The Hanging Tree

          I wake up to the faint echoes of a melody, a feeling of unease washing over me. A rustling noise, like leaves being moved in the wind, causes me to look to my window. I climb out from under the warm covers, the sudden chill causing goose bumps to rise on my skin. I walk across the room, my bare feet protesting the cold wooden floor of the cabin. I reach for the shutters, feeling a need to, for some reason. Opening the window, the freezing draft causing me to shiver. I pick up the melody again, soft and low, barely there. The quiet rustling sounds again and my eyes scan the area, searching for the source.

          A woman, dressed in a gown of pristine white, is standing a few feet from the window, looking away from me. I hear the melody again, slightly louder. A man, one I know far to well, walks into view. His eyes have a glazed, distant look, as if he isn't really there. I find myself climbing out of the window, my thin nightgown my only protection against the late Autumn chill. The melody grows in volume and a clear, haunting voice fills the air. "Are you, are you, coming to the tree, where they strung up a man they say murdered three." Suddenly, I'm in a dark ally. Two men are there, and I hear a whispered conversation about a murder, and blaming it on someone else.

          I see one pass the other a bag of coins, his hands turning red, as if blood were on them. I'm back outside my window, looking to the spectacle before me. The woman walks into the woods, the man trailing behind her. I follow, somehow compelled to. The voice rings out again "Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be, if we met up at midnight in the hanging tree." I'm in a chapel, watching as a woman walks down the aisle, a smile on both the faces of her and her groom. Men burst in the door, stalking down the aisle and taking the groom in custody, declaring him to be a murderer.

         One of the men (who I somehow know is a judge), one I'd seen in the ally, exchanges a slight nod with the other, who's hands are covered in scarlet once more. I blink and I'm back in the woods, the woman's voice sounding once more "Are you, are you, coming to the tree, where a dead man called out for his love to flee." The groom is drug through the woods, calling for the bride, telling her to run, to flee. Crying out for her to turn away, not to watch. Once again, I'm following the strange duo. The woman walking as if floating, the only sign of her reality the light rustling of her gown and the leaves, and the haunting voice singing out "Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be, if we met up at midnight in the hanging tree."

          I see the bride, tears gathering in her eyes, turn and run back to the town, away from her love. The groom is bound at his hands and shoved roughly along a small path. Back in the woods, I notice the woman's gown, pristine white, like that of a bride's. The man follows as if entranced Her voice resumes it's melody, like a siren's song "Are you, are you coming to the tree, where I told you to run so we'd both be free." In the woods, I once again see the bride and groom, but no longer in their wedding clothes. The groom tells her to meet him under the hanging tree after the wedding. He pulls her close, placing his hand lightly on the almost non-existent bulge at her torso, saying something about being free from whispers and judgments of others. 

          I'm following them in the woods once more "Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be if we met up at midnight in the hanging tree." We reach a tree, large and old. The woman stops, turning to look at the man. She motions him forward as I stand watching, enthralled. Her voice comes out clear and inviting "Are you, are you, coming to the tree, wear a necklace of rope side by side with me." A rope, worn and frayed, drops down, one end tied in a noose. I see the bride, coming back to the woods, traveling along the path that had led her love to his doom. She arrives at a tree, large and old, sobbing as she sees the body hanging from it's limb.

          Pulling out a rope, she fashions one end into a noose, tossing the loose end over the limb as well. She looks at it critically, tying off the loose end off onto another branch. Standing on a block of wood, she puts the noose around her neck, takes his cold hand in her own, and kicks the block out from under herself. One swift, desperate motion, and she hung next to her love, their fingers intertwined. I look on as the woman leads the man to the base of the tree, pulling the noose over his head.

          "Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be, if we met up at midnight in the hanging tree." she pulls the rope on the ending note, the man letting out a strangled cry and jerking for a moment before stilling, a look of horror frozen on his face. His eyes are glassy and vacant in death, staring ahead. She looks to the tree, calling out a name soundlessly. A man steps into view and takes her hand. She says something I can't hear and they look to me.

          I look at them, really look, and notice something. There's lines around his wrists, like rope burn. gazing at the woman, I recognize the dress and notice the slight bulge of her abdomen. They're the couple from all those many years ago. I look up  at the body of the man in the tree, who I know. It's the judge who was on my parent's case. They were killed in a car accident by a drunk driver, but the guy wasn't convicted. I was left with two dead parents and a deadbeat uncle for a guardian. In fact, he'd left me alone for the weekend, again.

          I gaze up at the judge's swaying body, feeling nothing but anger and loss. A gust of wind chills me, and I look over at the couple, who are staring at me. They look to each other, then the man nods, resting his forehead on hers for a moment, soft smiles on both of their faces. They walk over slowly, and I wait, somehow unafraid. They stop only about an arms-length away, exchange a glance, then look back at me, a question in their eyes.

          The woman holds out a hand to me, the man mirroring the gesture. I look at their outstretched hands and know the question they're asking. I think back on my life and theirs, considering. I feel something within me harden in resolve. I smile and take their hands, giving them my answer.

..........

         

          The next morning, the police found the body of the judge hanging in the old oak tree, the girl lying dead at it's roots. The oddest thing, though, was the fact that she was smiling.

..........

          

          The man stumbled through the woods, following a woman in white. They reach a large tree, her song resounding in his head "Are you, are you, coming to the tree, wear a necklace of rope side by side with me." A rope tied in a noose drops down, a block of wood under it. He steps onto the block, his head now level with the frayed noose. A man appears, holding the hand of a girl.

          He recognizes her, she's the daughter of the couple he killed that night, then he'd paid the judge to rule in his favor.  The girl takes the woman's hand and they all stand still for a moment, gazing at him. The woman goes to his side, the man stepping closer to him. The girl takes hold of the loose end of the rope. The noose falls over his head, settling around his neck and shoulders, placed there by the woman, who steps back to join the girl.

          In unison, all three smile, starting to sing, their voices melding together in a transfixing harmony "Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be, if we met up at midnight in the hanging tree." on the last note, the girl and the woman pull the rope, the man kicking the block of wood out from under him. The last thing he sees as the noose tightens around his neck is their smiling faces, the girl's eyes bright with revenge.

Author's Note

Real quick disclaimer: I do not own any of the lyrics of "The Hanging Tree", nor do I claim to. Okay, now that that's taken care of, tell me what you think! I look forward to criticism!
Love,
CreativeCookie

Reviews

[KittyKatgirl]

Omg I love that song. I got it stuck in my head now. I really enjoyed reading this great job creative cookie :)

[Sebastian Falzarano]

Need To Be Fixed:

1. "Alley" not "ally"
2. Each time you say "Are you, are you...", the end of the sentence should be a question mark. You are asking a question, right?

I think that this is a really great ghost story (if that is what it is). I found it very interesting that the woman sings the lines that starts the events that the main character begins to see. I also like the style you used in wriitng this. It was very unique and something different from the typical ghost story (again, that is what it is seeming to be to me).

[CreativeCookie]

1. Thank you! My spell check hates me. I normally catch it, but, I didn't even notice that one!
read more1. Thank you! My spell check hates me. I normally catch it, but, I didn't even notice that one!
2. I normally would, but with the form of the original song, they don't use the punctuation, so I stayed true to the original lyrics!
This is indeed a ghost story, but I wanted it to be different from your typical ghost story

[Sebastian Falzarano]

Your welcome.

[Steven J. McCarathy]

It's a very sad story. Although the song The Hanging Tree is very depressing as well. I compliment you on staying with that theme, and writing it in your own words.

[Daniel Inger]

It's a sad story thoroughly with only revenge as a dessert. Revenge is a terrible thing, and the parents death by car-accident was an accident so the murderer can run and hide in a Levite-city.

[ANM]

Revenge a motive of destructive force or just desserts? Well written poem my only obsrvations are it felt a little rushed towards the end and there are a couple of small errors that could be edited out. Really enjoyed this powerful images and descriptions!

[Emalie Todd]

This is awesome. I liked it. :D

[Pyyro]

Amazing. Chilling. Dark. It is quite well done. The Hanging Tree is a classic, and incorporating it just makes it all the better.

[Bailey B.]

Three words: I love it! I really wouldn't change anything because I think it flows very nicely. And incorporating the Hanging Tree in there was cool. I enjoyed it very much :D

[Silent Wolf]

Interesting story. I love the beginning, the middle (The second section) was really cool how they found their bodies later on and all, and the end (third section) was interesting and a tad bit confusing. Then again, I never heard the hanging tree, but I want to now... :3

[Kaitlynn A. Black]

An amazing story! Wow! =D It reminded me in a way of Poe in a way. I love the descriptions and the incorporation of the rhyming lines. It worked well for a great effect. I did feal that there were some places that it transistioned into the next little scene to quickly. Not quite enough there for a smooth and logical switch. If it were a movie... then it wouldn't matter and the scenes would all connect just fine. I guess it all depends on what your target audience would be.

I'll be honest though, the whole singing part at the end was a bit cheesy and over the top. =) That's just what I feel though.

XO - Kate