The Oak

I'm an acorn right now. I fell from my mother tree, and a squirrel picked me up. It carried me a few meters and then buried me. I never saw the squirrel again.

I feel the warm sun up above me. And I feel that it's time to go and have a look at what's up there. Today might be the day.

There you go, I did it.

It's nice up here, a bit breezy at times, but nice. I've decided to stay. With the sun in the sky, I venture higher and higher. Everything I pick up, I send down to my roots. I need to pay attention to my roots because I don't want to fall over. Yesterday, I felt a bit shaky already. I've decided to focus on my roots for the moment so that doesn't happen again.

A lot is going on around me, lots of chatter from the other trees. Sometimes I can hear my mother. It's not far. And there are others like me. We all put up our heads at the same time. But there are also other kinds of trees. Some are shorter than me, but most are much taller. I feel like they protect me. They keep a bit of the wind but also some of the light. That's when I don't like them. And then there are all the other creatures - deer, pigs, birds, squirrels, and occasionally a dog that comes and pees on me. I don't mind it.

Lately, I've noticed that the days are getting shorter and the winds are getting colder. I don't really like that. I'm still busy with my roots and want to use the light as much as possible. Some of my neighbours have dropped their leaves, giving me more light. That's nice, and I need it. I want to put as much as I can into my trunk. But sooner or later, even I need to drop my leaves and slow down. It's a bit strange but okay. I feel sleepy anyway.

I notice that this rhythm stays with me. When I was just an acorn, the warmth of the soil above me woke me, and it does the same every time after it has been cold. I like that. I like the breeze it brings, and I like how the sun always tickles me awake.

Recently I noticed that my roots need more room. There isn't much, though, so I have to work a bit harder to find the footing I need to get my water and stay upright in the winds.

I also noticed that the animals changed around me. The dog that used to wee on me hasn't come for a while. Instead, now it's a person. It doesn't bother me, but I preferred the dog, to be honest. I also miss the pigs. Their noses always made me giggle.

Sometimes the deer come and chew my leaves. I don't like that at all. They often eat my babies, too. I wish they would leave them alone. I could have a whole field with just my kids.

The person who comes sometimes has built a house close to me. It's nice. I can hear the people. It reminds me of my family. I like that I can be close to them. They are good to me.

This year, I woke up early from the sun. My favourite part of the year. I stretch. I've gotten taller than all the others around me now. My best friend next to me had a bit of a problem a while ago, and they are lying down now. It's fun to chat with them like that.

I still need to search for water with my roots. It's become more difficult lately. I can feel the sun, and I want to drink more, but I can't find more. I need to reduce my stretches this time. It makes me too tired to stretch when I can't drink enough. I long for the cold times when I can sleep. I hope they come soon.

The house next to me has been quiet for a while, but lately, there are people again. They hug me sometimes, and that feels nice. But they climbed up me once and made a lot of noise. That wasn't so great. I felt a bit lighter afterwards but also a little naked.

I continue to search for water and enjoy the sun's warmth. My friends around me count on me. I'm the big one now.

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While the science of this story is a fact, the events and characters are fictional. Any similarities to people or places are coincidental.

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This story first appeared on rikacossey.7thwave.io .