Leaves

This is based on my work Trees.

Josh was thirteen, beginning a new chapter of his life. His family had recently moved from the thrum of a busy city to the quiet embrace of a mountain home. Autumn had settled over the landscape, and the trees stood in glowing clusters of red, orange, and gold-leafed branches against the crisp blue sky.
One sunny afternoon, shafts of golden light filtered through the treetops as Josh walked alone along a narrow trail near his new home. Dry leaves carpeted the path, crackling softly beneath his sneakers, while gentle breezes sent small showers of foliage drifting down. Towering maples and oaks lined the trail, their trunks thick with age, their roots twisting from the earth like ancient fingers.
A sudden shift in the quiet—twigs snapping, leaves rustling—drew Josh's attention. From behind a cluster of mossy stones, an old woman appeared. Her hair was braided down her back, and her clothes seemed woven from rough linen, the color of earth. She regarded Josh with kind, bright eyes. "What does life mean to you?" she asked in a clear, gentle voice.
Josh, startled, hesitated. He glanced around, sunlight flickering through the branches overhead. "Who are you?" he asked, uncertain.
"I care for the trees and the water," the woman responded, smiling as she swept her gaze over the forest. "I love the beauty of nature."
Josh managed a small smile of his own. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Josh. My family wanted to find peace away from the city," he said, the words sounding tentative in the hush of the woods.
Once more, the woman repeated her question: "What does life mean to you?"
Josh looked at the canopy above, the patterns of moving leaves casting shifting shadows on the ground. After a thoughtful pause, he admitted, "I'm not sure yet, but I would like help figuring it out."
She smiled more warmly, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes deepening. "I can't give you the answers. Only you can find out what life means to you." With that, she turned and moved silently into the forest, leaving only the gentle swaying of the trees behind. Josh stood for a long while, watching the sunlight dance through the leaves, her words echoing in the stillness.