The Cherry Tree

Penny wandered aimlessly as the sound of her bare feet thudded against the cold stone below her. In her hand she held a metal lantern that illuminated the mist swirling around her in a halo of golden light and draped over her pale red hair was a white silky hood that fluttered in the soft breeze.

‘Where am I?’ She thought as she cast her lantern’s light around her to investigate the mist.

Her lantern caught a pale pink petal in its light as it fluttered before her and gracefully landed before her feet making Penny stop. She reached down and picked it up, caressing it between her fingers as the exquisite fragrance wafted up to her.

“Cherry blossom.” She muttered to herself before lifting the lantern higher and squinted through the mist spotting a vague pink shape expanding before her.

As she continued forward her feet began to fall on a velvety sea of pink that softened her footstep, and before long she could discern the gnarled trunk and delicate flowers of a ginormous cherry blossom tree. She approached it, placing her hand on its old bark as its size dwarfed her. As she stared up at the tree, the mist thinned allowing her to see the branches at the top. She lifted the lantern and hung it on a small branch above her head before looking around, noticing there was an edge a few meters from her. She walked towards it finding that she stood at the edge of a cliff that plummeted into the emptiness of rippling mist.

As she looked down into the expanse a ribbon fluttered past her and over the edge of the cliff. She watched as it fluttered down before disappearing into a coil of mist. She turned her head, looking behind her wondering where the ribbon had come from. Leaning against the tree was a figure covered head to foot in a dark gold robe holding a large walking stick that curved high above them like a large broken twig.

“Hello?” She called with a shaky voice. “Who are you?”

“I am nobody.” The figure said as they stepped forward and closed the gap between them with each step. “I am nothing but a mirage.”

“Why am I here?” Penny asked the figure as they came to stand beside her; beneath their hood she could see the soft glint of their cloudy grey eyes which were looking out across the cliffside.

“To make a decision.” They replied as she followed their gaze out into the mist.

“What decision am I going to make?” She said her heart beginning to race.

“You will have to choose between living and dying.” They explained, their eyes focusing on her. “Your choice will be between adventure and idleness. Which will you choose Perpetua?”

“Perpetua?” Penny replied. “What does that mean?”

“That depends upon your choice.” They continued. “If you choose to know, you will.”

Their words melted across her and sunk into her mind filling her with excitement, anticipation, and fear. The mystery of it all seemed to entice her the most as she tried to interpret what the stranger was trying to say. She took a deep breath allowing her fear to soften before tilting her head and inspecting the stranger. Their walking stick appeared to be made of a thick bronze metal that arched and bent in jagged twists that snaked above their head. Draped across their body was a cloak that covered them entirely in shimmering golden fabric. Below their hood all Penny could decipher was their grey eyes that glittered with flecks of silver, and with a swift flick their eyes locked with hers. Her breathing stopped as she stared back, mesmerised by the depth of their eyes that rippled like silver pools of water filling her with liquid courage. She forced herself to blink, breaking the trance allowing her to let out a shaky breath.

“What do I have to do?” She finally asked, her voice hoarse.

“You can choose to stay here with the tree,” They answered gesturing to the cherry blossom tree. “Or, you can choose to take a leap of faith.”

Penny frowned at the cryptic message her eyes sliding towards the cliff’s edge before realizing what the stranger meant.

“You want me to jump!” She gaped backing away from the cliff.

“If that is what you choose.” The stranger replied watching her back away.

She turned to the cherry blossom tree, intending to race towards it and away from the cliff but as she looked at it, she felt something pull from within her chest. She watched as the blossoms rustled beneath it, skittering gently across the stone in tight spirals. She closed her eyes taking a deep breath in and rubbing the sides of her temples.

“I must be mad.” She murmured to herself before turning back to the cliff’s edge and coming to stand beside the stranger.

“So, what will it be?” He asked. “Will you take the leap?”

Penny looked out over the cliff one more time taking in the bottomless void before her. She turned to the stranger and stepped back, her heel hanging over the edge.

“I will.” She replied before stretching her arms wide and allowing her body to fall backwards, tumbling over the edge, and disappearing into a swirl of mist.