The Lights

The Lights

By Caosun

It had been raining for the past few days and John had been getting restless. He didn’t like being trapped indoors as it made him dwell on his loneliness. Being outside made him much more alive. Though the clouds hung drearily over the sky, he decided he couldn’t wait any longer, he was going for a hike. After packing his gear, he made his way to the forest.
He arrived at about ten and set off for his hike, wearing a baseball cap over his balding head and a green jacket to block the autumn chill. He had been here many times before and knew all the trails. He knew which ones were well-traveled and which ones weren’t, and he knew which trail he wanted. Not the populated trails, he hated making small talk, but rather an obscure path that led deep into the forest. Dead leaves littered the ground and the overgrowth on the sides obscured the trail, but nevertheless, John walked sure footedly over the roots and rocks, stopping occasionally for a good picture.
At noon, John sat down on a large rock by the trail and unpacked his lunch; it was then that he saw the lights. He had never seen anything like them before. They floated slowly through the trees, reminding him of fireflies. As he watched, he felt the urge to follow them. He lightly shook his head and tried to focus on his lunch; he wasn’t leaving the trail. The lights continued to beckon him as they floated softly under the shade. Despite his efforts, he started following them, falling deeper and deeper into a trance. They led him over roots and rocks and through pools of muddy water. It felt like a dream. Frogs croaked as they jumped into the pools, but John paid them little mind.
The lights disappeared when he arrived at a circular dirt clearing. Though trees towered over the perimeter, no plant life grew there. The ground seemed dead and desolate. Disoriented, John grabbed his phone from his pocket to check his location. It flickered for less than a second, then died. He fiddled with the phone with increasing desperation, but the phone would not turn on. Frustrated, he threw it on ground and gazed at it for a second. Then he noticed something troubling; the sky was beginning to darken. Cursing himself for going off the trail, especially without his pack, he picked up his phone and headed into the forest. He couldn’t stay there, he needed to get out.
The forest was thick and the setting sun prevented him from being able to identify anything that could help him. He could not tell north from south and trees looked to him as only shadows, blocking the moonlight from lighting his way. The roots and rocks tripped him and he could feel the blood bleeding from his cuts. Wet from the mud, thirsty and hungry, his despair took over.
He saw the light of a clearing. Hoping that it would lead to a road, he hurried toward it. When he arrived, he instead saw a cliff overlooking the forest below. Where he was he had no idea. He was lost, truly lost. It was too much to bear. He laughed. And as he laughed, he felt a push, taking him over the edge.