A. Tree's Arc

Chapter 1 of 2

A. Tree stood at the edge of the orchard, staring down the empty road. His baskets were full, packed tight with apples that wouldn't last another day in the heat. The road into Storyland was the only way through, and something had blocked it completely. He walked closer and saw it: a wall of mud and earth sprawled across both lanes. Water still dripped from the edges. Rocks jutted out like broken teeth. Behind the slide, he could make out shapes—people waiting, cars stopped. They were trapped on the other side, just as he was trapped on this one. A. Tree set down his basket and studied the faces across the gap. He could read hunger from a distance now, after years of watching. His eyes moved from person to person until they landed on a small girl standing near the front. Her cheeks were streaked with tears. She looked maybe six years old. The sight of her pulled something tight in his chest. He picked up the basket again and started toward the mudslide. The apples wouldn't wait, and neither could he. If he had to cross through the mud himself, he would. Those people needed what he had, and the girl with tears on her face would get the first apple before she even had to ask.