The Forest

This is something I wrote a while ago, but it is basically one of the ways I look at the world, and how we should travel through it. I hope it makes sense, but as always your milage may vary... Not sure which TEM is needed for this one, I guess maybe the one with bug spray...

The Forest
Jack walked through the field, the sun warm on the back of his neck. His parents were with him, and when the three of them first entered the field, they carried him. It was wonderful. Jack didn’t have to worry about anything, all he had to do was stretch out his hand and his Mommy gave him everything he needed. Daddy would protect him, both Mommy and Daddy took care of him. After a while he was set down and started to walk on his own. But still holding his parents hands. The breeze would play around in his hair, and his laugh was high and free. There was never any reason to be scared. Mommy and Daddy were always there. Even at night nothing was frightening, for they slept on either side of him, protecting him, keeping him warm. This was how it was supposed to be. As they walked the trees up ahead got bigger and bigger. This field was easy to walk through, there were easy paths that his parents always picked out. Each path lead to the food he needed, to sleep at night, and he learned what they wanted him to learn. All this was so simple and easy.
Each morning when Jack woke, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, he would look around. The bright blue sky, the shining sun, and he would look at how the wind played with him and danced through the tops of the field. Birds sang and called to each other. This was a warm and safe place. But those trees, they were dark, and green, and huge. Getting bigger and bigger each day. Each day there were more and more insects, more birds, a deer once ran past them. Jack thought he even saw a fox one day, pointing and yelling at it. His father laughed and said, “Yes it was a fox, many animals live in the forest, where we are headed. But don’t fear, we will protect you … always.”
Jack kept marching towards the forest, all the while his hand in his dad’s warm grip. He was happy, and knew he was safe and secure. He never saw the look on his mom’s face as she walked behind him. Worry and fear crossed her eyes as she looked forward to the looming trees.
Finally, the three reached the trees. The sun felt so hot that it was a relief to step into the shade of the giants. Jack’s skin cooled quickly, the sweat being whisked away as the breeze rushed past them to get into the cool of the forest. At first Jack couldn’t see anything, and he let go of his father’s hand to rub his eyes. The air was alive with the beating of wings, the small flying insects of the forest seemed to flock to greet them. Jack could hear new and strange bird calls. Slowly his eyes adjust to the seeming darkness. The yellow of the Sun has turned a glowing green through the leaves. Shafts of golden yellow light steak downwards to play with the bright green of moss. While there is more noise here, it is also strangely quiet. Jack can hear more life here than he ever imagined could be.
Suddenly he realized that his parents are not standing right next to him anymore. He looked around, for a frantic moment. This was something new, they had never not been there. Then he saw them, standing a little ways away, looking at him. Jack smiled, and waved. His father waved back. His mother’s voice flits through the leaves as if she is farther away than he thought. “Jack, come over here, we have a path all picked out for you.” She beckons him. His father joins in “Come here Son, this is the safe path, we have it all picked out for you. You can see down this path, its great. There is a beautiful wife, and children for you down here. You will make a lot of money and be happy. This is what we always wanted for you.”
Jack looked down at his feet and started to walk towards his loving parents. They only want what is best for him after all. He sees that this path has had many feet tread upon it. Suddenly he felt something brush against him. It felt almost like ghosts were rushing past. Jack stopped, looking around. Just out of the corner of his eye he can see others walking along the path. Ghostly white and almost there, but almost not there too. These are the others who have gone this way and will go this way still, so many people. As he looked around Jack noticed something shining from the woods to the right, away from his parents. He stepped that way to take a look. There just at the edge of his sight seems to be someone. He takes another step away from the glowing path, into the cool green dark of the woods.
“Jack…Jack.. come here, there are wonders in the woods, things that you will never find if you take that path. So many others have walked that way. All the treasure is gone that direction.” The voice is musical in a way that nothing has ever been to Jack. This is something new. He finally catches sight of the speaker. A woman of slight nature. Almost as wondrous as his mother, she is beautiful beyond words. Dancing and laughing, she peeks around a tree at him. “Jack, come on, don’t take the easy path. That is no fun. You want to climb through the woods. Make your own path. Think of the things you will find, what you will see. Come with me.” She laughs and flits away again. Jack takes another step and finally he really is in the darkness of the trees. Glancing back he sees his parents, but they are not as bright as before. His mother is looking scared now. His father looks angry. This is new too. The way they look it worries Jack, and makes him afraid too. He wants to go back, but that is scary too, if he goes back they might yell at him. Or they might make him walk that glowing path. Is that what he really wants?
Jack works his way into the cool, lovely forest. The ground is soft and damp. Moss grows on the trunks, slimy as he touches them. With each step he goes deeper and deeper into darker parts. No one it seems has gone this way, but he knows he saw that woman walk this way. From time to time he catches a whiff of earth, and the soft fragrance of light flowers carried on the puffs of wind he can feel. He jumps over a root seemingly as large as he is, and suddenly on the other side of the tree blooms a clearing.
Standing in the middle of the clearing is the woman, but this can’t be right - she has wings, like a butterfly. She is standing arms out stretched, her head thrown back eyes closed embracing the light, but not of the Sun, no this light is colder, lighter, it must be from the Moon. Jack steps out into the light, the chill of the night playing along his arms.
Suddenly from the woods on the other side of the clearing he hears a crashing sound. Those woods don’t look as nice, or friendly as they did in the daylight. Something is breathing hard. Jack can make out red eyes glowing in the darkness. They are intent upon the woman. She looks at him and smiles a sad smile. “Yes, Dear Jack, there are monsters too in the woods. That is why not everyone goes this way. It is dangerous. But will you run? You can still make it to the other path. Your parents will always take you back. At least they might.” Her laugh is not comforting at all, an edge of mania in it, or perhaps just a touch of fear. “What will you do Dear Jack, this is where you have to choose, save me, and forever walk in these woods? Or leave me, and go back to the ghosts of possibility that your parents have conjured up for you.” Jack stands still, no knowing what to do.
“There are monsters in the woods. There is love there too. Hatred, fear, happiness, sadness, peace, tranquility, and war. All these are in the woods.” A voice Jack has never heard before, it seems to come from all sides, as if the trees themselves are saying these things. The eyes still glow in the shadows ahead of him, the woman standing in the clearing. But now the world has gone still, nothing moves. Only the voice, soft yet so strong. “What will you do, Jack? This is your choice, will you take the path less traveled? Will you find yourself here, or will you take the path of many feet? Let your parents decide your life, as they did in the field? This is your forest, not theirs. This is your path if you wish it. What will you do?”
Jack looks around, finally seeing the trees for what they are. Not scary, not good or evil, not helping or hindering him. This is his life. He can get back to the ghosts or he can find his own way. He can see the monsters, and he can see the woman. With a blink of his eye he sees he will never know what will happen if he keeps wandering through these woods. There are no guarantees, there is only life. Yes the dangers are worse, but the rewards are greater and there is a path here. No one can see it, but it is there in the woods. Going will be hard, and his parents will worry. But this is the only way to find out what the forest holds. Go where no one else has gone. Find things no one else has seen.