The Pull of the Forest

Deep in the dark, dense forest, there are trees towering over me, they are keeping me safe, but also keeping me on edge with a healthy dose of uneasiness

It feels like nighttime, even at midday, as the sunshine has been blocked out by the trees, and the sound of the local town starts to fade out, I'm alone

Serenity and anxiety are fighting against one another, cancelling one another out, leaving me somewhere between screaming and giving myself up to nature

There are the sounds of birds in the distance, further up the trees, none are coming down to see me, are they afraid or are they just biding their time?

Rambling through the forest, my breathing quickening...I come to a little brook, that makes a delicate but persistant trickling sound, I can see fish swimming in the clear water

As intense as my feelings of dread and worry are, they are not strong enough to stop me appreciating all that surrounds me, drinking it all in awe

Cold shivers run up my back from the base to my neck and through my short hair, I am afraid but not ready to go, I'm feeling the pull of the forest

There are the sounds of foxes and other animals in the distance, and something...more...surely not...

Is it my imagination, filling in the gaps of what I cannot see or is there more in this forest...

Old tales always speak of forests being alive...not just with life, but as someone with a healthy level of skepticism, I'm not so sure

Nests are filling above my heads, with birds looking down between the branches...I think it's time to leave, if only I could remember the direction in which I came...

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Thanks for reading!

Another day, another entry into the Dancing with Distraction Challenge. You can find out more about it here:

Author's note: So, I sat down to work on one of the other pieces I have planned for other challenges or non-challenge pieces and then this came out. Sometimes it works that way.

I hope it made sense and landed well. Let me know what you think in the comments or by clicking the heart...maybe even do both. Anyone that knows me by now will know I love and appreciate the feedback!

Here are a couple of other recently published pieces:

You can also take a look at the rest of my work here.