Inkling 2024 FINAL PT - Flipbook - Page 29
awful, my roots felt as if they were
being waterboarded. I could hear
the screams of the children and Lily
holding onto her baby, trembling.
I wanted to tell her that it would be
okay, that I would protect her. She
hopelessly put her head against my
branches. It seemed like hours, hours
of me standing in the nood, hours of
the people sitting in my branches. I
watched this entire town grow; now
it9s mostly been destroyed. I saw the
planks noating around, some people
swimming, wading through the water,
some crying from the destruction of
their homes and the death of their
loved ones. My kids and their families
started climbing down once the
rescue teams came with boats. The
three looked at me and smiled,
