Of Shadow and Light (Preview)

Chapter 3

The Forest
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The butterfly flew from corridor to corridor, and I followed. If I could find my way back to the car park, I could hide in a car, or on the bus, and hopefully, I'd be able to get back to town. That was what I planned as I chased the butterfly down those empty corridors. There were many doors, but no indicator of what rooms they led to, and they were all frustratingly the same.

At the end of another corridor, I lost sight of the butterfly. The only way to go was left, so I went left, my bare feet slapping on the sandstone floors till I reached a dead end. With a scowl, I stopped. "Shit! I need a safe place to hide." Slamming my hands against the stone in my way, a solid thump met my impact, and I lifted my head to examine the timber doors before me.

Stepping back, I observed a forest of trees engraved upon the large doors. My mouth fell open. Only a stone wall was here a moment ago. Moving forward tentatively, I pushed on the door. It creaked open. The sounds of a tranquil forest reached me, the smells of earth and fresh air hit me.

Hurrying through the doors, I closed them behind me. Sprawling before me was a beautiful night forest. For a moment, I thought I was outside, but then the little details started to filter through the tired haze in my brain. There was light as if a moon shone into the garden, but all that stood above me was darkness.

A path lit by the not-there moonlight appeared before me. Understanding that safety lay ahead of me, not back through the doors, I followed the light into the forest. Soft grass cushioned the impact of my feet, and magnificent trees rose high above me into the darkness. Perhaps, I was outside, and the reason there was no stars or moon was the canopy of the trees blocked it out?

Studying the path ahead, the eerie light that seemed to light only the one direction, I knew that wasn't the case. The moonlight was guiding me, but I trusted whatever led me this way. The further I traveled into the forest, the more at ease I became. The fear from my earlier encounter seeped from my body with every step I took as if the ground beneath me absorbed it, and soothed me as I walked further into the garden.

The path led me to natural steps formed from the roots of trees rising from the ground, the light guided me to the base of the tree and stopped. Searching around me, I found myself surrounded by darkness. Even the path I followed to get here vanished from sight, yet, I didn't feel as if my journey was over. Unable to find anything around me on the ground, I looked up.

A smile spread across my face as I caught sight of a hammock high in the branches. Jumping up to grab the tree limb above me, I lifted myself up and climbed quickly. Checking to make sure it was secure, I fell into the hanging bed. It rocked as I snuggled down into it. I felt safe. "Thank you." My eyes growing heavy.

A gentle breeze blew through the trees, a whisper almost too quiet to hear. 'Sleep, we'll protect you.'

***

She came with the sunrise. Not that the sun was visible, but the forest filled with light. Beautiful emerald greens, fields of flowers, crystal clear brooks, all became visible from where I hung high in the tree. "Messina, come down," the woman called to me, her voice enchanting, and just like I remembered it.