The Secret of the Forgotten Rain Tree

It had been raining for two days straight. Not the kind of rain you run through laughing, but a steady drizzle that turned the world gray and whispered secrets to the earth. Thirteen-year-old Aditi sighed, pressing her nose against the cold window of her new house, watching the raindrops race each other. Moving to this small town wasn’t exactly thrilling, and the rain made everything feel even gloomier.

She had heard about the "forgotten rain tree" from her neighbor, an old lady with a warning in her eyes. "Stay away from that tree in the forest, child," she'd said. "It's not like other trees."

Of course, that only made Aditi want to see it even more. Every day, she watched the forest from her window, and it was as if the tree itself was calling to her through the mist. Finally, one rainy afternoon when her parents were busy unpacking, she grabbed her raincoat and ventured outside.

The forest was thick and silent, every sound swallowed by the rain. It wasn’t long before she spotted it: the rain tree. It was enormous, with twisted branches that looked like giant arms reaching up to the sky. But what caught her attention was the trunk, dark and smooth with a strange shape on one side—a glassy, mirror-like surface.

Without thinking, Aditi reached out and touched it.

In an instant, the world around her changed. The forest grew brighter, the rain stopped, and the air felt thick and old. She pulled her hand back, heart pounding, but it was too late. When she looked down, her clothes were different—a simple dress instead of her raincoat, and her shoes had turned into old-fashioned leather boots.

“What…where am I?” she whispered, spinning around.

“Hello?” a voice called from behind her.

Aditi froze. Standing there was a girl around her age, with long, tangled hair and a curious smile. The girl looked...almost transparent, like she was part of a dream.

“Who are you?” Aditi asked.

“I’m Priya,” the girl replied. “And I think I’m…well, stuck here.” She gave a small, sad smile. “For a long time.”

As they talked, Priya explained that she had been trapped for decades, unable to leave because of an ancient curse on the rain tree. "It captures the memories of the town," Priya said. "And sometimes, those memories keep people trapped."

Aditi’s stomach twisted with excitement and fear. She was speaking to a ghost, or a memory—maybe both. But she had to help Priya, somehow.

"Why are you here?" Aditi asked, realizing there was more to Priya's story.

Priya looked down, eyes filling with a mixture of sadness and hope. "I was exploring, just like you. But I… I stayed too long. And the mirror wouldn’t let me go back."

Aditi’s mind raced. The rain tree must hold the secrets of everyone who had ever touched it, trapping them in time. But she could feel a connection to Priya, something deeper than just friendship.

"Are you…are you related to me?” she asked hesitantly.

Priya’s eyes widened, and she nodded slowly. "I think I might be. I think…you’re the only one who can break the curse."

Aditi took a deep breath, determination flooding her chest. She wasn’t sure how she’d do it, but she knew she had to try.

“Let’s find a way to set you free,” she whispered, reaching out to Priya. As their hands touched, the forest around them blurred, and Aditi was pulled back to her own time. She opened her eyes, standing alone in front of the rain tree once more.

But this time, there was a small pendant in her hand—a sign that Priya was finally free.

And from that day on, the rain tree’s whispers became softer, like the sigh of a long-lost friend finally finding peace.