text: "It's dark in here." "Of course it's dark in here, dumb-ass, it's the middle of the night." "I know, shut up. Let's hurry up before someone comes." "Who? The teachers who're patrolling the school grounds during recess? Oh no, Lucy, what shall we ever do?" "Shut up, Tanya, let's go already." \ The two reach the tree. It's dark, yet the cracks in its bark faintly shine with a color constantly changing. This is the tree they can't let the other students come near. One of their friends already died next to it, after she supposedly had a heart attack. Tanya takes the axes out of her bag and hands one to Lucy. L: "Tanya?" T: "Lucy?" L: "I'm starting to have second thoughts about this. Maybe we shouldn't." T: "Have you forgotten what this bitch of a tree did to Sasha?" L: "No! I would never!" T: "Then why back away now?" L: "It's glowing stronger." T: "So?" L: "So I think we should quit it." T: "No, that's a stupid idea." L: "The stupid idea was to come here and risk getting caught!" T: "By who? Who in their damn mind would think to come here? You think the tree would tell anyone?" L: "Well, we did come here. Isn't that saying anything?" T: "No. Now get to where you can swing safely. Don't wanna hit you." Lucy agrees, and steps away from Tanya. They're now at opposite sides of the tree. T: "Ready?" L: "Wish I wasn't." T: "I didn't hear a no." She pauses to scratch something away from her left cheek. T: "Three!" She scratches again. T: "Two!" Lucy winds up. Tanya scratches again. T: "Hold it! What the hell is this?" L: "What happened?" T: "I don't know, something latched on my face probably." L: "Maybe it's the tree?" T: "It's not the damn tree! How can it move?" Lucy takes out her phone and shines a light on Tanya's face. T: "Did you see what it was?" L: "Don't move." T: "What?" L: "Don't move!" Tanya freezes in her spot. Her heartbeat is so strong that even Lucy can hear it. T: "What's on my face?" L: "No..." T: "What the hell is on my face?" L: "It can't be..." T: "Answer me!" L: "But she's dead!" Tanya quickly turns around and falls to the ground. Sasha stands over her body, looking at Lucy. L: "Please... don't..." S: "It's what happens, love. The tree is absolute." Tanya's heartbeat is no more. Lucy, realizing this, cries to the moon. She can no longer hear any heartbeats. The tree glows stronger with every weep. She finally falls to despair and her head drops. "Don't worry, my dear human. I will not kill you." Lucy looks up and screams in terror. T: "The tree is absolute." "I will not kill you." Tanya hugs Lucy, who's now screaming at the top of her lungs. She cannot run away. She cannot hear her heartbeat. "I will not kill you." L: "Please don't kill me!" "I will not kill you." L: "Please!" \ Lucy cannot hear her heartbeat anymore.