Once upon a time...

There was a little girl who lived in a tree. She was the prettiest, brightest girl you had ever seen, and she loved her tree very much. She could talk to the leaves, the birds that chirped in the morning from above her, the sun that woke her with his soft, orange rays every morning. She could tell when the clouds were going to cover the sun and little pearls were going to come and drop off the leaves. She knew each knew each animal that came near the tree to gaze or hunt for nuts, she knew their names, their stories, their hopes. She knew when her tree needed her, and those times she stayed in, talking to it. But she didn't have any friends who were like her. They thought she was strange and they were frightened of her. She didn't mind, but sometimes she felt lonely and wondered what it was like to have someone like her comfort her. Her friends here did make her feel better, they understood her, but they didn't understand her loneliness. They weren't people, you see.

One late evening, when she was in that fuzzy place between sleep and wakefulness, she heard footstepts outside her tree. She sat up straight and listened warily. This wasn't a friend she knew. She peeped out and saw a boy standing with his back towards her. She was confused... she was seeing a person after so long. She climbed down and he turned around and smiled. "I was wondering if you could introduce me to your tree. I have heard about so much about it, and I want to be friends.
"He, not it. yes, he is the only one who knows me as well as I know myself"
"I have wished for someone to know me like that, wished to know someone like that."
"Me too.", she said in a low voice. "It's a little hard to know the world so well, and not have it know you. "
"The world does know you. How do you think I found you?"
"I... guess. But I love my tree too much. I don't think I could ever give as much of myself to anyone else as I have given to him. I don't want to. I'm happy here. They love me here, understand my every thought, my every heartbeat. You would hurt me, just like the others... they wouldn't. You have come here to be understood, because you know that I can. The others have told you that I can. You wouldn't care if I got nothing back. No, I will not give anymore." She looked away defiantly.
Gently he picked up her hand and unclenched her fist. "I will not hurt you. I am not here because I want to take from you. I am here to help you find what you're looking for. I am here because I wanted to know you the way you want to be known. I want to know your every dream, share your every thought. Because I respect them more than anything in the world. To tell you that I will not think you weak when you cry, or lame when you trip. I will know the way your brow crinkles over something even if I don't see you. I will earn the right to be next to you when you are sad, and when you're happy. I will be me, and I will be you."
"What am I thinking now?"
"You are thinking that friends are few and far between, and that you musn't push away one who could be a friend... don't throw caution to the winds, but there is far too much in the world to miss under the shroud of cynicism. You are thinking that you don't want to make the same mistake twice."
She lifted her bowed head to him and looked at him with eyes that wanted to trust. And saw what she wanted to see in his. She knew her tree would not be jealous... because he was a part of her, he was a part of her tree. Maybe she wouldn't have to talk to the make-believe person in her head and sing her favouritest song to him. Maybe happiness had a chance after all. Maybe she wouldn't have to trade her heroes for contentment. Ever.

And did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?