I stood at the edge of the trees staring ahead at the vastness of dark forest that was laid before me. I couldn’t imagine how I had found myself standing here. The last thing I remembered was standing on top of the hill behind me and staring down at the forest, watching the horizon and knowing that the moment I entered this wood I might not find my way out again.
I wanted that horizon and I knew it, but I found myself wondering how I could get through the forest without becoming lost in its beauty. There had been ways around the forest; I had seen them from the high point on the hill. But as I moved closer to the forest I had lost sight of them and believed that the only way to get to the horizon was through the foliage.
Standing at the edge of the trees and watching the way the branches moved in the wind, swaying this way and that, creating an almost musical sound, I felt an alluring sense of wonderment that led me to take a step closer to the trees. The tall grass beneath my feet felt cool and comforting; there were no sticks or rocks to cut my bare feet, not here in the green grass, this meadow that was laid out before the forest. I turned to look back at the meadow behind me and the hill just beyond that. Somehow without even noticing I had walked the short distance to the edge of the forest. I could see the rocks and sticks and loose gravel that would now be my soles companion. The path through the forest was dark and wet, the end nowhere in sight.
I knew that the moment I stepped foot in that vast forest of green and brown that I would lose the path, there would be no more light from the horizon that lit the meadow behind me, I would no longer be able to turn back and find my way around this woodland. Almost by their will, my feet began to move forward. Stepping one step at a time, slowly inching, moving forward into what was now my fate. Just before I stepped fully into the dark shadows of the colossal trees that would now be my only companion, I turned to look to each side of me and sadly noticed that if I had looked sooner I would have seen that all I had to do was walk around the gathering of trees, the edge was but so close that I could have gone around it. And then it was dark.
The light from the horizon squelched into nothingness. I could feel the cuts beginning in my sole; I could hear the sound of my breathing as the darkness intensified. What was I to do now, but walk forward only using my instinct to guide my way. I had never been in a forest like this before, I had never seen such miraculous trees, the very shape of them left me in awe, and wonderment. The thick dark roots and intertwining branches causing within me a great fear, but also a glorious dizziness.
I felt as though I had been walking for days with no end, my feet sore from the rough path, my head aching from the low light, my hands reaching to find some sort of guideline, but never finding it. Suddenly I felt the rain, from a storm that I knew in my subconscious mind, would overtake me. I could hear the raindrops hitting the leaves and feel the wetness on my naked arms. Cold and afraid, I began to cry, would I ever find my way out of this dark abyss? Would I ever feel the warm rays from that long awaited horizon? Would I ever feel the cool, soft grass beneath my feet once again?
I had lost sight of the horizon, I lost sight of myself. What was I to do now? Where was I to go? Who could save me? Weakness began to overtake me and I fell to the ground in utter despair, crying with everything that I contained in my soul. And yet even if I eventually found myself in the light of the horizon again, I knew that a little piece of me would be left behind, left here in this forest to wander alone. That piece of me, that piece of my heart would forever and always be lost in this vast green forest never to be a part of me again.
I wanted that horizon and I knew it, but I found myself wondering how I could get through the forest without becoming lost in its beauty. There had been ways around the forest; I had seen them from the high point on the hill. But as I moved closer to the forest I had lost sight of them and believed that the only way to get to the horizon was through the foliage.
Standing at the edge of the trees and watching the way the branches moved in the wind, swaying this way and that, creating an almost musical sound, I felt an alluring sense of wonderment that led me to take a step closer to the trees. The tall grass beneath my feet felt cool and comforting; there were no sticks or rocks to cut my bare feet, not here in the green grass, this meadow that was laid out before the forest. I turned to look back at the meadow behind me and the hill just beyond that. Somehow without even noticing I had walked the short distance to the edge of the forest. I could see the rocks and sticks and loose gravel that would now be my soles companion. The path through the forest was dark and wet, the end nowhere in sight.
I knew that the moment I stepped foot in that vast forest of green and brown that I would lose the path, there would be no more light from the horizon that lit the meadow behind me, I would no longer be able to turn back and find my way around this woodland. Almost by their will, my feet began to move forward. Stepping one step at a time, slowly inching, moving forward into what was now my fate. Just before I stepped fully into the dark shadows of the colossal trees that would now be my only companion, I turned to look to each side of me and sadly noticed that if I had looked sooner I would have seen that all I had to do was walk around the gathering of trees, the edge was but so close that I could have gone around it. And then it was dark.
The light from the horizon squelched into nothingness. I could feel the cuts beginning in my sole; I could hear the sound of my breathing as the darkness intensified. What was I to do now, but walk forward only using my instinct to guide my way. I had never been in a forest like this before, I had never seen such miraculous trees, the very shape of them left me in awe, and wonderment. The thick dark roots and intertwining branches causing within me a great fear, but also a glorious dizziness.
I felt as though I had been walking for days with no end, my feet sore from the rough path, my head aching from the low light, my hands reaching to find some sort of guideline, but never finding it. Suddenly I felt the rain, from a storm that I knew in my subconscious mind, would overtake me. I could hear the raindrops hitting the leaves and feel the wetness on my naked arms. Cold and afraid, I began to cry, would I ever find my way out of this dark abyss? Would I ever feel the warm rays from that long awaited horizon? Would I ever feel the cool, soft grass beneath my feet once again?
I had lost sight of the horizon, I lost sight of myself. What was I to do now? Where was I to go? Who could save me? Weakness began to overtake me and I fell to the ground in utter despair, crying with everything that I contained in my soul. And yet even if I eventually found myself in the light of the horizon again, I knew that a little piece of me would be left behind, left here in this forest to wander alone. That piece of me, that piece of my heart would forever and always be lost in this vast green forest never to be a part of me again.
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