The Enchanted Forest

The Enchanted Forrest

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, noble oaks, and sweet gum 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 smooth as glass through the cool clear water.

I ventured further 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 from time to time 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.

The cave had been invisible when I gazed at the bank. I felt along the damp, musty walls as I squeezed through the slit at the entrance to the cave. As I made my way further into the cavernous space it opened up to an area large enough for several to live in. How had this gotten here?

One of the walls seemed to be illuminated with eerie shadows flickering. As I stepped closer to inspect it, images of hunters with spears and farmers tending crops emerged. The pictures seemed to have been drawn with a stick and were etched with a mysterious glow surrounding each line.

The walls came alive as I eased along the wall viewing each one. They had not looked this way when I first entered the cave, yet the sketches had to have been here for hundreds of 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 labored. 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 rainbow 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.

All of a sudden I had reached an opening with vines hanging like heavy drapes 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 not where I had first entered the cave. I did not recognize anything I saw.

How would I ever find my way out of here. Time seemed to stand still. How long had it been since I started my walk? My watch had been stopped by powers beyond. 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 red clover. Myriads of rainbow colored butterflies dipped and danced all around me. I felt light as air. Running with a feeling of no worries, no burdens, no cares I felt as if I was 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 and soaring with the butterflies. Strange though it may sound, it seemed such a natural thing to me. The dragon was an unforgettable sight with green skin and orange flames down its sides all the way to the tip of its tail. Swooping around the dragon's head was a miniature dragon.

The tiny replica had four horns protruding from its head: two on atop its head, one extending from the nasal cavity and one underneath its chin. It's diaphanous wings were a wispy hue caught somewhere between orange and red. It sported spikes along its spine to the very tip of its long snakelike tail. Spikes lined its belly as well. This marvelous creature had a cockscomb of longer spikes at the very tip of its skull. It's legs were string-thin with talons heralding death at the end of each toe. Like it's larger counterpart, it had white eyes with no pupils projecting laser beams wherever it looked.

The skeletal wisp of a dragon lit on my arm as I outstretched it. He was careful his talons did not puncture my skin. As swift as he lit, he was off again circling the larger dragon once more.

Two wondrous mythical creatures. How awesome!

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

As I awakened and tried to roll over, I found I could not. Reaching to see what I felt, I discovered I had grown soft white feather-covered wings. They're beautiful! I wonder if this means I can never go back home.

Stretching and standing I began to run, instinct moving my angelic wings back and forth. The gentle breeze gets beneath them. I began 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.

Floating down to the edge of the water I waded in. I felt water droplets falling on my wings and sliding down, dripping off the tips of my new spawned feathers. Full of joy I splashed 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 perhaps it was birds. Birds don't make giggling sounds like I hear. 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 got closer and closer. It whizzed off into the air above me. I heard the giggles again and a soft plop. One of the beings had fallen out of the branches of a bush landing at my feet.

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 dark and ominous.

I start toward the path of light. The fairies in a panic began flying around me, tugging on my gauze blouse. Their chirping sounds transform into screeches that cause me to stop and gaze toward the dark path. I know they don't want me to go there!

But they did. At a snail's pace I followed as they led the way down the crooked dark trail. Dark was an understatement. It was dungeon-dark and damp. I stumbled over tree roots along the path. Branches and bushes scrape my face as I felt my way along the path. Poof! The fairies wings become illuminated in various colors. I followed the lights and felt the ground beneath my feet crumble away. I find I am flying with the fairies.

The darkness dissipates 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 chattering of the tiny creatures becomes understandable to me. Communication was no longer a problem. The small sparkling violet fairy announces, "The Forest Islands."

Deep within my heart I felt a flutter. I sense the possibility I will be alone if I go to the forest islands. No matter, there is a delirious yearning to be in the forest. As I decided to go to the forest my ability to use my wings seemed to vanish to nothingness.

At first I am anxious, heart in my mouth. I thought my descent would be an abrupt fall. Instead, I felt light as a feather and seemed to float on the air toward the tree tops. The wind begins to blow whisper soft 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 made a mammouth mistake in coming here alone. I don't have any idea how I will go anywhere else. It appeared 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 yearning to just sit here, look around and attempt to see what this new world holds.

My nostrils catch the scent of delicate wildflowers, yet I 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. The sound of squirrels chattering, brings me back.

I begin my search for whatever is drawing me to this place. I can hear the 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 I smell visible now. A gentle breeze wafts through them causing the meadow to look like waves of color.

I realize I have come to the edge of the brook. As I listen to the crescendo of the crickets chirp, thirst descends on 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 in reality the way the water tastes or is it the aroma of fresh sliced watermelon causing the cool liquid to taste that way? I don't see any melons but I can smell them.

Wandering, relishing the feel of the grass underneath my feet, the faint sound of thunder reverberates. 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 graze my face. I cup 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 moved in the tree line. Loping out of the dense, lush greenness of the trees was a horse so dazzling white it almost shone. As he sees me, he stops. He doesn't run. He was gaging my next move. I hold out my hand toward him and take a step ever so easy his way. He glances back and I wonder if he will dart away. I inch my way to him hand still held out. At last, I am close enough for him to nuzzle the palm of my hand.

He took a step backwards, unsure. A frog croaks and he shied away. I thought for a second he would break and run.

"Whoa, boy," I coaxed.

He was still again, yet wary. My hand is again outstretched for him to smell. He snorts. A glittering dust out of thin air fell into the palm of my hand. The stallion's ears perk up as he takes a step toward me. As his velvet nose touched the magic dust in my hand my wings disappeared and wings form on both sides of the horse.

My eyes wide in amazement, the beautiful steed bows one knee before me. He gallops to the stump I had first been set on when I arrived here. I followed him realizing this was what he intended for me to do. Reaching the stump he stood still.

Intuition tells me to mount the winged horse. As I do, he lopes across the flowered meadow. Red, blue, pink and purple flower petals swirl around us. He begins to rise into the air in flight. As he does I see all the creatures below I have encountered upon this journey.

There are fairies flitting about with butterflies dipping in and out around the flowers and lush carpet of grass in the meadow. Multicolored orbs were floating through the air. Oh, something new! There are children darting and playing around the dragons with pixie dust falling all around them.

I was not sure at all I wanted to be flying over all the gaiety. I wanted to be smack-dab in the middle of it, but the magical horse flew on. I began to see things in this forest I recognized. Wasn't that the crooked trail I had first entered my journey on? There was no mistaking the straight line of cedars I knew so well.

The winged creature carrying me upon his back was on the ground now bowing so I might dismount. As I got off I realized I was at the edge of the wooded area behind my house. A thick mist rolled in as I turned to summons the stallion to follow me.

He shakes his head and steps back into the shaded area. I go back to plead with him to come with me. As I step back into the darkness I sense more than see he is lying down. In an instant I feel so drowsy I cannot hold my eyes open. I sit beside the awesome mount and lie my head on his back and fall into a deep slumber.

Raindrops begin falling. As they pelt my face they are cold and I awaken with a start. I look around to gain my bearings. My mind is foggy. I look for the white horse but there is none to be seen. I search for hoof prints to no avail. It is as if he just evaporated.

I make my way toward home feeling very confused. Did I just dream a beautiful dream? It all seemed so real. As I arrived home and reached for the doorknob a fine sparkle of dust fell out of the palm of my hand. I knew it hadn't been just a dream after all.