It's Coming

She needed a break from the glare and the constant notifications. Living in the world through screens, artificial light, and influencers that mold the influenced. She imagined the trees long and high into the never-ending sky. The creatures chatting up a storm, the warmth and soft humidity caressing her skin. She breathed in the moss growing on the north side of the tree, the sweet wood breathing out slow, slow enough for her to feel the gentle rumble of the roots below her feet. Her toes digging into the soft grass, her lungs contracting and expanding.

She gazes up at the canopy above, scanning the surface and processing the intricate shapes made by the branches that weaved left and right into a vast maze that reached as far and wide past her reality, the sun gently glowing through. She cautiously picks up her foot and sets it down, then another step forward, the moss muting her steps with a soft ‘thud’. Her skin absorbing a mixture of light, moisture, and oxygen. She wanted to absorb everything, feeling her body get lighter and lighter with every step that she took.

She comes to a stop, a very large vine in front of her. She lets her gaze follow the vine up to the canopy above, seeming like it came from the stars. She lets her fingertips graze the surface gently, enclosing it with her hand. She tugs on it, no give. She pulls, nothing. Then she trusts it with all of her body weight, sturdy. Suddenly, another vine falls from the canopy. Without thinking, she climbs up the rope and begins swinging until she reaches the next vine. Almost instinctively, she moves from vine to vine, and the further she goes the more keep falling from the green leafy sky. Feeling the elation of flying through the forest, the green grassy plain rushing beneath her.

Suddenly, she stops. The feeling replaced by something more like dread…something’s coming. She continues to swing, but a growing silence has engulfed the space. The creatures, no longer chatting happily. A growing rumble approaches from the distance, below she sees bunny rabbits moving quickly, followed by deer, with an occasional jaguar moving swiftly, paying no mind to the smaller game, but very intent on getting away from the rumbling. Ahead of her she sees the vines dropping, urgently and swiftly. She continues moving forward, increasing her pace, feeling the anxiety of the forest through the vines. A red light growing brighter along with the ominous rumble. She hears the panic coming from the canopy above, birds, monkeys, and other creatures raising their voices, understanding the impending doom.

She moves faster and faster, seeing the glow of the light, feeling the vibrations of the rumble in her hands. Her heart beating faster in her chest and in her throat, sweat accumulating in her brow. Looking forward she sees what appears to be an opening, the sun! She continues her pace, but her arms are finally feeling the work and effort of her escape. The rumble stops…silence. Nothing is heard other than her motion and the pull of the vines, the light in front and the growing light behind clashing. Fearing what’s behind her she intently moves forward, but something inside her told her look back. Eyes wide, a silent scream forming in her mouth. She reaches forward and finds nothing, falling…

“Dre?”, she gasps and looks around her. The grey cubicle surrounding her, the screens blinking in front of her. She looks around and sees her coworker standing at the opening with a look of concern. “I’m alright” she assures them. “Ok, just making sure, you looked pretty out of it”, they laugh, exchange a few words, and her coworker walks away. She waits to make sure that they’re really gone, and slowly she lifts her hands. Breathing deeply, she pulls a handwipe from a container on her desk and begins to wipe the grass strains and burns from the palm of her hands. She tosses the wipe into the wastebasket that has already been filled with wipes containing similar grass residue. She takes one last deep breath and goes back to her screen, opening up an email titled “Next Time”. She opens the email, and, in the body, there is just one line, I will get you. She pauses for a moment, reaches into the small bookcase next to her and takes out a little black book. She flips through the pages and comes to the next available page. She begins to write, he’s getting closer…