Dark Truth

A name born from the old oak tree that stood in the center of town like a sentinel, its roots thick and ancient, weaving under the brick roads as if the whole place had been built atop its veins.

The tree's trunk was massive, wide enough that it would take five grown men hand-to-hand to circle it. The bark was scarred with decades of initials and messages carved by restless kids. The branches reached skyward with stubborn strength, spreading so wide they shaded nearly the entire square in su...