Ghost Wood by Elizabeth Pellerin

April had barely begun when Willow’s fifth grade trip got cancelled. Her class erupted into a chorus of groans and questions for miss Anne: Could nothing be done? Were things really that bad? Willow stayed quiet, her mind replaying the year-long buildup to this trip. She’d been so excited to finally get to see Mount Adaman and finally get to see a “ghost forest”. Mom even brought her shopping just for the occasion; spending hours at the store with her, picking out coats and helping her try them on. It was really hard for Willow not to tell her friends about her new puffy pink spring jacket, but she wanted it to be a surprise.

    Miss Anne never made faces, but today she shocked everyone with a frown as she looked out the window. Some followed her gaze, but Willow already knew what she was looking at: the trees lining the playground, their tall frames, their wrinkly bark, their twisting, naked branches. They must have gotten closer again.

    The morning it all started, Willow raced into the kitchen expecting Dad’s pancakes and a big hug from Mom before she left for work. But instead of smiles and the smell of batter, she had walked in on scowls and the sounds of fighting. Apparently, Mom was called in early to cut down a tree that appeared outside of town. Willow had laughed – of course there were trees in a forest! – especially when Dad asked everyone to stay home. Mom hugged them both and left smiling.  

    The newspaper had already gotten photos of a monstrous tree bursting from a street. Dad shooed Willow away just after she read a quote that said “nothing’s working”. The next day, another tree was right next to it. Two days later, some more sprouted downtown.
Now, Willow’s grade would be the only one not to have a trip to Mount Adaman’s “ghost forest”. It had come to them instead.

 
    The snow had all but melted when the supermarket finally ran out of food. Willow was surprised, but then she wasn’t. There was only one grocery store now, and way more people shopping at it. The other stores wound up like the neighborhoods – lost in the trees. Some people moved to the middle of town from the outskirts before the woods caught up with them. Others woke up surrounded by it and walked until they found their way out. Mom was out looking for the rest.

    Willow asked Dad why nobody’s called anyone for help. Later, she saw a tree with thick, sharp branches skewering two telephone poles at once. To call someone, the phones would have to be working.

 
    Dad taught Willow to use a gun. She hadn’t wanted to. Mom would have said no. But Dad said if she couldn’t use a gun, then she couldn’t go in the woods, and she didn’t want him to look for Mom all alone.

    From her house, she could see the forest swallowing everything outside her block. Everyone else was gone looking for the roads. All that was left now were her, Dad, and the animals. She tried deer that day and prayed tearfully that night.
 
    Willow was ready to go after the first snowfall. She had Dad’s gun, Mom’s saw, and a bag of clothes. She stood at the front door, watching the trees just beyond the lawn. She used to love peering into the woods, trying to spot the animals and plants hiding in the shadows. But now, there were no animals. There were no plants. There was no Mom, no Dad, no miss Anne, no school, no trips. The trees had hidden it all away. Maybe her love was with them. She did used to love hide-and-seek, too.

    Willow zipped up her puffy pink jacket before moving. Maybe Mom and Dad will take her to Mount Adaman once this was all over.