Beneath the Apple Tree

© Cederwyn Whitefurr

7^th October, 2021

All Rights Reserved.

This Week's Writing Challenge: Though you may try your hardest, success is never assured.

At least 1000 words, don't worry if you go over.

Tag all prompts with: WritingGroupChallenge.

Add all prompts to a separate folder.

Put the prompt description at the beginning of your story.

He stood beneath the apple tree, the tears sliding down his muzzle to drip to the ground as he reached out, his pale fur paw trembling as he froze, fingers almost touching the gnarled, scarred bark of the ancient tree. In his other paw, he held a single red rose...

"It was here..." His voice cracked with the emotion, triangular ears flattening as he fought the grief that welled up within him. "You pledged yourself to me, took me not only as your friend, but as your lover and gave your everything to me – this shattered, broken creature that which I was..."

His brush of a tail curled between his hind legs as he wept, then pressed his fingers against the bark.

"You loved me, cherished me and taught me to trust and love again...to open my heart and give myself to another..."

Grief filled him, then he snarled and slammed his clenched fist against the uncaring tree – again – again – until his fingers dripped blood and his paw ached, the bones nearly fractured.

"WHY? WHY WERE YOU TAKEN FROM ME!" He screamed, as he raised his head to the sky and gave voice to the agony that consumed him.

Far above him, the uncaring stars sparkled against the velvety blackness of the firmament, scattered there like diamonds.

He found no answers there – instead, he hugged the tree like he'd held his equine lover, his friend, his very soul mate...

His tears slid flowed, claws scratching at the cracked bark as if he sought to cling to his believed one more time, to smell his scent, to hear his heart beating, to feel those strong arms wrapped around him once more...

“Why were you taken from me?" He repeated. “What could I have done to save you? Why did you turn me back at the edge – instead of taking my paw and leading me into the darkness so we could be there forever? Why? Why my love? Why did you... How did you do it? When you died, I held you in my arms, looked down into your face – your beautiful eyes opened that last time – you placed your paw on mine..."

He screamed, a primal, agonising scream of pure grief until he could not scream anymore – he had neither the breath nor the vocal cords to do such...

“How did you sever that bond between us, at that moment? Did you not know what it would do to me? How it would tear my heart to pieces and crush them to dust within my chest? Our bond was not just of love, compassion and mutual respect... How did you break those magicks that we had woven together? How..."

Tears fell like rain from his muzzle, he cared not, let them fall as they may, for his soul was a dead, shrivelled thing within him, his heart a crushed, broken shard that would never be healed or repaired...

“You loved me, and I love you in return my sweet, gentle stallion... You held nothing back, you gave yourself to me heart, body and soul...gave me reason to live, to love – and in time – to laugh... Now, all I have is memories, pain, suffering...I don't want any of this, do you hear me, I DO NOT WANT IT!"

Shrieking, he slammed his head against the bark, again and again, before he sank to his knees and clawed at the ground with one paw – the fingers becoming dark and coated with the soil in which he dug.

“I should have died with you, our bond we had was such made! Yet at that moment of your passing, I felt you break your oath, you broke that bond between us...why? How did you...Why did you? I would have willingly gone with you to the Summer lands, this life...it has nothing left for me, without you in it! I hate you now...you hear me? I hate...you..."

He curled up, clutching the rose between his paws, squeezing it tighter and tighter until the barely unfurled petals were crushed betwixt his furred fingers.

Laying there, he cried himself to sleep, beneath the ancient apple tree...

*

A ghostly apparition formed and walked over to the sleeping Vulpine. It was equine, anthropomorphic, yet its mane and tale blew in the gentle breeze – despite its ghostly, spectral nature.

It knelt on one knee, reaching out and its ghostly fingers brushed against the triangular ears as it gazed sorrowfully down at the fox.

“I did not wish to hurt you my love - “ Come the quiet words. “You have good left within you, you just needed someone to take your paw, to show you that there is goodness left in this word – not the cruelty, the hatred and the violence that was your former life..."

“I could not foresee the future my beloved, truly I could not, our time together was a beautiful, and magickal thing, for that, I thank you – for not only did I heal you, but you healed me as well..."

Sitting down, the ghostly horse leaned back against the tree and sighed through his nostrils.

“I remember you with love and happiness my sweet, the nights you'd curl up crying and frightened, how I'd hold you in my arms and give you all my love... I know this..."

Waving a paw, the stallion sniffled.

“This isn't you my love, this is your grief, your anger...lashing out. I know your heart of hearts, and whilst mine beats no more, I know you still have one within you. Yes, I loved you, it was my love for you, that I broke that bond willingly when I passed on...I could never dream of taking your life with my own passing! I know you're hurting, truly I do, but remember me not with anger and grief my love – that will pass – in time. Remember me for who I was, what I was to you, and for you, for as I said, not only did you help me – but you helped yourself as well."

“What happened – happened, there was nothing you nor I, or our magicks, could have done to save me my dear, sweet lover. Our fates are written when we are born, it is not for us to know how much, or how little, our time here will be..."

“I will...always remember you, the good times and the bad, but I will remember you fondly, and with love in my heart... I just pray, you can find it in your own heart of hearts, to grieve and in time – forgive me – and yourself... You did nothing wrong, it was never your fault – nor was it my own... Sleep now my love, know that I will always watch over you – and love you..."

Looking up, the stallion saw the first rays of the dawn rising over the distant mountains, before he swept aside his spectral tears with his fingers and stared placed his paw lightly on the fox's shoulder.

“You tried your hardest to save me that night my beloved... Yet I fear, you tried your hardest, but success was never assured..."

With a sigh, the Stallion stared up at the the rising sun – his form wavering then vanishing as the first beams crested the distant mountains and drove back the shadows...

END