his face as the magic of the moment touched his soul. Then without warning, it was replaced by pain as tree roots erupted out of the ground and dug their way into Ichiro’s legs. He tried to scream, but he could not pull his lips off hers. His body shook violently as the roots made their way up into his abdomen. Ichiro ceased to struggle when they pierced his heart. The maiden let go of him and he fell to the ground, his dead eyes open wide in terror and blood dripping from his mouth. She continued to sing the hauntingly beautiful song with her blood red lips as she disappeared into the garden.