The boy and girl met at the oak tree every day.

The boy and girl met when the sun was unforgiving, they met when the leaves died, they met when the harsh cold settled in, and they met when the leaves bloomed.

The oak tree was their own world, their own playhouse, and their own escape. 

Once a day, they met for hours until they decided to face home and finally left each other.

Once they started school, they met after released from their last class.

Once, the oak tree was occupied by someone else, so they met at the neighboring tree for the afternoon.

They would read.

They would sing.

They would distract themselves at the oak tree.

How lovely the oak tree was; for it was a diversion from the abuse they were suffering.

How did the boy and girl not get bored after years of meeting at the same oak tree?

How did they not run out of things to do?

Even though it was repetitive, it was necessary to continue meeting.

Even though they got into fights, they would always make up for each others’ sake.

Even though they would tire, their problems wouldn’t.

Eventually, the boy and girls’ problems grew.

Eventually, they needed diversions from more things - from worse things.

Eventually, they needed more forceful forms of distraction.

Now, the boy and girl at 16 years old, were still meeting at their oak tree.

Nowadays, the oak tree is no longer their safe spot, but their secret spot.

Now, the oak tree is where they take toxic substances to escape from the real world.

Do they do it because they are bad people?

Does it bother them to think about what the oak tree used to mean to them?

Disconsolate and lost, they stopped meeting at the oak tree as the last autumn leaf fell.