The Weeping Willow

She stood in front of the mirror that day. Examining her face, studying all the dents and indentations, the wrinkles of time and the freckles of existence. Trying to uncover those secrets of her soul, which it bore, unknown to even her own mind. She stood there, in front of that mirror, its beige edges and floral design creating ripples of memories within her mind. 

Even before Emily could understand or contemplate the flow of her thoughts, she got sucked into the vortex of nostalgia. Not that she would mind it, after all sometimes, memories are far more pleasant than the reality. She knew that, she had accepted that and that in fact, was her reality now.

"Emily sweetie, where are you, my dear? This child must have once again wandered off into the woods.", a young woman called out for Emily. The girl had hid behind the massive trunk of the gorgeous weeping willow in their garden. She giggled secretly at her perplexed mother. The sweet melody of her almost silent giggle however, could not escape the cautious ears of her father. He sneaked in behind her, hoisting Emily up by her waist and twirling her around.

"Gotcha princess!! Troubling your mum again I see.", the young man looked fondly at his beloved daughter. She was the heavens' gift for him and his wife. 

Emily's silent giggles had now turned into a full blown laughter. The purple flowers of the willow falling all over them.

She tried to get hold of those cascading petals, before the evanescent image faded away from the mirror blurring her vision for a couple of moments.

"Hey sweetheart, what are you thinking about, hmm?", a young man, his demeanour screaming of love asked a blushing Emily. He chuckled affectionately amused at the crimson coating her cheeks as he ruffled her hair. His eyes glancing at Emily as if she were the only precious being on the planet and hers gazing at him like he's the only person on the planet. They had been surrounded by an aura of immense and incandescent feelings, of ardent emotions, as though concealing them from the world. The pure and pious love emanating from them.

They had sat under the same weeping willow, speaking of the world and of their little world, which they had created, just for their own selves. They smiled, they laughed, giggled and chuckled, lost in their world. The willow was yet again scattering its petals and mesmerizing purple flowers all over them. 

Emily extended her arm to catch one of those petals, a soft smile now grazing her face, as the picturesque image vanished from her sight, like a mirage fading away. No matter how hard she tried to get a hold of it, to capture that figment of memory, it did slip away. 

A murderous scream now penetrated her ears, the noise so shrill, so loud, that she covered her ears. All she could see around was a vast stretch of devastation and utter gloom. She frantically tried to search for her husband, her parents, but all she could hear were ear-splitting screams and more of a deafening noise. Tears streaming down her face, she saw her husband and parents under the same weeping willow, as another massive tremor ran through the ground.

She heard a hoarse and shattering scream before it all went silent in her ears. Her eyes widened, a ringing sound in her ears, trying to shield her from the reality, as she saw her now dead family under a colossal and mighty branch of the willow. The soft purple petals yet again, now stained with her beloved's blood, tainted by it. How loud she shrieked in that moment, as though wishing to undo the entire turn of events. Yet another tremor ran through the ground, as her world went black at its impact. 

Emily frantically moved her arms around, as though trying to wake up from a hideous nightmare, only to have a glance at her face in the mirror to understand that it was indeed her reality. 

This was the only truth which accompanied her these days, a bitter truth, too tough to digest and too realistic to ignore. She looked outside the window to glance at the weeping willow outside. How she resented the very tree which had once been the symbol of love and happiness for her.

She had survived the earthquake, her family had not, all because of that despicable willow. 

It wasn't the same like before, all dried up, parched, left to die, as Emily wished it to. She glanced yet again in the mirror, trying to capture any reminiscent of the times once passed away, perhaps any remnant essence of what had been once hers, only to find tears of extreme grief streaming down her cheeks. 

All she could do now was look into the mirror and try to relive the memories at least for sometimes, perhaps for all of her lifetime. The willow stood there, wilting away.