The Hollow Within the Willow
Arthur discovered the ancient weeping willow at the edge of his property possessed a hollow large enough for a grown man to step inside. Curious about the strange scratching noises that emanated from the bark each night, he took a flashlight and peered into the dark opening. To his horror, the interior was not lined with wood, but with tightly stitched human skin that pulsed with a slow, agonizing heartbeat. Before he could scream, invisible fibrous roots shot outward from the darkness, wrapping tightly around his ankles and dragging him downward into the warm, damp abyss. When morning came, the willow tree stood silent and still, its green leaves growing noticeably darker and thicker as a fresh pair of boots lay abandoned in the grass.
0