The tree had always been there—tall, solemn, and immovable—standing like a silent sentinel in the backyard of Lester Vance’s weather-beaten countryside home. Children whispered about it as they passed by, spinning tales about ghosts and buried treasure. The adults just gave it wary glances, sensing something unspoken. But Lester? He guarded that tree like it was sacred, chasing off anyone who wandered too close, even his own brother. Continues…