A Journey Begun

"Lily?" A soft voice whispers.
Her eyes slowly open, looking up a blurred outline of a person in front of her, but through the sting of tears she can't quite make the figure out. "Lily?" the voice whispers again, Lily's vision clears as she wipes her tears, to reveal a man, he is strong of build and has a sense of familiarity, she knows this man.

She can't speak, only listen. "You can't give up, you're a beautiful creature, this world needs people like you." Her face was overcome with self-doubt. "You don't need to be afraid anymore."
The man reaches out his hand, grasping the hand, a blinding flash came before her revealing to her all the good that she had done and what she had yet to do.

The flash fades to black, Lily is on her knees, still in the woods, covered in the earths soil. Before her lays a compass engraved with words that rang true to her "I can lead you to water, it is you who must drink."
Slowly she opens the compass and true to form, it pointed North. She got up from her knees and a few feet away from her she noticed a white bridge entwined with ivy. She walks the few feet toward the bridge.

This bridge was strange to her, but it seemed to lead to a waterfall on the other side. She gets to the bridge she stands in awe at the waterfall, it glistened with the colours of the rainbow. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. A curiosity to see what the other side held overwhelmed her and without hesitation, Lily walks through.

Sun beams radiated through the waterfall and every negative emotion she felt had been washed away as she stepped through. Her skin glistened and to her amazement she was dry.

Lily turned to see the waterfall and the bridge were no longer there, her surroundings had completely changed. She found herself in an enchanting golden glade, the smell of honeysuckle and Jasmine resided over the glade and she was greeted by butterflies of lilac and blue. The path in front of her was laden with pebbles.
Closing her eyes, she inhaled the sweet scents and took in nature's melody of blue birds and flowing streams.
Lost in this place, Lily felt a feather-like touch on her shoulders, she opened her eyes to see hands running down her arms, she turned to be met with gaze of blue eyes.

"Remember the wonderful person you are, this path is yours." Lily did not reply but just smiled. The man who saved her had come to see her on her first steps. Proudly he kissed her forehead, "When you fall, know I will always be here to pick you up and dust you off."

Lily turned toward the path in front of her, the man released his grip and watched as Lily made her first steps down the path. Not looking behind but once to glance back at him. "Until then." he whispered before fading away into the sunbeams.