I took a step toward it.

In the split of the tree I saw a pair of eyes, bright white against the dark, staring back at me.

“Come closer,” whispered a voice. “Don’t be afraid.”

I leaned my face up to the hole in the tree, and I looked deep into those eyes.

A pale hand reached out of the darkness, grasping at me.

I snapped awake, sucking in breath like I’d been underwater for minutes. I slumped over in the grass, light-headed, and lay there, exhausted. That tree—the one with the split in it—was like the one Mom had painted on our living room wall.

Grandma’s eyes were wide, and she had a knowing look on her face. After a minute I caught my breath, my heart beat a little slower, and I sat up and faced her.

“You look like you have a question for me, Lee,” she said.

“Grandma,” I said, “do you know a tree with a big split in it?”

“What now?”

“A tree, somewhere on the Farm. It’s got a gash right in the trunk, like lightning struck it, or maybe an animal hollowed it out. I saw it in my vision.”

“Shoot, honey,” she said. “There’s all kinds of trees like that around here. At least one a year gets struck by lightning.”

“But this one is special,” I said. “There’s something . . . I dunno, different about it.”

I thought I saw the edges of Grandma’s lips lift a little, like maybe she was trying not to smile.

“I just don’t know anything about that,” she said. “If there’s a tree out there like what you’re saying, I guess you’ll have to find it on your own.”

Later that day I found Murphy sprawled out in the grass next to the porch. She tilted her head up at me.

“Yes?”

“I had a vision,” I said, “and now I got to find a tree. You want to come?”

Murphy lay back down and shut her eyes.

“No.”

“No?”

“I’m worn out, dude. While you and Grandma were out there communing with nature, I had to do actual physical fucking work.”

“Sorry about that,” I said. “She won’t let me help unless I do the vision stuff first.”

“Whatever. I’m too tired to give a shit. Happy tree hunting.”

I could tell Murphy was pissed at me, but there wasn’t much I could do about that right now. I had to find that tree. I knew something important would happen if I found it, that I would be one step closer to understanding my gift.

I shut my eyes and tried to remember my vision. It seemed like the Split Tree was somewhere with dense woods. The only place like that on the Farm was out past the Hummingbird Grove, to the west. I knew the woods there went on for acres and acres. It was a decent enough place to try.