Under The Oak Tree -- Read Novels & Stories

I turned left, and there on the ground was a tiny old book that described the path the old woman had told me about. Quickly, I began to trace it, following the book's guidelines. I had walked a little farther, my feet aching and my body growing more exhausted, when I finally saw it—the Whispering Oak standing tall, its bark twisted into faces, whispering softly as though alive. And there it was—the veil. I pressed it, and it opened slowly, creaking like ancient wood. Before long, I was inside the oak tree. The wind had stopped blowing. Everything was suffocating—dark and scary.

They walked in comfortable silence, the only sound being the rustling of leaves and the soft creaking of tree branches. Meanwhile, under the sprawling oak tree near the soccer field, Tyler's friends huddled closer, their voices barely above a whisper as they planned their next move. The darkness seemed to amplify their intentions, casting long shadows that stretched like grasping fingers. The tree's branches loomed above them, its leaves rustling ominously in the wind.

I knew he was supposed to be here. Thinking he was yet to come, I sat under the oak tree and waited for him. I kind of see why he liked this place, the cool breeze brushing against my skin was so calming, and the leaves on the oak tree rustled with the wind. I closed my eyes, breathing deeply, enjoying the calm environment. I think I was too engrossed in how good I was feeling that I did not know when I fell asleep. I don’t know how long I had slept, but when I woke up, I was moving in the air, my eyes immediately flew open, scared I was being kidnapped.

POV: DARIUS The first light of morning creeps slowly through the trees while the forest still smells like smoke and broken magic. I stand at the edge of the clearing and stare at the well dug ground in front of me.. No one speaks. The entire pack stands quietly beneath the branches of the Moon Tree. It is the oldest tree in our territory. Huge. Ancient. Its trunk is so wide it would take five wolves just to circle it and the branches stretch out over the clearing like giant arms. Pale white bark glows faintly under the early morning light and the leaves whisper softly every time the wind moves through them.

hummed in her chest. “No” trembled in her head. But her feet answered for her, moving before she could talk herself out of it. They walked behind the shed toward the quiet path that led to the row of old oak trees. The sounds of volunteers softened behind them until there was nothing but the rustle of leaves and the crunch of gravel under their steps. They stopped beneath the largest oak, the one that towered over the rest like a guardian. Jaxon shoved his hands in his pockets the same habit he had when he was nervous, though he’d never admit it.

It felt like a deep, green patience. “I feel the tree,l.” I murmured. “Good, now, don’t pull from it. Don’t push at it. Just… introduce yourself.” Introduce myself to a tree? But I focused on that green pulse and imagined my own presence, not my power, just me. Luca. Scared, determined, in love. The oak’s pulse didn’t change. But the air around me grew still. The watching birds fell silent. “Open your eyes.” I did. A single, perfect acorn lay at my feet. It hadn’t been there before.

It was less than a mile to the river along a trail through the forest that bordered their house. They walked in silence, savoring the smells and sounds of the forest until they got to the river. Then a little further along the bank they came to a small grassy clearing under a big oak tree that overhung the river. "God, I love this place," Kelly said, flopping down on the ground on her back, her arms flung wide. "It's the best," John agreed, noticing that her shirt had pulled up, exposing the undersides of her breasts.

The bracket was redirected — she could see that even in the dark, even in the storm, the downspout angled away from the foundation the way he had described — so he had finished, he had done what he came to do, which meant he should have been inside already, which meant — Where is he. She turned. And then she heard it. Not over the storm. Under it. The kind of sound that bypassed the ears and went straight to the spine — a deep structural crack that she felt in the soles of her feet and the base of her skull simultaneously, the sound of something enormous making an irreversible decision. She turned toward the forest edge. She saw the oak move. Eighty feet of tree and the root ball had let go

He slowly turned the paper. There were other words on the back. When you come to oak rest, Don't let him decide. Silence. The wind shook outside at the roof. Aren read the lines again. Then again. For the first time in a very long time, one of these secrets did not feel sad. It's dangerous. And somewhere deep in the forest, far from the sea and cliffs, burned in this Wait a light in a house that should have been left for years. Someone stood there at the window.

There she was. Sat on a bench alone under an oak tree. There were three or four students loitered in Freedom park, most of the students must have gone home. A lot of oak trees were planted in this park that gave comforting shade to the students. Birds chirped transferring from one tree to another. Some of the trees were planted for almost a hundred years now. Orange clouds now appeared in the sky and the grayness of the area was illuminated faintly with the lamp posts.