A Cup of Tea in the Forest

The fire crackled softly in the clearing, its warm glow pushing back the shadows of the dense Alberta Rockies. Shawn leaned over his small camping stove, carefully pouring hot water into two tin cups. He smiled to himself as the faint aroma of chamomile rose into the crisp night air.

"Tea's almost ready," he called out, his voice echoing through the quiet forest.

A rustling noise came from the trees, and moments later, the enormous figure of Bigfoot emerged into the firelight. Towering, shaggy, and intimidating to anyone else, the legendary creature moved with a surprising gentleness as he sat down cross-legged across from Shawn.

"Chamomile again?" Bigfoot's deep, rumbling voice carried a hint of humor.

"You liked it last time, didn't you?" Shawn teased, handing over one of the cups.

Bigfoot grunted in agreement, wrapping his massive hands around the tiny cup, careful not to crush it. The firelight danced in his curious eyes, which Shawn had come to realize were far more expressive than any photograph or blurry sighting could ever capture.

“What are you thinking about tonight?” Shawn asked, sipping his tea.

Bigfoot tilted his head, staring into the flickering flames. "The stars," he said after a pause, his voice soft and contemplative. "They're so vast. Makes even me feel small sometimes."

Shawn chuckled. "If you're small, then I must be microscopic."

Bigfoot’s deep laugh joined his, rumbling like distant thunder. It was a sound Shawn had grown fond of during their strange and unlikely friendship.

They had first met six months ago, under far more tense circumstances. Shawn had been lost in the Rockies after taking a wrong turn during a solo hike. Exhausted, dehydrated, and disoriented, he’d stumbled into a hidden grove at dusk. It was there, surrounded by towering evergreens, that Shawn had first seen Bigfoot.

His heart had leapt to his throat at the sight of the massive creature. But instead of the ferocious beast he’d been led to expect, Bigfoot had been calm, even kind. He’d offered Shawn shelter in a small, natural alcove shielded from the wind and shared tea made from forest herbs.

Shawn often thought back to that first night. He had been too overwhelmed to speak much, unsure if he was hallucinating or living through the strangest encounter of his life. It was only after Bigfoot had guided him out of the forest the next morning that Shawn truly began to believe.

"Why did you help me?" Shawn asked one night during their second meeting, months after that first encounter.

Bigfoot shrugged a surprisingly human gesture. "You looked lost," he said simply. "And scared. Sometimes, it’s not about what you are, but who you choose to be."

Since then, Shawn had returned to the grove regularly. Their conversations ranged from the mysteries of the forest to the absurdity of human technology. Bigfoot had a particular fondness for mocking Sasquatch hunters.

"You humans and your gadgets," he said now, breaking the silence. "Always looking for me with cameras and drones, but you never just stop and listen to the forest. It’s all there if you know how to see it."

Shawn nodded, feeling a twinge of embarrassment. He had spent years chasing after blurry photos and dubious sightings, certain he could be the one to uncover the truth. Now, the truth sat across from him, sipping tea, and it didn’t need to be proven to anyone.

"It's funny," Shawn said after a moment. "I spent so long searching for proof of you. And now that I know you’re real, I don’t even care about proving it anymore."

Bigfoot tilted his head, his sharp eyes studying Shawn. "That’s why I trust you," he said quietly. "You see beyond what others want to find."

The two sat in companionable silence, the fire casting long shadows against the trees. The grove felt like a world apart, untouched by the chaos of the outside. Shawn had come to see it as a sanctuary, a place where the lines between myth and reality blurred.

Finally, Bigfoot spoke again. "Why do you keep coming back?"

Shawn thought about the question, taking another sip of his tea. "I guess… because it feels real here. Everything out there," he gestured vaguely toward the dark horizon, "is so noisy. People arguing, chasing after things that don’t matter. Here, it’s just quiet. And… you’re not so bad to hang out with either," he added with a grin.

Bigfoot chuckled, the sound warm and rich. "I’ll take that as a compliment."

The conversation turned to lighter topics: the changing seasons, the animals that roamed the forest, and the strange, unexplainable things Bigfoot had seen in his years.

"Did I ever tell you about the time I saw a UFO?" Bigfoot asked, his tone suddenly mischievous.

Shawn blinked. "You’ve seen a UFO?"

"Of course. They’re not as rare as you think. Humans just don’t look up enough."

Shawn leaned forward, eager to hear more. Bigfoot described a night years ago when a bright, silent craft had hovered above the forest, its lights moving in patterns too precise to be natural.

"It stayed for a while, almost like it was searching for something," Bigfoot said. "Then it just… vanished."

Shawn listened, captivated. He had heard countless UFO stories over the years, but hearing it from Bigfoot somehow made it feel more plausible.

The fire burned lower as the night stretched on, their conversation ebbing and flowing like the gentle breeze through the trees. Finally, Bigfoot stood, stretching his massive frame.

"I should go," he said, his voice soft. "The forest gets restless at night."

Shawn nodded, standing as well. "Thanks for joining me." He held up his cup. "Same time next week?"

Bigfoot gave a toothy grin. "Only if you bring chamomile again."

Shawn laughed, watching as his friend melted back into the shadows of the trees, his footsteps impossibly light for someone so large. The forest grew quiet again, and Shawn poured the last of the tea into his cup, savoring the warmth.

As he sat there, alone under the stars, he realized how much this unlikely friendship had changed him. He had come into the forest searching for proof of the impossible and had found something far more valuable: connection, understanding, and the reminder that sometimes, the greatest discoveries are the ones you don’t share with the world.

With a deep breath, Shawn finished his tea and packed up his camp, the faint echoes of Bigfoot’s laughter still lingering in his mind.