Mangrove, Holly
Unnatural Recollections #8
Part 1: Strange Places
Mangrove
We finally found the small island that was completely obscured by the forest. It was not far from the southern coast. This used to be the mouth of the river flowing into the sea, but due to subsidence, the coastline receded, turning it into an oceanic island. For the past few days, we’d been surveying the island from a helicopter, but hadn’t landed due to the strong winds. In fact, the entire island was densely covered with trees, with scarcely any open space that could be called land, so there was basically no possibility of landing. We were not even sure we could safely set down the survey team.
According to our observations from above, this island was very flat, which was inconsistent with the records of being mountainous, and the area was much smaller than what was recorded. However, this was very likely the result of land subsidence. We tried to look for traces of the city under the dense forest with a telescope, such as former towers, skyscrapers, or buildings on top of the hills, but it was in vain. It seemed that the former landscapes on the island had completely disappeared.
On the fifth day, I felt I could no longer tolerate such aimless observation from a high altitude, and I decided to go down and take a look for myself. My teammates tried to dissuade me, but my mind was made up. We had two plans, one was to descend to the top of the tree using a rope ladder from above, the other was to approach from the sea in a small boat. I chose the former because it allowed direct access to the center of the island.
When I successfully descended on a tree, I looked out from the top and found the island surprisingly flat. After securing my safety belt on the tree, I began to descend to the lower layers, only to find water underneath, shallow water at that. I navigated through the narrow tree trunks in the water and realized it was all mangrove forest. Yet this wasn’t at the border of saltwater and freshwater near the shore, but was clearly an island in the middle of the ocean! I reported to the team above: “There is no island here, only a large mangrove forest floating on the sea.”
Part 2: Strange People
Holly
Everyone called her Holly, yet she could bear the name of any tree. She rarely spoke in class, and at first, her classmates were somewhat afraid of her, especially because of her green complexion. The teacher deliberately arranged for her to sit in front of a window, saying she just needed sunshine, air, and water to survive, and didn't need to eat. During breaks, she was never seen at the snack bar. Looking from a distance, she could always be seen standing at the end of the playground, like a small tree in a white dress. Since then, I often felt a hint of green in the corner of my eye.
Until that winter, after school one day, the speck of green at the corner of my eye gradually grew larger. I unconsciously followed her, heading towards the mountain. Even in the cold weather, she was only dressed in a thin school uniform skirt. But there was sunshine that day, bright and warm. Her long hair was twisted into small braids, adorned with round, flower-shaped accessories. She was clearly aware I was trailing her. She would occasionally slow down, only to delve deeper into the forest of evergreen trees. Beyond the forest was a slope facing the wilderness. She dropped her backpack, slipped off her white dress, and spread her arms to embrace the sunlight, her body was tenderly green. When she turned around to look at me, it was hard to tell whether the expression in her eyes was that of satisfaction or sorrow.
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