Face In The Tree

I was sitting in my room on a typically foggy, wet November afternoon in the Pacific Northwest, Washington State.

Noone was home except me. I was playing my guitar, looking out my bedroom window when suddenly I was overcome with fear and shock: staring back at me was the perfect image of a bearded man! His face was "embossed" on one of the several trees that marked the greenbelt of our backyard.

No sooner did I see this face then I ran out of the house through the front door and walked up the driveway. I had never been so scared in my life! I waited outside for my family to return home. When they did return I pulled my sister aside and told her about the face. Feeling safer now that everyone was home I took my sister to my room and pointed out the "perfect face." She gasped sharply and began to cry.

My Mother asked what was wrong, my sister told her and as my Mother saw the face she said, "that's what you get for playing those Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath records!" (Nice, huh?).

My fear giving way to curiosity I went to the backyard and the particular tree that held the "face." As I stood not five feet in front of the face it was clear that it was nothing more than bark and moss, no face could be made out whatsoever! But whan I backed up, 15-20 feet there it was in all it's horrifying glory; a middle-aged man, bearded, wearing a solemn, almost sad expression, staring directly into my room!

I never knew what to make of this face; a trick of nature? A guardian? An ominous prescence? To this day the face in the tree stares, vigilant and very, very frightening.