The wind howled through the trees, tossing wave after wave of leaves into the ground. The setting sun painted the woods with mixtures of red and orange, mesmerizing any who dared enter.
The sound of footsteps desperately challenged the wind, but failed to be heard.
A man ploddingly walked into the army of trees. Wandering ever further with no goal in sight. Time lost meaning within the woods. Minutes felt like seconds and hours felt like years. Yet the sun was still setting.
“How long have I been walking?” The man thought to himself. A sudden realization formed on his face when he noticed the landscape was foreign to him. After foolishly turning around in an attempt to discover where he came from, the man knew he was lost and yet he was not bothered by it.
The sun was still setting. The wind was still blowing. So the man chose to keep walking.
After hours. Or perhaps seconds. The man decided to stop. He felt no fatigue, but could move no further. His body followed the swivel of his head as he observed his surroundings. Tree after Tree sat in front of his vision. All the same, yet unique. Aged trees towered over their much younger siblings. Trees that were beginning life comforted those at the end of theirs.
The man’s ocean blue eyes witnessed an endless portrait of trees resembling the color of burnt charcoal. He could not fight the smell of life that filled his nostrils, which he thought strange since the woods seemed devoid of animals.
His focus was quickly pried away from animals, or the lack thereof and towards a rectangular post many steps away from him.
It’s shape was out of place with the rest of the woods. Like that of an orange in a pile of apples. It’s presence called out to the man and he began to push his legs forward. The wind waged war against his chestnut hair and blew into his face as if pleading for him to stay away from where he was heading.
Behind him, the sun was still setting.
After endless time and no time at all had passed, the man reached the post. Curiosity filled his mind when he looked upon it, but was quickly replaced with shock as he moved around the old object.
He had been observing the post from the side of it and as he walked around, he learned it was no post at all. Moss covered stones built the base of the object. Their perfectly lined stacking expressed no hint of natural formation. Standing upon the top of the small pillar of stones was a window.
It’s outer frame was white as snow and didn’t give the appearance of great age as the stones below it did. The man slowly approached the window. Curiosity pulling him closer with each step. He stood close enough that he could reach out and touch the window, But a cautious sensation kept him from doing so.
There he stood. With the setting sun on the horizon and the swirling wind around him. The weight of his arm grew as he slowly lifted his hand towards the window. His fingers made contact with the clear material, followed by the palm of his hand.
The wind stopped.
An emerald glow began illuminating from his hand. The light slowly spread across the face of the window, becoming brighter with each passing second. With growing unease, the man tried to pull his hand away, but despite his youthful strength, he couldn’t succeed. Fear overcame him as he desperately tried to pry his hand off the window. A reflection in the window began to take shape as the man’s vision was blinded by the light..
The setting sun was the first thing to return to his vision. Followed by the sight of the lifeless woods. The man could once again see the window in front of him. As the emerald glow died out, the reflection of a young boy formed within the window. Startled, the man jumped back and briefly realized his hand was now free from the surface that held it.
“What is this?” The man spoke as if waiting for an answer.
“What is what?” The reflection of the boy said.
Shock froze the man in place. His eyes stared at the reflection while his legs forced himself back. He quickly moved to the side of the window, hoping there was a boy behind it that was trying to scare him. Fear and confusion filled his blood as he saw nothing but the wind, moving a fleet of leaves. The man took a deep breath and steadily moved back in front of the window.
He stared at the boy for many moments. Searching for anything to say.
“Did you just talk?” The man asked.
A confused look formed on the boy’s face.
“Well yeah. Why’d you ask?”
The man looked down at his mud covered boots. His disbelief prevented him from trying to figure out the situation.
“T-this doesn’t make sense. Who are you?”
“My name’s David Adams.” The boy proudly pointed towards himself.
The man’s eyes opened wide. His mind tried desperately to understand.
“That’s my name too.” David said.
The boy’s face lit up with fascination while David stood for a moment. His gaze met with the boy’s blue eyes. A single question formed in David’s mouth.
“What is your mother’s name?”
“My momma’s name? She’s told me before. It starts with an M, I think.”
“Mary?” David’s voice shook.
“Yeah. How’d you know?”
David abruptly walked away from the window. His vision blurred from the formation of tears. He took a deep breath in a weak attempt to calm himself.
“This can’t be possible.” He thought.
His hands harshly brushed his face, hoping this was a dream that he would wake up from. He opened his eyes and saw the same silent woods. He felt the same howling wind and the same setting sun.
This was no dream.
David looked up at the orange tinted sky. His mind was racing to try and think what he should do next. He thought of the boy’s face. They both shared the same colored eyes and the same names, as well as the name of their mothers. David lifted his hand up to his chin. His finger rubbed over the slight bump of a faded scar.
A realization formed in David’s head as he turned around and approached the window. A minuscule part of his soul hoped the reflection of the boy was still there. He breathed a sigh of relief and happiness at the sight of the boy looking back at him.
“Why’d you run off?”
Before David could answer, his eyes were drawn to the sight of a small slash on the boy’s chin. An exact replica of David’s own.
“I’m fine kid, but may I ask you a question?”
The boy nodded his head in agreement and watched as David lifted his finger up to his chin.
“How’d you get that scar?”
The boy stared for a moment, before forming a smile and eagerly explained.
“Got it a while back. My grandpa and I was fishin’ and the hook swung back at my chin. I didn’t cry though.”
The boy quickly added.
David smiled in an attempt to hold back his shock. It all suddenly made sense to him. He remembered the hook swinging back and impaling his chin when he was a child. His grandpa had brought him to the hospital while the tears rolled down his face.
That boy was him. As he tried to process how any of this was happening, an idea took shape in his mind.
“Kid. Can I ask a big favor from you?”
“Sure.”
David thought for a moment. He wasn’t sure if it would work, but he was going to try.
“Remember this. On your twelfth birthday, your mother will go to pick up your cake in the morning. Don’t let her. Keep her from leaving till the afternoon.”
“Why?”
“Just trust me. Please.”
David waited in fear that the boy would say no. The child stood in silence for what felt like an eternity until finally shaking his head in agreement. David began to thank him, but was cut short by the reappearance of the emerald glow.
This time it didn’t appear slowly, but rather as a flash. David lost sight of the real world and could only see a blanket of light in front of him. Before he could even react, a multitude of images flashed around him. The image of his mother’s vehicle being hit, burned away. An image of his mother returning home with a red and white cake replaced the former’s spot.
Times spent with his mother that never happened suddenly appeared. Taking him on trips every summer, his father and her helping him learn to drive, even attending his graduation. David remembered all of these new memories even though he wasn’t truly there to experience them.
The emerald glow started to fade away and David could once again see. With tears in his eyes, David rushed back towards the window. He was stopped a few feet away by the beautiful singing of a bird. Though he couldn’t see it, he noticed a change in the woods.
Butterflies and rabbits were suddenly moving within the forest. His skin could feel the wind softly blow past and he could see the sun was closer to setting.
David quickly brought his attention back to the window. He stood, hoping the boy would return and was ecstatic at the sight of a reflection forming. His excitement was replaced with confusion as a young man appeared where the boy once was.
“I never thought I would see you again.” The man spoke.
“Again?” David questioned, before realizing who it was.
“You were a little boy the last time I saw you, right?”
The man nodded his head and pointed at his scar.
“Yep. It’s still me.”
David and the man shared a laugh together. Time flew by as they talked with each other about their lives. David knew everything about the man’s life, but still enjoyed spending this time just talking. After a while, the man prepared himself to leave and began to walk away.
“Wait.” David said.
The man stopped and looked back at David’s saddened face.
“There’s gonna be this girl that comes into your life. She’ll be beautiful, far smarter than you and kind. One day your friends will invite you to a party. Don’t start drinking.”
David’s face pleaded.
“How would you know any of that?”
“It’ll take too long to explain. Just don’t pick up that bottle.”
The man stared at David. His concern was as visible as the sun.
“I appreciate the help, but don’t you have a family you should go be with?”
“I will later on. Just do this for me, okay?”
The man reluctantly agreed and waved one last time at David. His back was the last thing David saw before the emerald glow returned.
David smiled as he witnessed the old memory of a drunken man yelling at a scared woman, burn into nothing. In its place appeared an image of a man and woman snuggled together, watching a movie. Images of a marriage filled David’s mind, quickly followed by times of laughing and joy. Two small children appeared in front of David as the glow faded away.
“I have kids.” He said to himself. Tears of joy flowed down his face as he started laughing and celebrating.
He rushed as fast as he could back towards the window. Paying little attention to deer and birds that now filled the woods. The howling wind had finally ceased and the sun had made further progress towards setting.
David reached the window and briefly noticed that he was out of breath more than usual, but quickly brought his attention back towards the clear surface. His excitement grew as the reflection came back.
“Thank you, so much.” David exclaimed, before realizing the man was much older now.
“It’s good to see you, friend.” The man said.
“It would seem you’ve finally caught up to me in age.” David joked.
Confusion filled the man’s face.
“No offense, but it looks like you’ve still got quite a bit of years on me.”
Shocked, David looked down at his hands and realized they were covered with wrinkles. He quickly moved closer to the window to try and see his own reflection. He could make out what seemed to be more wrinkles that laid across his face and light gray coloring sat where his brown hair once was.
David slowly stepped back.
“How long have I been here?”
The man could see the fear and confusion on David’s face.
“It’s good seeing you again, but why don’t you go back home and rest. Spend time with your family.”
David quickly looked up at the man. His fear dispersed.
“I can’t do that. There’s still more things I… You need to change.” David demanded.
“Why me? You’ve helped me in the past, but now I’m trying to help you. When’s the last time you’ve seen your family?”
David was about to protest, but stopped for a moment. He tried desperately to remember when he had been with his family. He had memories of being with them, but that wasn’t truly him. Frustration grew in his veins.
“Just help me this last time.”
“I’m sorry, but I won’t do that. Go to your family.”
“I’ll go to them later! Just do one last favor!” David yelled out in anger.
Sadness and pain fell on the man’s face as he looked David in the eyes.
“I truly am sorry, but I won’t. This isn’t helping you. Good bye, old friend.”
The man slowly turned his back to David and walked away. Within seconds, the reflection was gone.
“Fine. I don’t need your help.” David said.
Blinded by anger, he searched for any nearby rocks. After finding one that his old bones could pick up, he threw it at the window. The woods filled with the sound of shattering glass. The window laid in pieces on the cold dirt. An emerald glow dimly lit each piece, before finally dying out.
David stood above the broken object, slowly regaining his breath. His anger fizzled away and he realized what he’d done. Sadness filled his face, but a slight relief grew inside him.
After an unknown amount of time David began to walk. Memories of a past that wasn’t his, played out in his head. His mother, wife and kids. The times of joy and times of sadness. People he loved more than anything, yet didn’t truly know.
The past he spent his present trying to change.
After moments of walking, he found a shaded area under a beautiful, green tree. His bones ached as he slowly bent down to rest. He sat in silence and for once, truly listened to the sounds of life. The birds sang as they flew from nest to nest. Rabbits and squirrels scurried to and fro. Deer ate peacefully amongst the bushes. David felt the wind gently comfort his tired face and in the present, he sat and watched as the sun finally set.
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2 comments
Well done👍
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Thank you. That means a lot.
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