1 The Mind Tree

Life is complicated, but it is how you deal with it that is most important. Regardless of the circumstance, people tend to overthink ways to find solutions to their problems and, in most cases, become trapped in their own minds. Confronted by things from the past may seem easy for some to overcome, but others are left with the ever-ending terrors of nightmare situations.

It was approximately thirty minutes after school had let out, and a young girl was making her way through the crowded street, as she did on a daily basis. The sun was shining brightly, there were no clouds in the sky, and the temperature was high; nonetheless, all things considered, it was a typical day. The sounds of car horns honking loudly could be heard in the background while pedestrians were walking along the crowded street. All around, vendors had set up shop on the sidewalk to sell a variety of goods. This was a common occurrence in this part of the city, so it wasn't unusual.

At first, the girl's mind was elsewhere, so she was oblivious to what was happening around her. However, after passing a street vendor, she heard a man singing a reggae song while playing the guitar in front of a local shop. The sound was so beautiful, that it caught her attention. She had a strong desire to stop and listen to music, so she did. After a few moments, she continued on her way, leaving the man singing behind.

As she approached the garden's entrance, the girl stopped to observe the sign that said "Hope Gardens," which was written in big, bold white letters and etched into the clipped shrubs. She recalls a tour guide telling her on a school trip that the botanical garden was one of the top outdoor sites on the island. The palm grove, cactus garden, orchid house, and beautiful ponds are among the major tourist attractions. But the greatest aspect for local residents was the opportunity to escape the concrete jungle of the modern city. After a while, it became one of her favorite places away from her crime-ridden neighborhood in Tivoli Gardens, Kingston, Jamaica.

The girl took a moment to breathe before entering the garden. She had a difficult day and needed some time to think before meeting her friend later that evening. She walked for about five minutes before stopping at a bench beneath an eerie-looking tree wrapped with silky vines. She didn't understand why she was drawn to the tree, but for some odd reason, it quickly became one of her favorite areas in the garden.

Most days, no one else was in that part of the garden, so the girl enjoyed the alone time. However, that was not the case this time. There was an elderly woman sitting on her favorite bench, in her favorite seat. As the girl went by, she noticed the woman was staring off in the distance. She also overheard her saying something that gave her pause. The girl was irritated, but she decided to sit directly next to the woman, then said loudly,

"Crazy much?"

Regardless of the situation, the girl wasn't afraid. She was ready to confront the woman about taking her seat, hence the reason for speaking loud enough for her to hear. Unfortunately, the girl's rude remark did not appear to have the desired effect because the woman continued talking to herself and paying no attention to her.

Three benches surrounded the tree, which was wrapped in long, stringy vines. The girl could have easily sat in either of the other two seats, but she chose to sit next to the woman out of spite. She felt her privacy was being invaded and it was due to the fact that she was able to zone out and lose herself in her thoughts when she was alone, but the woman talking to herself disrupted that ritual. As the girl sat fuming, she realized that the woman's words were becoming relevant, which piqued her interest, so she leaned in closer.

"People tell themselves they shouldn't live with regrets, but that is a lie. Life is a series of regrets that forge us into who we will eventually become."

While the woman kept talking to herself, another young woman walked up to the bench and greeted the girl.

"Shelly, wah gwan? How yuh love mek fren so?" She joked.

"Girl, this bitch took my spot and been talking since me walk up to har," Shelly whispered back. Both girls started giggling, trying to be discreet.

"How long yuh reach?" The girl asked.

"Not long," Shelly replied.

"A wah happen to har? The girl asked again. "Yuh tink she mad?"

"How me fi know that," Shelly responded. "Me nuh know di ooman."

They watched the elderly woman talk to herself while she stared off into the distance.

"A only mad people talk to demself eh nuh Pauline?" Shelly said, looking at her friend.

"A lie dat. Miss Marie use to talk to herself, but a true she neva have nobody fi talk to." Paul replied. "Yuh ever tink she a talk to you?"

"Bitch me nuh know har, so how she fi a talk to me." Shelly answered angrily. "Me deh yah fi bout five minutes now, and she nat even turn one time fi acknowledge me. Di audacity a some people. Me nat even tink she know sey we deh here."

"I don't like being around crazy people eh nuh Shelly," Pat said quietly. "Let's just go. We still have time fi get to di store downtown before it close."

"Hold on Pat, me nah leave yet. Since she so rude, we fi tek her bag," Shelly suggested.

The woman had a designer handbag perched next to her the entire time they sat on the bench. Shelly believed she had the perfect opportunity to steal the item without the woman knowing, given that her attention was elsewhere.

"She probably have nuff money inna it." Shelly surmised

The sun began to set and the girls waited patiently while watching the woman still talking to herself. Shelly stood up and pretended to walk past her to see if she would flinch. As she glanced at her, she could see the woman's eyes were dark and her facial expression was dull. She seemed as if she was lost in her thoughts because she didn't move when Shelly kept waving her hands in front of her. She just kept talking to herself, and from Shelly and Pat's perspective, what she was saying did not make sense.

At this point, Pat was becoming impatient because she wanted to get to the store. Pat insisted that they leave, but Shelly was determined to take the woman's bag. They were in the garden so long that the street lights in the distance began to flicker, and the colors in the sky started changing from light blue to burning orange, which indicated that night was approaching.

"Shelly, let's go. We need to get to the store." Pat begged. "Just leave di ooman alone and come on."

"Me nah leave widout di bag," Shelly whispered.

Pat was determined to make it to the store, so she tried pulling Shelly away from the bench, but she shrugged her off saying insistently,

"Leave me alone."

Pat let go of her hands disappointedly. This gave Shelly the courage to make her move. She slowly started reaching for the purse inch by inch, while keeping her eyes on the woman. The closer she got, the louder the woman's voice got. The moment Shelly's hand touched the handbag, the woman promptly stood up with her hands to her side, eyes still looking off in the distance, but her voice became cold when she said,

"What you start with won't be what you end with. Decisions you make now will haunt you later in life."

Shelly grab the handbag, stood up, shouted out, "SHUT UP BITCH!" and tried to run away.

Out of nowhere, a hand seized hers and she was forced to stay put, unable to move. The eery silky vine-covered tree began to glow. Pat looked bewildered as she watched Shelly's eyes rolling in a million directions until she fainted.

It wasn't long before Shelly regained consciousness. She picked herself and then saw that darkness surrounded her. She was in a void. The air started to get cold, and her body started to shiver. She rubbed her hands and feet together to keep warm while she try to see anything inside the void. While she was looking in the opposite direction, she glimpsed behind her and saw something materializing out of thin air. In an instant, the elderly woman appeared before her with closed fists and a menacing posture. Shelly did not know what to think, she just turned around and stood in shock.

"A wey she come from?"

Shelly hear the same words the woman was saying earlier in the garden and it frightened her. While the woman was talking she kept looking directly at Shelly.

"You must see!"

She was becoming furious and demanded some answers.

"See wah? Wat yuh a try tell me, ole ooman?" Shelly asked.

"You must see!" The woman kept repeating.

"A wey we deh?" Shelly asked the woman. "Stop wid di fuckery and tell me how fi get outta here?"

While Shelly tried to get some answers from her, the woman kept repeating the same words. Suddenly, she stopped talking, raised her right hand, pointed at Shelly, and in a scary tone, shouted,

"GIRL! YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU KNOW!"

The woman transformed instantly into a rolling calf. It had blood-red eyes and a cracking chain that dragged when it moved back and forth. Most Jamaicans believe it is the spirit of a dead person, who was wicked and dishonest during their lifetime. Furthermore, only those who claim to see ghosts, or duppy as they are known in Jamaica, can see them.

Shelly was unfortunately one of those people. The sound of the cracking chains became more audible as the beast approached her. She stood helplessly as it leaped at her with fire and smoke streaming from its nostrils. At that moment, she was mystified that she was about to face the beast from Jamaican folklore. She started to whisper repeatedly,

"This is not real. This is not real. This is not real."

As the rolling calf edged closer, Shelly's fears took over, and she stood frozen in place. Her whole body was paralyzed. She was forced to watch the beast move closer and closer. The only thing she could do was utter the same words fearfully.

"This is not real. This is not real. This is not real."

For a brief moment, she remembered being horrified listening to stories her aunt told about the beast attacking and killing people. She was scared then, and now that she is in its path, unable to move and unable to flee, she is definitely scared for her life. Shelly had no other choice but to brace for the impact of the beasts' attack, which she saw in slow motion. When it slammed into her, she instinctively raised her hands to protect her face.

Its burning gaze pierced her skin, giving her a sunburn-like sensation. The smoke emanating from its nostril made her feel like she was choking. Its fangs were as sharp as spears, and despite her best efforts, Shelly could not prevent it from biting her. The pain was excruciating when it sank into her neck. She screamed as blood flowed down her chest. But, as swiftly as it launched its attack, the beast retreated, transforming back into the elderly woman, then stood over Shelly's body and repeated what she had previously said.

"You must see!"

The woman's words were deafening, but they gradually started to fade the closer Shelly got to losing consciousness. All she could hear was,

"Now. You. Must. See. See. See. See"