The Guardian Of The Forest

I was born and raised in a little country town and I’ve lived here my entire life. Do I think I’ll ever leave? No, well not through choice anyway.

On the outskirts of town there is an ancient forest and the story around town is that nobody has ever been through the forest, from one side to the other. However, I think this was just to scare us when we were children, so that we didn’t play in the forest, other than near the very edges of the trees.

Well I’m a full grown adult now and I think it’s time to debunk this old wives tale, that I’ve listened to all my life.

Today’s the day!

I’ve packed a picnic lunch, my water bottle and my trekking shoes, along with my excitement and anticipation of exactly what I’ll find in this ancient nature park.

I reach the edge of the forest and start my hike. I’ve only been walking for ten minutes when the landscape changes. The trees are full of natures animals and the air is singing, tones of bird songs, frogs croaking, crickets chipping, all making the melody of Mother Nature.

What we missed out on as children. We would have thought this was a brilliant wonderland, if only we’d been game to venture this far in.

I’ve been on my hike for over three hours, when I suddenly walk into a large clearing. Here the sun is shining, the sky is azure blue and nature’s melody has gone deathly silent. There’s not a sound to be heard or an animal, bird or insect to see.

However, in the middle of this clearing is the most mystical, domineering, awe inspiring, majestic ancient tree. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before and must be thousands of years old. The grandfather of all trees.

It’s truly beautiful and I can feel the power of this tree. Is it the Guardian of the Forest, that our parents have scared us with all these years? They say the Guardian of the Forest protects all its trees, plants and wildlife from evil.

Could this really be true?

But it’s so beautiful. It’s not scary at all.

I’m in a trance, gazing at this beauty, when I hear footsteps coming up behind me. I suddenly feel a wave of fear wash over me and I think it is coming from this old tree.

I cannot imagine who else would be walking through the forest, but I am pretty sure it is not a good idea to allow them to see me, but where can I hide?

As I’m racing around the clearing trying to find a hiding place, I notice a large opening in the old tree. It would be large enough to hide me, so I dash forward and just in time, enter the opening and hide.

I stay silent and watch as a man steps into the clearing. He is a stranger to me as I do not recognise him from town and I’m certain I know everyone that lives in my town. I can’t help but wonder if he followed me. But why?

Concentrating as hard as I am on this stranger, while attempting to still my ragged breathing, I never gave any thought to the opening I slipped through or the fact that there maybe something in this opening. Something that called this place home.

It wasn’t until I felt something brush up against me, that the thought entered my mind and I freeze in sheer terror.

I slowly turn my head to look behind me, towards the back of the opening and my eyes open wide. There behind me is the most terrifying sight of my life. A spider, spanning over six feet from the front of its abdomen to the back. The legs are as long as I am tall.

I open my mouth to scream in terror, but the spider quickly wraps its web around my head, keeping me silent. It then picks me up like I weight nothing and hoists me up to a smaller opening, high above and gently places me on a ledge at the mouth of this opening. It’s like I’m in a cave inside this old majestic tree.

Once I’ve made myself comfortable on the ledge, the spider removes the web that is blocking my mouth. I know now that it wants me to stay silent.

Again I am immersed with the power radiating from this beautiful tree and strangely enough I feel safe, protected and hidden.

I can still hear footsteps out in the clearing and a shadow has now fallen over the opening to the outside world. At first I begin to worry that the stranger had seen me dash inside but the tree’s power wraps around me like a giant warm hug.

I’m watching the spider, who is strangely silent as it moves. An impossibility to my mind because anything that large, should not be silent and graceful.

The stranger places his head near the tree opening, attempting to see inside, when the spider reaches through with two legs and pulls him inside. It then holds the stranger still with its legs as it quickly wraps it in webbing, until it resembles a large cocoon.

The spider then hoists the cocoon onto its back and it swings from strand to strand of its large web, until it is out of my sight, somewhere high up on the inside of the tree.

I realise that this cocoon is the spider’s way of preserving its next meal and the terrifying thought that I’m going to be next, swims through my mind.

As I am about to climb down from my ledge and attempt to escape while the spider is otherwise occupied, I feel the power of the ancient tree wrap around and soothe me.

Now I don’t know how to explain to you this next experience but I’ll do my best. I swear you are not going to believe me though — even if you have happened to believe me up to this point — which I highly doubt.

So here goes!

Through the power of the ancient tree that is wrapped around me, I hear this majestic tree talking to my mind. Well maybe talking is not the right word as it is more feelings than words.

But whatever description fits best on how this tree is communicating with me, the message is absolutely clear.

I hear, or feel, or whatever, “Hold still young man as you are perfectly safe and within my protection. I am the Guardian of the Forest and I guard these grounds from all evil. Your thoughts are pure and therefore welcome. However the man that followed you, did so with ill intentions to both you and the surrounding trees. Hence why my assistant has taken the liberty of a fresh meal. Stay awhile and relax. You, my friend are welcome here anytime.”

It is then that I have an epiphany. The old wives tale told to us as children, is in fact, actually true!

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Originally posted on Medium