The Enchanted Forest

Dressed in jeans and athletic shoes I decided to walk off the stress of the long workday. Walking in the wooded area behind my home was my tension release, my own little place of silence to allow myself to think. It was a place to allow my imagination to flow free.

There were paths I had yet to explore and decided to take one of the paths less-traveled today. Surrounded by fragrant pines, stately oaks, and sweetgum trees I began to feel the tight muscles relax. I rounded the bend and smelled cedars before I could see them. There was a straight line of them almost as if they'd been planted that way. Just beyond them lay a stream with sparkling pebbles on at the bottom. I was amazed to be able to see the fish swimming effortlessly through the cool clear water.

I ventured futher along the trail of the stream. There were high banks rising before me. There was a narrow path between the water edge and the banks. An eerie feeling surrounded me yet I felt pulled to continue on my walk down the narrow path. Reaching out occasionally to feel the moist rich smelling earth of the banks covered in moss my hand and arm was devoured by emptiness. I fell into the bank.

I had stumbled onto a cave unseen by simply looking at the bank. Cautiously. I entered the cave. The opening was so narrow. As I made my way futher in the space opened up to an area large enough for several to live in. How had this gotten here?

One of the walls seemed to be shinning. As I stepped closer to inspect it pictures began to form on the wall of hunters with spears, farmers tending crops all etched with a mysterious glowing where the lines had been drawn. The pictures seemed to have been drawn with a stick.

The walls seemed to come alive as I walked to inspect each one. They had not looked this way when I first entered the cave, yet the scetches had to have been here for many many years.

I know it must be some type of optical illusion but the walls seem to be closing in around me. My breath becomes short and laboured. I begin spinning around looking for the way out. Where did the opening go? How did the walls of the cave just draw in closer and closer?

Panic overtakes me as I notice small glowing orbs in different colors swirling around me. They seem to be forming a line. I reached out to touch one as it faded out of reach. I took one step toward it reaching again for an orb. Step, reach, step reach.

Unsure of where I was or where I was going I felt a force within urging me to continue to follow the orbs. The walls of the cave moved to allow me to pass as the orbs continued on.

Of a sudden I had reached an opening with vines hanging covering it. I could see slivers of light through the leaves. As I spread the vines apart the orbs seemed to just disappear in the light. I stepped out to find this was noit the entrance I had come in. I did not recognize anything I saw.

How would I ever find my way out of here. Time seemed to be standing still. How long had it been since I started my walk? My watch had mysteriously stopped. Contentment overtook me even though my sane mind tells me I don't know where I am nor where I am going.

I smell the sweet smell of red clover. Myriads of rainbow colored butterflies swarmed everywhere. I feel light as air. Running with a feeling of no worries, no burdens, no cares I feel as if I am floating through the air with the butterflies.

Swoosh. The sound is loud but sounds like a huge fan. I looked above me. Oh my gosh it is a dragon! Yes, a dragon! Swirling, soaring, flying with the butterflies. Strange thought it may sound, it seemed perfectly natural to me. This dragon was an unforgettable sight with its green skin with what looked like orange flames down its sides all the way to the tip of its tail.

My nostrils catch a whiff of the scent of cotton candy, warm soft cotton candy. I am starving. I don;'t know how long it has been since I last ate. Sticking my tongue out I catch wafers flavored in fruit flavors, melting within my mouth. My eyes become heavy and I need to sleep. Finding I am at a mound covered with a blanket of soft moss I lie down resting my head against a huge rock that somehow doesn't feel hard but soft and spongy. Sleep overtakes me.

As I awake and try roll over I find I cannot. Reaching to see what I feel I discover I have grown soft white feather-covered wings. They're beautiful I think and as quickly wonder if this means I can never go back home.

I stand and begin to run instinctively moving my angelic wings back and forth. The gentle breeze gets beneath them and I begin to rise, rise, rise. I am soaring above the ground looking back on mountains and meadows. Ahead I see a waterfall sparkling in the sunlight. It is a splendid sight.

I gently float down to the edge of the water and wade in. I can feel water droplets falling on my wings and sliding down, dripping off the tips of my newly grown feathers. As I joyfully splash in the water I catch sight of something in the dense bushes on the other side of the cool spring of water.

I cannot tell what it is. I thought it was perhaps birds but seems to be making giggling sounds. It cannot be human or animal for it is too small. I catch sight of something on a giant mushroom with wings. It isn't an insect. What is it?

I get closer and closer and it whizzes off into the air above me. I hear the giggles again and a soft plop. One of the beings has fallen out of the branches of a bush directly in front of me.

A fairy! A fairy! It is a fairy. I thought they were only myths, make believe, but here one is and I am real and awake. Making my way toward the fairy I catch sight of a path, no two paths behind the bushes. I can see bright light emanating from one path; the other is ominous, dark.

I start toward the path of light and the faries begin frantically flying around me tugging on me making chirpping sounds that cause me to stop and look toward the dark path. Surely they don't want me to go there.

But they did. I slowly followed as they led the way down the crooked dark trail. Dark is an understatement. It was overpoweringly pitch black dark. Magically, the fairies wings become illuminated in various colors. I follow the lights and feel the ground beneath my feet crumble away. I find I am flying with the fairies.

The darkness disapates and there is light all around. I am flying above a huge body of water. In the distance I can see small dots in the water. Islands. The small sparkling violet fairy announces, "the forest islands."

Deep within my heart I feel a flutter. My mind tells me that I will possibly be alone if I go to the forest islands, but there is a delirious yearning to be in the forest. As I decide to go to the forest my wings seem to dissipate to nothingness.

At first I am anxious, heart in my mouth, thinking I will fall suddenly. Instead I feel light as a feather and seem to float on the air softly toward the tree tops. The wind begins to blow ever so gently guiding my every move. Perhaps I don't know where it will take me, but the wind seems to know where I belong.

I look down trying to brace myself in case I have really made a big mistake in coming here alone. I don't have any idea how I will go anywhere else for the forest is an island. It appears to be deserted but I cannot see into the shadows of the inner realm.

I am transported down through the wispy leaves of a weeping willow and set down by the wind on a stump that is just right to be a stool. The peace I experience lulls me into wanting to just sit here, look around and attempt to see what this new world holds.

I smell the scent of delicate wildflowers, yet do not see any around me. I close my eyes and can see yellow daisies, purple verbena, red and orange poppies in my semi-dreamlike state. Something, a sound of squirrels chattering, brings me back.

I begin my search for whatever is drawing me to this place. I can hear a faint sound of a brook babbling and begin to walk toward the sound. As I draw nearer to the sound, little birds flutter, circling, floating, happy in their playful antics. The forest seems to open up into a meadow filled with soft, flowing, emerald green grass with all the flowers you smell visible now. A gentle breeze wafts through them causing the meadow to look like a wave of color.

I realize I have come to the edge of the brook and as I listen to the crescendo of the crickets chirp, thirst overtakes me. I crouch and cup my hands to dip up the cool, crystal clear water in my hands. The taste of the water is almost sweet. Is it really the way the water tastes or is it the smell of freshly cut watermelon I smell causing the cool liquid to taste that way? I don't see any melons but I can smell them.

Wandering slowly, relishing the feel of the grass underneath my feet, the faint sound of thunder sounds. I see only sunshine and no dark clouds, but that is a definite rumble of thunder in the distance. Perhaps I should seek shelter. In case it does rain, I will have to have somewhere to sleep tonight. I begin to search for anything that can shield me from the weather.

A slow, drizzle of raindrops lightly touch my face. I outstretch my hands to catch the raindrops and touch them to my tongue. They are fresh and sweet like the water from the brook. Who would have ever thought of watermelon raindrops?

Around the bend something moves in the treeline. Walking out of the dense, lush greeness of the trees comes a horse so dazzling white it almost shines. As he sees you he stops. He doesn't run but stands waiting for me to make a move. I hold out my hand toward him and take a step slowly his way. He glances back and I wonder if he will dart away. I inch my way to him hand still held out. Finally, I am close enough for him to nuzzle the palm of my hand.