Day 443

The trees lining the Avenue of Remembrance were older than any surrounding town.
Some said they were all that remained of an ancient forest that had been cut down for crop fields.
Now they were more ivy than tree, thick ropes of it hung down from the branches.
They were cut back on a yearly basis, when they reached to almost the ground.

Something about local nostalgia meant that the trees were protected by law, didn't make much sense.
Then again, the council wasn't elected through sense so it was only right that their choices followed.
A new councillor suggested burning the avenue down to save money.
They will be missed.

Each year it seemed that the ivy grew faster, became harder to cut down.
The closer it got to New Year's day, the more strange incidents occurred around the Avenue.
Some hired workers would give up altogether, claiming the ivy was laughing at them.
Others said they saw themselves hanging from the thick vines, smiling and waving.