Everyday of my new life I would spend time at the Elder Tree, at least, that’s what everyone called it. It was just an old tree that seemed to be special, and I’m not too sure why. I’m new to the area as I’ve had to move a lot in my life being an, unwanted, stray cat, that has a strange black and white striped pattern running through my fur. Some days I decide to sit within the bushes behind the tree and watch as the local children would come and climb it and chase each other around the giant, grey, base of the tree. Children and adults, some of which I’ve never seen before, come every hour of the day to play and talk about this tree. I noticed when I first came that this tree is not like others, it’s, well, large and strong. No wind or lightning bolt has ever damaged the tree and doesn’t look like it ever will. For some odd reason, I didn’t believe the tree would ever die, but that changed when I overheard two adults frantically talking one summer afternoon.

I recall this one day specifically that I learned the point of this tree and how it got such a name. This is an ancient tree, people all over the world visit its beauty and many people find this place to be very relaxing. The Elder Tree has lived for hundreds of years, it amazes people how long a tree can live. It all started a couple of months ago, I was walking out, following my normal routine of seeing this fascinating tree, then going to get lunch, when it all started. There were two females, I’ve seen these two once every few months since I moved here, enjoying their time talking to each other, but today they were sitting under the tree staring up as if it was the last time they would ever see it, and they were talking about the tree. I decided to sit and listen out of their view. They talked for hours about the magnificent tree and how great it was, until one mentioned they have exactly five months until it’s all over. Curiosity got the best of me but I need the satisfaction of knowing what’s going on with the Elder Tree, I moved closer to hear every word clearly. Five months. The two words I heard them repeat over and over again. They are going to cut down the Elder Tree in five months.

At this point there are only two whole months of life this radiant tree has left. The humans are going to cut down a tree that lets in the perfect amount of sunlight and gives countless numbers of animals homes every year, in two months. Word spread around quickly with both the humans and animals. I thought that each day before had a wide amount of humans visiting but now none of them can move without having another human two feet in front of them. I heard cries from adults who visited ever since they were young and some who have had different generations coming to have picnics under the tree. They all complained about the end of their family traditions, and their childhoods. Although I didn’t know this tree for very long, I seemed to have gotten attached to it and I’m not looking forward for the day to come for the tree to leave.

With only one month left there has never been an empty spot by the tree. The tree is providing the last amounts of shelter it can before it leaves, and everyone is spending their last moments with it, even I am. As the weeks continued on many machines came preparing for the demolition of the Elder Tree. On its last week of life it's seems the whole entire plant has come to say good-bye. One morning I was awoken by a loud noise, I walked outside to see other animals gathered and the tree being cut by the humans. We all sat in silence as it happened, waiting for the end. It didn't take too long for it to be cut down, and when they were finished, they simply packed up and left. At the end of it all there was a thick layer of sawdust that layed mixed in with the grass and dirt. Soon paw prints were all around in the dust from animals looking at the stump. My paw prints were added later that night when I went and perched on the remains of the Elder Tree in silence. It began to rain as I counted the rings on the tree, after spending hours I lost count at around five-hundred and I wasn’t even close to finishing, I looked around the area as the dirt turned into mud and the night sky turned black.

Visiting the remain became my new daily routine. It didn’t take long until I was informed that the machines were coming back from a sign stuck in the ground with the words that said ‘Coming Soon!’  and a picture of a map of the land and houses. There will soon be houses were the Elder Tree once stood. Homes for the ungrateful. Homes for those who have encouraged the death of the Elder Tree. Those who have murdered the memories of my fellow mammals, and many humans. From learning this news I knew there was only one thing left to do. Leave. I spent my last day watching the machines move the land to prepare the building of the houses. That night I said goodbye and I set out to find a new home, for this one was ruined for me, forever. As I started my journey into the unknown future I took one last look were the Elder Tree stood. I thought about how many memories were made in that one small piece of land, and how sometimes memories must end. Some sooner than others.