It had been a restless night. Your demons clawed and dug at your resolve. Calling out your insecurities. Calling out all your flaws. You felt trapped, imprisoned in your own mind. Imprisoned in that damn apartment. Gods above and below… You hated this city.
But the sun, cutting through the darkness had called to you. Chasing away the demons, its blazing fury nipping at their heals.
They were gone. For now…
But any reprieve is a blessing and you have never been one to look a gift horse in the mouth. So, you quickly dressed, not wanting to waste these precious moments. Grabbing your keys in deliberate silence you made it to your car without seeing a soul. Why did this place make you so damn anti social?
A question for another time though. Now you just needed… to be.
Why you chose this place you’ll never know. But as you parked your car you noticed the sharpness, there was this beautiful sharpness to the world. Everything seemed so clear, so simple, so at ease. Hesitant, you step out into it, the unfamiliarity snaps at you, clearing your foggy, war ragged mind. Your never up this early… But damn, that sunrise is stunning. Swaths of orange and gold mixing so effortlessly with the remnants of the navy night. The sun, in all its blazing glory. Rising above the horizon, cutting through the darkness with ease. You feel a twinge of guilt, you just can’t seem to remember the last time you saw the sun rise.
Your eyes are drawn to the majesty, the all commanding forest before you. Its canopy wordlessly eluding to ancient secrets held within its leafy boarders. As the crisp air fills your lungs you feel oddly… Calm. But there is something on the fringe… Laughter? You strain your ears, trying to make out the sound. So clear, but almost fleeting.
Your feet move long before your mind understands.
Follow me.
Its as if you have walked this route a thousand times, your feet unfaltering in their chosen route. Where were you going?
You’ll see.
You walk, instinct guiding you. The unknown sound always just a breath away.
Have you been here before? It seems familiar… A memory just beyond reach. Your pace quickens, the familiarity eats at you. Why do you know this place??
Panic takes hold, the pace falters. Your once steadfast feet, slip.
Cold.
You feel cold. Was it… Was it just all a pretty daydream to hide from the demons…?
Tears sting your eyes, but maybe, just maybe if you keep your eyes closed you can hold on to the pretty dream just a little longer. Just a little longer please…
Open your eyes little one.
But it will all fade! All that beauty, the sunrise, the trees will all be gone, and I will be alone again. All alone in that cold, dark apartment!
Be brave little one, open your eyes.
You feel the demons circling, like vultures. Their shadowy tendrils searching for a foot hold… Dammit, dammit, dammit! Be brave. BE BRAVE!
With a battle cry you push yourself up and you open your eyes.
Flowers. Beautiful little blue flowers, flowing in the breeze. Almost… Almost as if they are waving. You push yourself onto your knees. You look around taking stock. Mud. You fell into mud. You feel the laughter bubbling up, taking hold. But in the span of a breath it turns to sobbing. Dammit, dammit, Dammit! Am I so lost that a simple mud puddle could break my spirit? Why… Why am I even here?!
You’ll see.
As the tears dry, you look to the flowers again. So simple, you reach out to touch the petals. So soft. You decide to take one, a perfect little reminder that this was in fact, real. Carefully you chose your companion and you send a silent “thank you” to the ones left behind. With your little reminder safely tucked away. You know you need to finish this journey.
It doesn’t take long, first you feel a change in the air. The once cool and crisp air turns warm. A smell so sweet, so calming fills your mind. The canopy begins to thin, giving way to the bluest sky you have ever seen. The clearing before you seems… Frozen, frozen in time. A remnant of an age so long ago, that even the trees have trouble remembering. But you remember, or at least you think you do… But do you…? Uncertainty eats away at your resolve, you lean back ever so slightly, afraid to step into the light.
No, not you. The demons.
Be brave.
Without a second thought you step into the light.
Time begins again.
You see it, as if the fog has been cleared away. The thing this path has been leading to, the end of the journey. Before you, in the middle of the clearing, stands an archway. Made of ivy and saplings. The end, and the beginning.
Your little reminder nestled in your pocket radiates heat. You pull the little blue flower from your pocket as you step forward. Words that felt like they have always been there, spill from your lips.
“I’ve brought you guys a gift.”
With the little blue flower in hand. You step through the arch.
Welcome home little one. You were so brave.
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Thank you so much for reading my little story! This one was an absolute pleasure to write. Though the bulk of it is fiction, it was inspired by a images I captured while walking Fakwes at an off leash dog park in London, Ontario.
So I thought it was only fitting to share my inspiration with you!
Though I embellished a little, the beauty of nature is astounding!
Thank you all again for reading my post!
Please share and help me share my stories with even more people!
Cheers!
Candice 🙂
