The Trees
Shawn Huelle

Theyre out there now, in front of the house, guarding the trees. Theyre wearing vinyl jackets with the word SECURITY across their backs. Theyre sitting on folding chairs, smoking cigarettes, talking to each other and watching the trees out of the corners of their eyes. They dont get too close, and they dont stand up underneath them.

They said something about bugs and medicine, but we dont believe them the trees have been pretty uppity lately. It started with stolen hats and scarves. The branches just dipped down and snatched them, and then they were too high to retrieve moving up and up and the branches swaying. At first we thought it was the wind, but then we noticed that every tree on the block had its own collection. Some seemed to prefer baseball caps, others stocking hats. The tree on the corner had fedoras and bowlers and one pork-pie. We called the City, but they ignored us.

One night we heard breaking glass, and in the morning we saw that every windshield of every car on the block had been shattered. The police told us that it was probably some gang out on a glass-breaking bender, but the front seats of our cars were sticky with sap, and covered with twigs and leaves.

Shortly thereafter, the trees began hitting us, pulling our hair, and grabbing at our coats. Yes it was windy, but the third time you walk under a tree whose lowest branch had always been above your head, and that same branch whips across your face, you begin to wonder, you begin to notice that the trees, once benign, now look a little menacing.

Last week, a tree held the Mortensen girl captive for six hours before letting her go. The Fire Department came out, but mostly they stood around and scratched their heads. Every time they tried to put up a ladder the tree bucked and reeled and lashed out with its branches. The firemen feared the tree would lose its grip on the poor Mortensen girl and fling her over the rooftops. Shes okay now, but her parents make her carry a hatchet everywhere she goes.

The TV news people came out and interviewed several of us. The trees behaved themselves that day. So there we were on the nightly news, trying to tell our story. The TV people snickered and said the City was checking the water supply for hallucinogens. They even asked the firemen about the Mortensen girl, but the firemen said little girls shouldnt be climbing trees on windy days. And then they snickered too, but we could see the fear in their eyes.

So theyre out there now, the security people, sitting with their backs to our houses, watching the medicine spikes drip into the bases of the trees, and telling us about the imminent threat of the Asian Longhorn Beetle, the Gypsy Moth, and the Bark Beetle. But they keep their distance, and they keep one eye on the trees.

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