Darkened Path

It was a cold winters night in Western New York. A young woman walked through the desolate park well past dusk. It was a scene that every mother imagines ending in her worst fear. A dark, tree lined path without a view of the nearby streets. No security of street lamps or headlights. A world of shadow resting until some one disturbs this unsettling space.

As she walked, she could feel eyes upon her. She wanted to slow down and look around, but in this pervasive gloom it seemed wiser to move along as fast as possible. 

As she hurried along, she heard the sound of a twig breaking to the left of the path. She stopped dead, eyes roving. The world was overcast and she could not get a reasonable assessment of her surroundings. The wind blew, chilly upon here cheek, and for a moment, it almost sounded like a sigh. 

She reached into her pocketbook, closing her fist around her keyring, with the keys poking out between her knuckles. It was the closest thing to a weapon she had to defend herself with, should the need arise. The wind died away and all was quiet again. She slowly pulled her fist out of her purse and shoved it into her pocket, squeezing the key ring tightly. 

She started back along her path home. No sooner had she taken a few steps did she hear the sigh again. Moving slowly, so not to make too much noise, she thought she heard a whisper. "Waaaaaaait." Time seemed to stop. Her blood began to pump in her ears. "Pleeeeeeeeeeeease." Faintly, the word trailed off. It sounded so sad, so lonely, so very desperate for some one to hear it. "Where are you," the young lady whispered. "Heeeeeeeeeeere," a softy reply came from the left of the path. She followed the voice around the same small patch of trees for a few minutes.

Sometimes it was very close, others it seemed almost too distant to hear. 

"Am I close," she meekly inquired. "Yeeeeeeeeessssssss. So veeeeeeeery neeeeeeeeeeeeear," it said weakly, but closer than before. In the dark, the girl tripped over a tree root and caught herself on the closest tree. "Finally," the whispery voice said. Looking around for the speaker and finding no one, the girl said "I can't see you. Where are you? Are you stuck or in some trouble?"

"Not as much as you are, draw yourself into the trunk of the tree, quickly." Stunned at how the voice changed from something so hollow and frail into a coherent, more natural sounding voice, she obeyed, pressing herself tightly to the trunk. 

She felt a hand on her shoulder then the world went abruptly black. It was warm, damp, and smelled of apples. Still, she could see nothing. Not a shade of light at all. 

A hand softly slide into hers and began to gently pull her along. "What happened? Where are we? I'm blind in here," she said, trying not to sound as if she were whining. She was scared, more so than she had ever been before, but she refused to cry. She knew that if she were in danger, crying would make her look weak and could blur any hopes of maintaining clear vision. After walking for a short while, they stopped. "One moment, just wait, please. You're safe here. I promise. I'll only be a moment," and her bearer's hand slid away. She stood in what felt like a blank Universe, as if this whole world were just waiting to be imagined. 

Suddenly, light began to glow softly along the edges of her vision. It rose slowly and steadily, so as not to blind her. She did a leisurely spin around to take in her surroundings. Wherever she'd been taken, it was breathtaking.

They seemed to be in a sort of cavernous root cellar. The floor was dirt. Roots poked out from all over, the floor, the walls, even the ceiling. Several roots merged into others, making shelves and some were clearly worked into being cabinets. Little lights seemed to twinkle from everywhere and no where. Just when she thought she saw one, she would try to focus on it but it would evade her view, moving off behind some other object. In the centre of the room was a small table with two wrought iron chairs. Pillows had been laid upon each seat and the table was set for two. 

"Where are we? Where are you," she asked, more sure of her safety than when she had first arrived. A slight female form slid in from one of the root obstructed niches. As the form moved into the light, one could see right away she had an unearthly quality about her.

Physically, she seemed to be like any other girl, except very young yet ageless at the same time. Her skin, hair, even her nails seemed to have a glimmer of green to them. Not a seedy green but a lush, rich green, like moss in the forest, before it becomes cold. Her eyes were larger than normal, but not obscenely so. They seemed to suit her. They were the colour of gold, with flecks of browns, greens and blues.

Her dress looked handmade, albeit tattered, but in a fashion that only seemed to enhance her unique glow of verdant foliage. Part lace, part gossamer, part satin, with a boned bodice that would seem out of fashion on any one else. There were twigs and leaves in her hair, sticking out in a random pattern. It almost formed a crown the way the little branches and bits of green weaved in and out of her hair.

The hair itself looked to be a force to be reckoned with. The young lady imagined this bouffant had never lost to a hairbrush in all its existence. Yet, it somehow looked lovely in its wild cascade down the maid's back. 

Upon the inquisitive gaze of the young woman, the green girl bowed her head and offered a low, majestic curtsey. Before fully rising, she raised her head and looked her guest in the eyes, as if awaiting release. "Are you stuck? May I help you," she asked when the other did not move. With a laugh like a soft bubbling brook, the hostess completed her gesture and stood up to her full height. 

Now there was a soft daylight glow to the room and she could see her hostess clearly. "Who are you," she asked in awe mixed with a dash of fear. 

"I am your HamaDryad, Suchestrice. I only wish to preserve you", the dryad said, as if her guest should know what it meant. The statement actually worried the young lady very much. "What do you mean? Preserve me? How would do such a thing," she probed.

"Please, call me Suche, and have something to eat. I have set a fine table in your honour" she smiled with such innocence, radiating a genuine happiness in this moment. She certainly didn't present herself as dangerous. But Lucia's left hand still lay curled around her bunch of keys in her pocket. Just in case. 

They each took a seat. Suche began to pour the tea. There were three cups, the third Suche also filled then set off to the side, as if in front of an imaginary guest. "So, Lucia, you have grown into a lovely young lady," Suche said and flashed a smile. Startled, Lucia quickly asked, "how do you know my name? Are you a Fairy? You are exactly how I would imagine a fairy to look."

"Then you've heard the wrong tales. I'm not a fairy, but they can be both beautiful and or terrible, you should know. I am a HamaDryad. Dryad for short. The living consciousness of a tree. Some may say Sprite, but to us, that's actually derogatory. Should you ever get to meet another like me again, that's something to remember." Lucia then realized while Suche had been speaking, little plates had appeared upon the table, one of which was covered with a square of cheese cloth. 

"You are wise to ask, though, you know. If I am a Fairy. At least parts of those stories you've heard are true. Do not eat in the Land of Fae unless you are truly willing to stay." Suche pulled the cheese cloth off the lone plate and there lay a variety of pastries. She nodded to Lucia, waiting patiently for her guest to choose first. Lucia took what appeared to be a danish, placing it on her plate. "Thank you." She waited for Suche to choose one but still her hostess continued to stare, as if she were some impressionists' piece of art in need of an explanation. Uncomfortable with being watched so openly, she shifted in her chair. "Who is the other tea for, Suche?" They both looked over to the third cup. 

"That is for Mother. She is always with us, in spirit, you know," she said as she examined the delectables. "This here, my lady, is a very special tea, I should tell you. I harvest the strawberries and the rhubarb when they are perfectly ripe under the glow of Mother Moon. I hang them then dry them until they are just right. Once they are very wizen, I place them into my bowl and break the brittle bits into smaller pieces. But do you know what the secret ingredient is," Suche looked like a child at Christmas. 

"Well, would it be love? That's what my Mom says is her secret ingredient," Lucia said, as she stirred some cubes into her tea, the keys in her pocket forgotten. The Dryad belted out a laugh so mirthful Lucia thought she had said something quite stupid. "No, silly! It's sugar! The best ingredient is always sugar! Love! Ha! Be careful what you put your love into!" Suche found her own statement immensely entertaining, but Lucia felt as though she missed a joke. "Oh, well, yes, I guess sugar is the perfect ingredient," she said lamely as she picked up her tea to sip it. It was rich and fragrant, the scent of strawberry heavy, tempting.

Placing her hand upon her visitor's, Suche said earnestly, "I am sorry. I forget myself. I do not often entertain, humans or otherwise. Humor is so subjective, is it not? I forget this is not a normal realm for you. All must seem strange, like a dream, I should think. Do you?" 

"Sorry, do I what?" The tea was so delicious and alluring she had been momentarily distracted and didn't hear the question. She was certain she must have missed something. She drank the rest of the tea down, thirsty for more. "May I?"

"Please, it's a poor proprietor who does not serve her caller. I am so glad you enjoy it! I thought maybe I made it a touch too sweetly strong for others to enjoy. But I am warmed with your approval of it." Suche filled her new friend's cup, pushing the cubes closer, too.

"This is all so very confusing. You seem easily distracted from telling me where we are and why we are here. Please, dear Suche, what is going on? I can feel the oddity of this place, although I don't fear it. Please enlighten me." With a nod of her head, as if she had just made a definitive decision, Suche agreed to explain. First, she made sure her visitant had her share of food and tea. When she was satisfied that her new friend was tended, she took her hand and lead her around a large root. There stood a pedestal with a basin, full of what looked like water. "I had to bring you here, for I am your Dryad," as she spoke, she emphasized the word your. "You are my charge. You see?" Suche looked at Lucia imploringly, hoping she would naturally understand her meaning. Seeing no recognition in her companion, she continued. 

"Dryads, we are connected. To trees, the earth, the air, the fire of the sun, the wind through our branches. It all becomes one within our trunks and in return, we, our tree aspects, feed oxygen into the world. But our insides, this place, me, we are connected to families. Your family. What feels like an age has passed since I was created, planted and nurtured. My seeds were brought over from the lands of Danu by the nomadic folk. They sang to me on our journey across the vast and tumultuous sea. They cared for me from fruit to seed to tree. So, I care for them. And they are people you came from. We are entwined, you and I. You were threatened, on the path, out there. But I shall show you. Yes?" She looked at Lucia and smiled. "Look, friend. Into the vessel and watch. It will show how tonight unfolded!" 

They went to the concavity, the surface clear as glass. Upon first sight, she only saw her own face. Yet the longer she looked, the more shapes and scenes began to unfold upon the skin of the water. She recognized the path she'd been on earlier. The trees and the failing light made the vision murky. But bit by bit the events unfolded from a perspective that was not her own. She wasn't certain where the view was from until she realized it must be from the vantage of the trunk of this very tree. 

"Are these your eyes," Lucia asked, curiosity within was filling her with a sense of excitement at such magic. "In a sense, yes," Suche sounded pleased. "But look beyond, in the distance." She pointed to the outskirts of the path at the edge of the brim, almost out of sight. Lucia saw her own face suddenly, from the moment she stumbled and put her hand upon the tree. "See, here is when you heard me with your ears and your heart. That is why I was able to pull you in. Thank the stars!" They continued to watch. There was a blink where the basin ceased to project for a moment and Suche whispered "this is where I pulled you away from harm, a moment. See?" 

The tableau of the park returned only now Lucia was no longer in the picture. There were several other figures approaching, though. She counted seven bodies milling about as though they were searching for something. One man began to dig at the base of a tree a few feet away from Suche's bole. With a furious tug, he pulled a bag out from the underpinning, triumphantly raising it above his head. A moment later, they watched him collapse. "What was that? What happened, Suche? Is there no sound?" "No, no sound because my attention was elsewhere, with you. But I believe a mage smote him."

Another man grabbed the bag from the felled fellow but before he could stuff it into his jacket, he too tumbled lifeless to the ground. "So you see, they wish to challenge one another for that little grubby packet. I could not let you fall unsuspecting into their midst. No, that would never do. It would be unjust. So you see? I had only the wish to keep you safe. These opportunities are rare, when the veil is thin enough or the heart is strong enough to allow us to cross between each others realms." She hugged Lucia tightly. 

Stunned at the sight she'd just perceived, she hugged Suche back with every ounce of gratefulness she could muster. "Thank you. You are my angel," Lucia didn't want to let her new friend go. What an amazing happenstance. How many have such protection? She had certainly never heard of such a thing. Not even in fairy tales. She suddenly felt very drained. 

"Oh my, you look so very tired. Dryad tea can be strong and your excitement must be great. I apologize my dearest. Fermented strawberries and rhubarb tend to make me very giddy and you have never known such a treat, I'm sure. It is good that you came, though. I hope you will come again. This way, please. I'll help you." As Lucia slowly plodded alongside her friend, back towards the larger cavern, her eyes began to feel so heavy she could no longer focus. The room swum around her, fairy lights twinkling, distances distorted. Next she knew, she was being laid down onto a recessed area with the softest bedding. She could feel Suche stroking her hair lovingly, whispering her thanks to the stars for her new connection. 

When she awoke, she found herself in her room at home. Her mother was putting folded laundry into her dresser. "Good morning podamus, sorry to wake you," her mother said as she sat on the edge of the bed. She stroked her daughters long dark hair lovingly. "I was so worried about you last night. There was a shooting in the park. Can you even imagine? Well, I was terrified for you. I thought you were still on your way home. But then I checked your room sometime after midnight and here you were, my sleeping angel." she hugged Lucia awkwardly. "Men, shooting each other in public places. A park no less! Over goodness knows what. I'll go start some breakfast. Don't dawdle, dear." She ruffled Lucia's hair and made her way to the kitchen. As Lucia sat up, she noticed an encrusted corner of a small sack sticking out from under her dresser. She got up, gingerly picked up the decaying little parcel, and held her breath as she looked inside. There were dozens of golden apple seeds and buried within them was a broach of a magnificent tree with an emerald held in its boughs. She hid the seeds in her pillowcase where she sang to them every night. The broach she wore every day thereafter.