I thought to follow her, but she had vanished so quickly I had no way of knowing which direction to choose. I sat in her spot at the roots of the willow, pondering my fate. A wind rose in the trees, causing the birds to squawk and twitter noisily. The air seemed heavier, and darkness soon descended on my lonely shelter. I hunkered down among the roots, hoping sleep would come to me soon.
Some time deep in the night I awoke. I could see little, though all around me there were patches of yellow-green light. Foxfire. The word came to my mind, though I knew not where I had heard it. While I marveled at the sight, I noticed too that there was no sound in the forest. The wind had died down and the heaviness to the air pressed against me. There was a brief flicker of light, followed a few moments later by a low rumble.
Tock. Something had struck a leaf overhead. Tock, tock-tock, tock. More sounds. Now I felt a wet trickle on the back of my neck. Then all at once a great rush of water from the sky, a jagged flash of cold light and a mighty roar overhead that shook the earth beneath me. I curled up within the roots, fearful that some mythical beast was stalking me for the kill. The rain fell in torrents, soaking me through my thin clothing. I could do nothing but close my eyes and wait the storm out.
The rain fell for many hours before finally fading away, the rumbling in the sky now far off. Water dripped lazily from the leaves above, and the stream feeding the small pool nearby gurgled busily. I shivered in my wet clothing, but soon exhaustion took me again and I fell into a dreamless sleep.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
One: Three
"Late for what?"
A breeze stirred the branches of the willow and I thought I heard the sound of soft laughter in its leaves. The old woman said nothing, but only looked at me impassively, as if sizing me up. I picked up the sack at my feet and tried to guess what might be inside.
"What is this?", I asked.
"Well it's a big, slimy snake that will eat you up, isn't it?", she said with a gleam in her eye.
I shook the sack but nothing seemed to be moving within, so I emptied it on the ground. There before me lay a small loaf of bread, a cloth-wrapped cheese, and an apple. I remembered suddenly how hungry I was and spent awhile tearing into the bread and taking bites of cheese between mouthfuls of the soft loaf. I pocketed the apple for later. When I had finished my simple meal I drank from the pool and sat back to watch the old woman.
"Thank you", I said.
"A small thing, lad. You have a long journey ahead of you."
"Do you know me?"
"I know that I had to be here now to give you what you needed. And now I will go. The light is fading and these old bones have to rest."
With that she rose from the roots of the willow and turned to go.
"Wait! Where am I going? I don't even know who I am! Can't you help me?"
The old woman turned back toward me slowly. She looked up into the high trees and pointed toward the green canopy above.
"The birds know. When you need answers you can always ask them."
She smiled slightly at this and shuffled slowly into the ferns, the sound of her footsteps gone as she vanished.
A breeze stirred the branches of the willow and I thought I heard the sound of soft laughter in its leaves. The old woman said nothing, but only looked at me impassively, as if sizing me up. I picked up the sack at my feet and tried to guess what might be inside.
"What is this?", I asked.
"Well it's a big, slimy snake that will eat you up, isn't it?", she said with a gleam in her eye.
I shook the sack but nothing seemed to be moving within, so I emptied it on the ground. There before me lay a small loaf of bread, a cloth-wrapped cheese, and an apple. I remembered suddenly how hungry I was and spent awhile tearing into the bread and taking bites of cheese between mouthfuls of the soft loaf. I pocketed the apple for later. When I had finished my simple meal I drank from the pool and sat back to watch the old woman.
"Thank you", I said.
"A small thing, lad. You have a long journey ahead of you."
"Do you know me?"
"I know that I had to be here now to give you what you needed. And now I will go. The light is fading and these old bones have to rest."
With that she rose from the roots of the willow and turned to go.
"Wait! Where am I going? I don't even know who I am! Can't you help me?"
The old woman turned back toward me slowly. She looked up into the high trees and pointed toward the green canopy above.
"The birds know. When you need answers you can always ask them."
She smiled slightly at this and shuffled slowly into the ferns, the sound of her footsteps gone as she vanished.
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