Hocus Pocus II

                                                           Hocus Pocus II: The Witches Brew                     February 25, 2025
                                                                                          [ Unfinished Chapter ]

          “Ouch!” I mumbled.
         After stepping into the wilderness, within minutes, I was already smacked in the face by a Birch tree; I was still pulling pieces out of my hair five minutes later. Next, an enormous Choke-Cherry bush blocked my path, but using my machete relentlessly, I fought as hard as that thorn bush resisted. Unfortunately, my strong-arm efforts made little difference; eventually, I won.
          “Machete or not …
          “OUCH!”
          “--- those thorns hurt,” I thought.
          “OUCH!”
         Suddenly, further down the path, I was hit by a Blue Spruce; then, even further, it was a Douglas Fir. In addition, I encountered another thorn bush, more massive than the last, and numerous sticker burrs. Heck! I fell twice; I tripped on the nested vines that covered nature’s floor.
         After fighting for two hours; subsequently, I pulled thorns, twigs, and sticker burrs from every part of my body; I even had vines and pine needles intertwined in my socks and boots. Furthermore, my right arm: my machete hand, was scratched at various lengths and directions, but running the full length of my arm. In fact, I pulled several thorns from that arm and they had blood on them.
         However, beyond the woods was a dark and dismal place: hills and valleys – a place of pure death! A place where men wasted their lives: they were chewed up and spit across this landscape; but, overshadowed by hopelessness and despair. It’s the gorge (of coal ash)!