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Aspirin the Aspen tree was just staring out into the night one day as they swayed with the wind. A lonely little tree with no one to talk to and nobody but their own mind. Aspirin was a tree with a human consciousness, always longing for someone to love.The night was dark and it was the same as always, birds claiming their branches as homes for their young, or places to carry out their “deeds”. Aspirin the Aspen tree just wanted someone that wouldn’t use them. Someone that would stay with them to share their lonely thoughts. The next morning as the sun started to rise over the horizon, the silhouette of the square being illuminated, and early risers started their morning, Aspirin, noticed something peculiar that they hadn’t noticed before, a young child was standing in front of them?It was so early that Aspirin didn’t know what to think of it. Before they had any more time to ponder the thought, the child stepped back. Something large and flat in their hand.It dawned on them then. The child was going to throw something at them! Poor Aspirin spiraled into a panic, then a clang. The young girl had thrown a pan at them! The poor pan, Aspirin could hear it groan in pain as it landed in their branches.The girl ran off and Aspirin glowered. Dumb children!A soft shake of their leaves as Aspirin tried to ask if the pan was alright. At a blinding shine, they took that as a sign of yes, they were fine.Apparently the pans name was Pam, and the girl who had thrown her, was her owner. After watching Rapunzel, the young child had gotten too rough with Pam, causing the child's mother to lecture her about getting rid of Pam, and now here she is. A shiny object getting along with a tree.Aspirin knew they should feel bad, but now they finally had a friend! Weeks passed and Aspirin and Pam grew closer, so close that they could be called Besties.The afternoon of their 1 month bestie anniversary, a young man walked up to Aspirin with a cup in hand. A cup of what seemed to be soda.Aspirin had always wanted to try soda. Pam would always tease them that they should marry the first soda they try.Aspirin quite like that idea.Then the soda could never leave them then. Of course if they liked them. The man stood there sipping the soda silently before a couple of cops showed up hauling the man away, causing the man to drop the soda. It spilt… All over Aspirin!They were so excited, Pam could sense their excitement as well and started shining in the afternoon sun. (Pam was a very shiny pan).Aspirin was now conversing with the spilt soda. It introduces itself as Dr.Pepper.Dr.Pepper, to Aspirin, was very kind and ‘sweet’. In more ways than one.Pam held the ceremony and the two were wed. Aspirin the tree was now a married being.The two lived happily ever after, until the end of the day when the sprinklers came on and Dr.Pepper got washed away and evaporated in the sun. That night, tons of leaves rained down as Aspirin shed “tears” of sap.Years later Aspirin was now standing tall and proud, white and black bark showing signs of their age. Pam was now all rusty and had lost her youthful shine but the two were nevertheless inseparable.Aspirin got their happy ending… Until a storm came and they fell… lightning flashing, thunder rumbling, Pam was screaming and then-!That night...
Was the end. Of Aspirin the Aspen Tree and Pam the Pan.
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Years have passed since Aspirin's passing. A small bird hops around the area where they had fallen. Twittering without a care in the world. A small sprout pokes its small feet as the bird searches for worms.A high giggling voice gets closer as a small child runs through the park, scaring the bird and in a flurry of feathers it takes off into the sky.The little boy that had startled the bird bends down to look at the green sprout. He pokes it with a chubby finger. “Alex?” The boy's mother calls out, “Time to come home!”The 7 year old boy, Alex, pouts, “But mama! There’s a green worm!”She comes and grabs his hand, “A green worm?” She bends down to get a look, “Oh! That’s not a worm.” She smiles warmly, her frizzy hair blowing in the wind. “It looks like a new tree will be growing here.” Alex listens intently to his mother. She continues her story. “There used to be a big tree overlooking this park, like its guardian. It was tall and proud, and sometimes if you listened closely, it sounded like the leaves were laughing.” She sighs wistfully.Alex giggles, “Mama, trees don’t talk.”His mom smiles, “I guess not…But it doesn’t hurt to imagine. It fell in a big storm, just too old to hold the weight of the wind. I have fond memories of that tree. It makes me happy to know another generation will grow here.”Alex looks at his mother, “You’re funny mama. It’s just a tree.”His mother laughs, “You’ll understand someday baby.” She pulls him into a hug. “Do you want to get ice cream before we go home? We don’t have to tell mommy.” She whispers and tickles him. The mother and child walk away, giggling and talking, the little sprout shudders in the breeze. It will grow big someday, strong just like its mother.-_-_-_-About a year later the small sprout is a medium tree, a bit bigger than a bush, Aspen like its mother. Something was odd about the small tree though, the small white buds that would appear on the tips of its branches.Many up and coming scientists liked to come and study it, it was unusual for this breed of tree to have buds, almost as if it was making fruit.It was a phenomenon, unexplainable why this certain seedling was grown so oddly.The buds start forming bigger as the tree grows, tall and proud. The child and mother visit often, one day Alex laughs, “We should name it mama.” She smiles and indulges in his childish creativity. “Alright what do you think we should name it?”Alex looks at the tree with big brown eyes, he runs a hand over the bark, “Oreo.”His mother looks at him, trying hard to cover a laugh. “Oh?” her voice cracks in her mirth. “Why oreo?”Alex shrugs. “The tree bark looks like an Oreo.”His mother nods seriously, “I see.” She taps her chin, “Oreo the Aspen tree it is!” She comes up to touch one of the buds, they’d turned more of a caramel color, people had stopped trying to figure it out.“You ready to go home buddy?Alex shakes his head, “Not yet.” Alex runs and grabs a handful of dandelions and places them at the base of the tree. He whispers. “I wish for Oreo to grow big and strong.” Alex’s eyes widen as the leaves shake in the still air.His mom laughs, “Come on” She holds out her hand for Alex to take.He hugs onto her eagerly, “You were right!”She just laughs.-_-_-_-As the seasons change, so does Oreo. It grows bigger and stronger, the buds start to form into long tubes like cocoa bean shells. Oreo loves it when the small family comes along. It’ll shake and try to entertain the child and when they leave, Oreo provides shade for birds and smaller creatures.Soon, the sweet scent of his growing unknown fruit attracts all sorts of animals as they clamber to taste whatever it is. Oreo tends to shake the greedy animals off.One day, Alex picks a bean pod from Oreos leaves, “What is it?” the child, now about 10, asks the tree.Oreo wishes for Alex to try his fruit that he bore, waiting for the child to try it.Curiously, Alex bites down on the pod. A sweet, carbonated liquid fills his mouth and his eyes widen. “Soda!?” He runs to his mother, another pod in hand. “Mama! Try it!”She stares at him skeptically, “Alex, we don’t try random fruits from trees.” She chastises, “it could make you ill!”Alex shakes his head, “But, but! It’s soda!”His mother sighs and takes the pod from his hand, “Oh? Does it just taste like it.” Hoping that there is nothing too weird about the pod, she bites into it as well, and gasps as the same soda coats her tongue. “Dr.Pepper? This…” She looked from the pod to the tree.“What the fuck?”-End-