I’m running as fast as I can. Running away from everything, the forest is my cover. I feel like I’ve been running forever but I can’t remember what from. I was overcome with the strong urge to get away. The thickness of the forest has just dawned on me and it makes me stop just to admire the beauty that is found in the darkest of places. As I look around I still have the need to move forward. This need has taken me off the path, making me climb through the thick over growth and dense forestation. The further I move forwards the darker it becomes, the ground becomes more black and the trees become almost sinister but there is still something inside me telling me to keep moving, I’m not far enough yet.
Everything seems heavier even the air the we breath feels heavy in my chest. My feet are like blocks of concrete but the drive inside me makes me move on, I have to keep going. The weight is making me move slower but I feel like I’m close to something. Two trees block my path, there’s not much room for me to slip between them but, whatever is drawing me into this forest, is on the other side, I must get through, correction I will get through. I look up, the sky looks dark through the trees. This is it I thought Whatever is forcing me , driving me to this point is through these trees, i just need to get through. I squeeze through the trees, breathing in like it makes a difference. The bark rips my clothes and my skin. It so dark and rough yet as my arm slips through to the other side it feels like the trees are giving way allowing me through, like I was destined to be here. On the other side is a clearing, I can see the sky but it’s still dark but it must only be about noon. Tiredness falls upon me so I sit down to rest, as I wait I drift of to a slumber.
I wake with a jump, it takes me a while to realise I’m still in the clearing. I don’t feel heavy no more or tired, I’m just cold. The temperature has dropped there’s a breeze in the air. The sky is still dark and the clearing now is pitch black, I have no idea how to get back. That’s when I noticed him. On the other side of the clearing a solitary man dressed in a black hooded cloak stands alone holding a single candle. He’s so still it’s like the night hardly moves around him. The candle doesn’t even flicker and the breeze doesn’t even touch him.
The figure stands with skin so pale and clothes worn and torn but at the same time his haunting figure is calming against my own fears. I wonder how long he has stood there has he been watching me? Did he follow me? I didn’t have time to worry so much as I’ve just realised he was walking and yet the man didn’t even make a sound. Not even the ground beneath him rustled. Everything was still. As he approach the centre he bent down and with his hands dug a hole into the ground. He plants his candle and slowly walks forwards. And yet after all this the man didn’t make a sound.
As he stood I could see him speaking but I couldn’t hear a word. As he walked closer towards me, his mouth still moving but everything was still silent even his voice was nothing. He stood next to me and yet he was still silent. He turned and look at his candle in the middle of the clearing so I did too. Not one word was spoken to each other. The man held out his hand and I took it, I was transfixed I watched the candle transform into huge tree right in front of my eyes, Something about him put me at ease though in a normal situation I would run from him. We stood for a bit just watching and holding hands. Then he stepped forward and we walked together towards to the foot of the tree. The tree was magnificent, the biggest by far in this forest. The trunk was as wide as a garage which you would find at the side of a house and you couldn’t see the sky through the denseness of the leaves. The leaves were red and golden and yellow and orange, it made the tree look like it was on fire and the trunk was black or a dark grey like ash. The tree was truly a miracle.
The man turns to me, I could see him more clearly now, he’s eyes were golden and he had little to no hair under his hood, his lips were small and tight as I watched them open. But yet I felt I’ve seen him before. He was a local man, but now just a shell of that man. His chin dropped to his chest as he let out a almighty deafening scream. I tried to cover my ears but nothing could dull the screaming. I dropped to the floor but I couldn’t escape, I was immobilised. The noise hurt so much I had to close my eyes but nothing helped. I could smell metal and then my lips felt wet, my nose was bleeding. That’s all, I remember at that point, I must of blacked out.
I woke up and it felt only minutes have pasted, the man appeared to of gone but the tree remained I thought about heading back but something told me to stay. That’s when I noticed him. I saw him in the tree, I tried calling him, I tried to stop him but it was like I wasn’t there. I watched him tie the rope. I’m shouting for him to stop but he won’t. I saw him place the noose over his head . I’m screaming desperately trying to get him to notice me, for him to stop. But he ignored me. I watched him fall. He’s leg dangled not far from me. I heard the snap. This time he didn’t scream.
Slowly the tree turn grey, I watched the colour drain away from the leaves and start to fall. Crumbling away before my eyes like watching the fire turn to ash. I watched the tree die. I felt a tear fall from my face and it took a while to realised I was crying, but once I realised I couldn’t stop. A wave of emotion took hold of me and I just had to let it pass through me.
When the tears stopped I looked back to where the tree once stood, and there in the centre of the clearing stood a single black candle and a note.
"Don't let me die. Remember me. Carry on till you return".
I knew almost immediately I must return to this place with the candle. I carefully picked up the candle and returned to my solitary life. Knowing full well my destiny.
 |
