The style of your storytelling throughout this piece is rich in texture and imagination – very immersive…

At first I thought the ‘bony tree fingers’ metaphor was going to lead into a run-of-the-mill chiller piece, but from the ‘chittering leaves’ you went in a brilliant, original new direction.

The only part I’m undecided about is the ending – I’m not sure I want to know the over-arcing legend that your story feeds from, just the main bulk of the piece is enough, whilst leaving us with questions…

But I enjoyed it overall – will be interested to see how others receive the ending – MH :)

To be honest, I’m torn on that topic, too. I have this whole mythos about this fairy tale, but it’s one I’m not sure if – or how – I want to explore further. I’m fascinated by the relationship between this oak and maiden.

I’m pleased that you enjoyed the tale. I had to whittle my original story to make it fit, but I don’t think it suffered for the exercise.

I like the legend ending because the story has a legendary feel to it. It does interrupt the flow, but it would be poetic to repeat it at the beginning. The tree fingers made the piece seem more chilling and dark, and the setting much closer to the protagonist than if she were simply frolicking through the forest.

That does seem to be the consensus. I’ll probably just cut that block right out or find a better way to incorporate it into the narrative.