Tree of Innocence Response

          Sarah walked along the edge of the water, picking her way around the sharp, slippery rocks. A strong breeze ruffled the bottom of her white sundress and it fluttered around her knees. Strands of light brown hair, which hung to the bottom of her pointy chin, flew into her green eyes. Clouding her vision, and forcing her to whip her head back and forth to get the strands away from her face. She paused to readjust the heavy bundle in her skinny arms and then stumbled on. From a short distance her small body stood out against the grey sky and big waves lapped the boulders and rocks on the sandy beach. The salty spray from the sea misted her tanned legs and face. Every so often she would trip and her grip on the bundle would tighten, but she never actually fell.
          As she walked on the wind picked up, beating down until her body was hunched over and her head bowed. Slowly, the landscape started to change. After walking for a couple of hours or so, the sea had calmed, and all of the sharp rocks had faded from the beach. Sarah kept walking until the sand underneath her tired feet crunched, the water’s surface was tranquil, and little fishing boats dotted the horizon. Up ahead loomed a giant expanse of black rock, hundreds of feet tall. It was the end of the beach. She climbed the steps of a small bobbing dock that extended over the water. Her thatched sandals padded down the dark, rotting wood and carried her to the end of the dock. Here she knelt down, cradling the bundle in her arms, and ignoring the splinters that were digging into her knees.
          Finally, she loosened her grip on the bundle, supporting it with one hand. She peeled away some of the thick white blanket it was wrapped in, revealing the small head of a baby boy. With her free hand she stroked the child's pale cheek. Sarah sat there for a minute, taking in his tightly shut eyes, thin pink lips, and the few soft golden curls on top of his head. Then, before her eyes could tear, caught the edge of the cloth with her fingers and pulled it back over his face. Wrapping the blanket tightly, she tucked in all the edges, and hugged the bundle to her body one more time. Leaning over the dock's edge, Sarah gently lowered the bundle into the cold water. Taking a deep breath, she pulled back her shaking hands and let the water sweep away his lifeless body. She rose to her feet and hugged herself tightly, missing the comfort of his weight in her arms. Then she stood watching, as the sea pulled her baby brother away from her, and into the murky darkness.