Hidden within the forest

A story of a young boy with a vivid imagination that takes a stroll in the woods, Was he really dreaming everything or was it real?

 

Hidden within the forest.

 

 

It was a night like any other night. The moon was full; the mid-summers breeze was blowing across the wheat fields, filling the air with the sweet smell of the night. The great horned owl was perched atop of the old oak tree hooting into the night. The crickets were chirping the night away and the fire fly ballet was in full swing. Old Spot was asleep on the top step of the porch. I was sitting in my rocking chair staring into the sky, watching the stars as they filled the night with their twinkle. Off in the distance the faint sound of the midnight freight train making its way into the Hogsgrath.

                These nights are the real reason I moved to the country and away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Here I can relax and enjoy life at the pace it was meant to be enjoyed at. Now don’t get me wrong the city life was great but there is a whole other world that most people go their whole lives without ever knowing. Nights like these often get me thinking about all the fun times I had as a kid exploring the back woods and camping out under the stars.

                Every year while I was a kid my parents would take my brother Sam and I to our uncle’s camp. The camp was in a small town in upstate New York tucked away in the rolling hills. The only access to it was to take a series of dirt roads, probably some of the last dirt roads in the area, far into the hills. These roads were not well maintained, you often ran into trees lying across the road, pot holes that you had to navigate around, grass that had grown in the middle of the road and was now often as tall as the car. The wildlife in this area often ran and hid at the sound of the car, although you would occasionally see a deer and her fawns, pheasant, rabbits, fox, and squirrels galore. These things are the things that just make you stop and think why would anyone want to build a city and ruin all of this beauty?

                After about 3 hours of driving we would finally arrive at the cabin. The cabin was a small red house with a tin roof, a small pond, and an outhouse. The lawn always looked well maintained despite no one visiting all that often, this might be due to the fact the lawn was covered with moss rather than grass. The pond had a small dock, which you could sit on and feed and watch the fish swim during the cool summer days, at one end. The other end had a crop if Cattails growing out of the water, the rest of the pond was dotted with Lily pads. Behind the cabin lay acre upon acre of dense forest. 

                After the initial awe of the beauty of the place faded we would collect our things and make our way into the cabin. The inside of the cabin was small and cozy. As you first walk in you enter the kitchen area, the sink and small propane stove where to your left and to your right was a bar with four stools that we used to eat, play cards, and plan our daily activities, straight ahead was the refrigerator. Once through the door the kitchen opened up to the living room, this is where my family spent most of their time. The living room had two brown cloth reclining chairs that where slightly torn from many years of use, a brown cloth couch also torn from many years of use, a fireplace, and a small black and white T.V. that you could only get a few of the local channels on using the antenna.  To the left of the living room was the bedroom. The bedroom had a bunk bed, a night stand, and a small dresser.

                After we settled in and got comfortable we would sit down and make our plans for the day. My Dad, brother and I would often get up early in the morning and head into the woods to hunt for dinner. We never had a hard time with this and where often back before noon with enough food for lunch and dinner for week. After we had lunch we had the rest of the day to do what we pleased. My dad often sat in one of the reclining chair next to my mother reading one of the many books they had brought, doing crossword puzzles, or just taking a nap. My brother often could be found sitting on the dock feeding the fish or drawing in his sketch pad, every now and then you would find him lying on the couch reading a book or taking a nap. As for me I would often pack a bag with some trail mix, leftover lunch, and a few books and my sketch pad, and head out into the woods for some quiet time alone.

                The woods have always been my favorite place to be. It was almost as if you were walking into another world when you passed the tree line. This world was open to exploration, it was always changing, and it was always welcoming you with what seemed to be open arms. I would walk around looking for a place I could just sit and read, relax, sketch random things, or just watch the wildlife and think. I often found myself day dreaming of far off lands and of mythical creatures and beings. These daydreams where helped along by the way the sun danced in and out of the trees, making the shadows play and dance across the ground. Often times I would end up startling myself by thinking I saw something peering at me from behind a tree or fallen log only to be disappointed by nothing being there after I walked over to see. 

                It was one of these times that I found myself awe struck and even some what scared to death. I was sitting in a spot I had found nestled under a tall pine tree in between its roots that conveniently made a perfect seat.  I had been day dreaming about knights and dragons when I heard a twig snap. The noise jolted me out of my daydream and made me start looking around to find where the sound came from. As I looked around trying to find the source of the noise I heard the rustling of leaves not more than thirty yard in front of me.  The noise was followed by what sounded like tiny footsteps and whispering. I had no idea what was happening, was I still daydreaming? Was this for real? What was it? All these questions suddenly started rushing into my head.

                After all the questions started to slow down and I could collect my thoughts I started to slowly talk myself into going to check it out. This was no easy task, I was scared as hell. Now I am used to animals scattering around and even coming up to me to see what I am but I am not used to hearing small footsteps and whispering coming from behind a log thirty yard in front of me. My mind was already in over drive thinking of the possibilities of what it could be. Was it just my over active imagination? Is there something really there? What is it? Who is it? Is it even a who or is it a thing? IS it friendly? Dose it want to hurt me? Is it as scare of me as I am of it?

                After much thought and a lot of talking myself into it I finally got to my feet and started to head over to the log. I did not know what to expect but I will tell you I would have never even thought of what I was about to see next. Once I reached the log I put my hands on it and ever so slowly started to peek over it to see what was there. I could not even begin to believe what I was seeing. As I looked over the log what should I see, not one but three small beings looking right back up at me.

                These beings could not have been more than a foot tall, they all had the most brilliant golden hair you could imagine, and two had short spiked hair while one had long flowing hair. Their skin was a light brown almost the same color of a fawn. Their cloths where made of what looked to be chipmunk fur.  Their eyes where all different colored, one had the most brilliant blue color I have ever seen, It reminded me of a blue sapphire, one’s eyes where the most beautiful green I have ever seen, It almost reminded me of the crystal clear waters you see in the pictures of tropical islands, The last one had the most vivid purple eyes you could imagine, almost like the color in the rainbow.

                We just stood there looking at each other for the longest time. I could tell I had caught them by surprise by the looks on their faces. They looked as if someone had just caught them stealing a cookie out of a cookie jar after they have been told no. I must have looked startled to them as well; hell I should have because I was. I did not know what to do; I never in my wildest dreams would have thought I would be staring at a being other than a human let alone three. After a few moments I slowly started to step over the log, the whole time keeping my eyes fixed on them. They looked as if they were shaking not because they where cold but in fear. I was almost a good five feet taller than they were; I was a giant to them. I know that I needed to do something to make them know I was not going to harm them but I did not know what I could do.

                “It’s ok, I am not going to hurt you” That was about the best I could come up with considering what was going on. “My name is Alex; I promise I won’t hurt you.” I knew that they would not believe this but I was trying anything to make them feel better.  While I was trying to talk to them I had sat down on the ground in front of them with my legs crossed and my arms resting on my legs. The beings where still in front of me shacking but it seemed as if they had calmed down a bit after I said something.  We continued to stare at each other for a little while longer then one of the spiky haired ones stepped forward and started to talk.

                “Greetings, we are forest nymphs. My name is Calden, This is Arryn” pointing to the other spiky haired nymph “and this is Thea.” Pointing to the last nymph. “We are sorry if we startled you but we where curious as to what you are”

I just looked at them thinking that I had fallen asleep and was dreaming this all. “I am a human being. Have you never seen a human before?” I asked.

                “No, we normally live much deeper in the forest but lately there has been a shortage of food so we are starting to venture farther and farther out of our safe zones.” Replied Calden.

                “What do you mean a shortage in your food? What s it that you are eating that you can not find?” I asked.

“We eat a cretin type of moss that has always grown under our trees, however the tree spirits are angry at us for not taking care of them like we should have. You see we tend to the trees of the forest and in return they provide us with the moss to feed your families. This year has been a particular hard year for us because our burrow plagued by disease and we have been tending to our ill and not the trees like we should have.”

“There are more of you?”

“There are many more of us, we live in collections called burrows, and each burrow can have one hundred to two hundred forest nymphs in it at a time.”

“So there are more burrows than just yours?”

“Of course there are, each burrow tends for the trees in their realm.”

“How far dose a realm extend”

“Each realm has several thousand trees in it, we often do not see other forest nymphs from other realms. This year however we have been forced to cross into other realms to look for food. This area we are in now does not belong to our burrow.”

“So if it does not belong to you aren’t you afraid that the others will attack you?”

“Oh no, we would never attack our own kind, we have enough natural enemy’s that we do not need to fight amongst ourselves.”

“Do all your people look like you do?”

“Mostly yes, in our burrow we do but with different variations of hair styles, we are told by our elders that there are different variations depending on what realm you are from. I have never seen another forest nymph other than the ones in my burrow so I could not tell you for sure.”

“I see, have you found any of the moss that you are looking for yet?”

“Yes we have found a few places close to our burrow but it is not enough to get us through the coming winter months. We are searching for more so we can collect it.”

“We really must be going.” Came a soothing female voice from behind Calden. This was the first time I had heard Thea speak. It was soft and peaceful, they type of voice you could just listen to all day.

Looking up at the sky Calden replied “Ah yes it is getting late and we do not want to be out when night falls.” Turning and looking at me he says “Alex, it was a pleasure to have met you but we sadly must go.”

I liked at them for a few moments before I responded. “I am sorry for startling you earlier and for all the questions, You just surprised me. Will I ever see you again?”

“I cant say for sure but more than likely you will not. We try to make our self’s unknown to others but as you saw today it does not always happen. Most beings just walk the other way thinking it was another animal or something so we don’t deal with them.”

“Oh I see.” And with that they all looked at me, waved, then turned away and started to walk into the forest. It did not take them long before they were out of site.

I sat there for a while thinking about what had just happened. I half expected to wake up sitting under the pine tree between the roots that made my chair. As time passed and it did not wake up I slowly started to realize that I had not dreamed this. I had really seen and talked to another being, another living breathing, talking being. I looked back at where they had been standing and wished they were still there, I had so many questions for them still. I wanted to ask them what their homes looked like, did they live in trees, under the ground, did they make house?

As I continued to think about what happened I slowly stood up, stretched and walked back over to the tree where I was sitting. I looked around and began to realize it was getting late and that I should be heading back to camp before everyone started to worry about me. I took my time on the way back looking all over the place for signs of other forest nymphs but had no luck.

Once back at the camp I stood outside the door looking around. I took me a while to finally realize that the lawn was nothing but moss, I started to think to myself I wonder if there is a burrow close to here. I shook my head, telling myself I just dreamt it all, there is no such thing as forest nymphs, turned around and walked inside. Once inside the cabin I realized how cold it really was outside, my parents had the fire going in the fireplace, my brother was laying on the couch reading a book, my dad and mom where both doing crossword puzzles.

As I entered they all stopped what they were doing and looked up at me, looked at the clock on the wall and then back at me again. I looked at them and asked “What? Did I do something wrong?”

My dad looked at me with a puzzled look in his face and said “Do you realize you have been gone for two days now?”

“I have what? There is no way I just left a few hours ago, not two days ago.”

“No, it has been two days, your brother and I have been looking for you.”

“I don’t know how you couldn’t have found me I was only about five hundred yards into the woods.”

“You couldent have been we walked for miles yelling your name and found no trace of you.”

“Well I was, I don’t know what to tell you I was not gone that long and I was not that far into the woods.”

“You are lucky we know that you know your way around probably better than any of us or we would have been worried sick. Just promise us next time you go out you will be home the same day.”

“Ok, I promise I guess. I don’t know why I have to because I was not gone that long but whatever.”

I went over and laid in front of the fire and thought to myself, how could it have been two days? I just left this morning, did I really fall asleep? Once again my mind started to wander off as I slowly drifted off to sleep in front of the fire.

 

Author's Note

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