Sam had always wanted to go to the Verwüsten Tree Farm for as long as she could remember. She wasn’t even sure why she did. She’d lived around trees her entire life. Her father owned a tree farm with multiple award-winning trees, and the business was so successful that the family became locally famous. It never made any sense. There was nothing of note that could be interesting enough beyond a visit. But Sam was determined to visit, to settle it, and let it rest.
So, on one cold January morning, she had booked a train ticket and was packing her things. As she continued packing, her brother walked in, slamming the door hard against the wood.
“Sup, whatcha doing?” he asked.
“I’m getting ready for that trip, remember?” Sam replied. Her brother rolled his eyes before grinning.
“Better not tell Dad, you know he’s crazy about stuff that doesn’t exist,” he said.
“Oh, I know,” she answered. “That’s why Dad never let us go out at night in December if we were alone.” Her brother laughed for a minute before his expression turned unusually serious.
“Even if that stuff Dad talks about doesn’t exist, be careful, okay? There’s other stuff out there that you gotta be aware of.”
Sam nodded, finishing packing her bag.
“I’ll be careful, promise. I’ll be going during the day, so there’s no real danger.”
She slung her bag on her shoulder and, with a nod to her brother, Sam left.
Her parents were on vacation, so they didn’t know what was occurring.
The cold snow was a bit of a shock to her system, and Sam hugged herself tighter. She wondered how she would make it to the farm in this weather. Shrugging, Sam made her way towards the train station, snow crunching under her feet as she went. The cold, dry air and gray clouds made for a somber mood, but Sam decided not to let it affect her. I’m still gonna have fun. I’ll even pick a tree from the farm and show my dad that there’s nothing to fear. Sam’s thoughts were consumed by her father as she stepped onto the train platform to wait for her turn. I love him, but he’s so paranoid about this. I mean, I grew up with the legend, but it’s like Santa Claus. It’s for kids. You grow and eventually realize it was just the adults playing you. I remember missing some fun stuff when I was a kid because my dad was so worried. It’s-
Her thoughts were cut off by the sound of the train. On the snow-covered green and white sign, there were three names with miles on them.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber-160 km
Füssen-195km
Wallgau-260 km
So Sam had a long way to go from her home. Sighing and holding her bag closer, she stepped onto the train. No going back now.
The train ride was long and uneventful. Not many people were on this particular train, except for a man, a woman with a child, and an older woman. It almost felt eerie. Sam sat with her hands in her lap, watching the outside. She didn’t want to bring the books from the house, for fear that her father might see one of them missing and ask why. Her brother would have no choice but to tell the truth. Her parents were returning the next day. So, she thought about many different things for 2 hours.
Sam had drifted into a state of not sleeping but not awake when the train operator’s voice crackled over the loudspeaker.
”Next stop, Rothenburg ob der Tauber.” Sam shook herself awake and looked out the window.
She smiled and got her things ready. I forgot how pretty the Alpine is. Lush, full trees stood tall, barely hiding a quaint little town. She couldn’t wait to start exploring it. With thoughts still on her father, Sam stepped onto the train platform.
The town was gorgeous, with cute little older buildings and a slower vibe. After all, older people tended to retire here. Sam walked briskly down the street, admiring all the houses and searching for her hotel. The website said it was on the second street down Furer Road. Sam began heading there. It was nice. Not many people were out today, even though it was 2 pm on a Monday. Sam shrugged. She finished her walk to the hotel and went inside. The check-in was nothing special. She was given a key and headed upstairs to the fourth floor. There was an exercise room on the second floor. Sam figured she’d check that out once she returned from the tree farm. Turning the key, she went inside and shut the door. I have about a day to get this done. Sam put her stuff down.
Then she grabbed the room key with a few personal items and walked out.
Verwüsten Tree Farm was farther than Sam expected. According to the few locals walking around, it was a few miles into the forest. They regarded her with weird looks, wondering why she would visit there.
“That’s far to walk,“ one said. “You should come back before sundown, so you don’t get lost.“ He seemed to laugh to himself at the thought. Sam thought it was odd, but did comment. She decided on a taxi.
The taxi took much longer than Sam initially expected, and when it finally arrived, it was 3:30. Fine, whatever. They started going, and the taxi man gave her the same odd look.
“Going to that farm? “ he said. About 15 minutes later, Sam arrived.
She gave money to the taxi driver before stepping outside. It was cold, and snow covered the ground like a blanket. Sam began walking towards a metal gate with the name on it.
Verwüsten Tree Farm. The metal gate wasn’t locked, so Sam pushed it open and walked inside.
Trees surrounded everywhere, with a large fire pit in the middle. As Sam walked around, it looked as ordinary as any other farm. What’s so special about this place?
As she walked around, she suddenly got a tap on her shoulder.
“Excuse me, miss? Can I help you?“
Sam jumped a bit before replying.
“O-oh, I’m sorry, I’m looking around.“
The man was wearing a cap, scarf, and some old gloves.
“Not a problem, ma’am. We’re still open for about 2 hours.“
Sam looked briefly around the trees, noting they looked strong and healthy.
“Your trees are so healthy, what’s your secret?“ At that, the man suddenly looked sheepish.
“Er, it’s the right amount of soil and ground,“ he said.
Sam took a few minutes to walk around before deciding. Dad’s going to be so happy I got a tree,
Finally, she pointed to a lovely little green tree.
“I want that one.”
She went to pick it up but was swatted away.
“I’ll grab it. You grab the money.“ Sam heard the sound of something being ripped out of the ground. Sam tried to hand the money to the man, but he practically snatched it.
“Go now,“ he said. Sam held the tree in her hand and walked to the gate. The man swung it open and almost pushed her out. Sam nearly fell but caught herself. Rude.
Sam called the taxi back.
“Be back soon,“ she said. She put down the tree and stood waiting.
Sam paced as the time wound down and the sun started to set.
She went to look at the tree again and noticed something odd.
Something was dripping from it. As she looked underneath, it was dark brown. No, she thought, her eyes widening. That’s not brown. What is that? The taxi showed up about 5 minutes before the set was completely set.
He stepped out to help Sam load the tree into the car when he looked behind him.
“Get in the car.“
Sam looked at him, not understanding.
“What?“
“Get in right now.“ Sam didn’t understand but picked up the tree and got in with difficulty.
The taxi man shut the door and ran to the driver’s side. As he got inside, something hit the window.
The taxi man floored it, as something started chasing the car. Sam never saw what it was, but it stopped after a mile.
As she returned to the hotel, Sam tried to thank the man and offered him more money. But he waved and left, never saying another word.
Sam got to her room before noticing a stain on her clothes where the tree had been.
It was red, like blood.
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