Two trees sat together, their roots buried deep in fresh soil, intertwined and tangled in covetousness. It was the beginning of love, some would say only ending in emptiness.

Their names were Honey and Elm. Honey, the gentle architect of kindness, understood why she felt drawn to Elm. Their soft leaves shared patterns of similarity, and she had never felt truly connected to the other trees until she felt Elm’s uniqueness—his rarity.

Elm, well known for his beauty and charm, understood why he felt drawn to Honey. He loved the taste of clean, unpolluted leaves—the way he could twirl them effortlessly around his hidden, pointy thorns.

And that was the difference between them.

And I suppose that’s where their fate had stemmed.

Honey wanted to pour her love into Elm;

Elm wanted to pollute his desire into her roots,

and it was a task he sought to fulfill, nothing but grim.

Two trees sat together.

Elm’s roots clawed deep into Honey, and she complied,

only with slight hesitation.

For how could she question his intentions?

Their leaves were so similar, so pure, so filled with affection.

Day by day their cycle continued.

They spoke of dreams, fears, and vengeance.

But in the end, Elm’s mouth grew selfishly tired of her rambling,

feeling only the hunger that many mouths serve.

And after Honey soaked her sweetness into Elm,

he would leave as swiftly as the arrival of a breeze.

The quiet morning would only deepen her loneliness,

filled with the soft chirps of birds’ songs.

Their routine was endless

until Elm grew bored—

bark unbothered,

leaves heavy and tired from her sweet, pure love.

So he left, as many do.

And slowly, Honey became nothing but her name.

She lost all her sweetness,

becoming a polluted, deprived mess.

Elm went on with life,

thinking he held top priority,

viewing each tree as less.

But in the midst of it all,

a forester found her—

cleaned her up, cared for her roots,

and she began to see the meaning in her lines and patterns.

It was the discovery of belonging.

Two trees now stood together:

one tangled in guilt, pity, and the shadow of his choices,

the other reborn, stronger than ever

even with honey seeping within her.

And her roots ran deeper than Elm’s unbearable regrets,

anchored not by love lost, but by the strength she finally found within