A Forest of Light and Darkness

I shouldn’t be here. These woods have killed people far more capable than I am. I don’t want what all those other people did though. All I want is out. It is nearing nighttime, and the sunlight is barely visible through the canopy overhead. It is hard to believe that people actually choose to stay here. The trees are among the largest I have seen, and they have thick trunks and roots. Some of these roots have entangled the earth from above, causing difficulty for those who attempt to navigate the area inattentively. The falling leaves are beautiful shades of yellow and red, reminiscent of sunlight passing through lightly falling snow. It would not be a bad place to stay, however that is excluding the danger of what happens upon nightfall. Creatures of the night prowl the formerly beautiful landscape that had been a radiant fortress of light.

The light goes out. The sun has passed away from my sight, and it appears as if it had never been here before. It has been replaced with a sense of dread that tries to pull my being lower than I can stand, and I am suddenly aware of myself. I am more aware than ever that I am alone in these dark woods.

What was that? Was it a light? It had to be. There it is again! It has another light with it. These lights appear more reflective than recreating the warmth of the sun. They are light blue, and almost resemble fire. Wait, they are not lights at all. They are eyes. Below the eyes, sharp, pointy bits of light appear as well. It is some sort of shadow creature, and regardless of what dread I have, I need to run. Simply moving my legs feels like an impossible task, yet I charge away from the shadow creature with all of my might. My hands stay in front of me, catching and blocking anything that disrupts my path away from what would be certain doom. My path feels haphazard, and my steps are unsure of where to go other than straight ahead.

I dare to turn my head for a glimpse of the creature. I can only see its eyes and teeth, but I can feel its immenseness come over me. It could easily overtake me if it wanted to, so why won’t it? Is it toying with me? Does it simply enjoy chasing its prey? Would it be better to stop running and embrace my death? I keep running, though I am not sure why. I can feel my legs straining through the weight of survival.

Straight ahead. I can see something. I can feel it. It is warm and far away. I feel attracted to it as if I have found something that I had lost before. I have a goal now. I need to make it to the light. Moving has gotten a little bit easier. The shadow creature is growing closer with every step I take, but my steps are more sure. I have something ahead to focus on, and I am sure that as I grow closer to it, I will be able to push myself even more.

A root barely catches my foot, and I stumble for a moment before regaining my posture. The shadow creature draws nearer with the opportunity. My breath shortens as I grasp for trees and vines to pull myself farther. That was close. If I stop for too long, it will surely catch up with me, so I need to be more careful.

I look back at the light for guidance. It is still straight ahead. I hope that it is what I need to be running towards. I hope it does not move. I hope against anything that would make this more challenging than it already is. My legs feel as if they have been running for days. My hands are covered in sap and my own blood, and I am tired. Would it really be such a bad thing to stop for a moment? Some of these trunks have soft moss growing on them that could be perfect for a bed. That sounds like a good idea. Just a few minutes rest before I continue.

What am I thinking? Of course I can’t stop. Where did that even come from? I can sleep later. I need to follow the light. It has gotten closer. I can almost make out the details of something in the light. What is it? I am not sure, but I can’t stop running now. I am so close.

I can’t feel my legs anymore. It feels like years since the sun went down. The light ahead of me has not gotten any closer. I have been charging through with what little strength I have, but that light is still so far away. I can barely think anymore. It would be better to be eaten by the shadow creature than suffer any more of this. Wait, that’s not true. I need to keep going towards the light. I need to survive. I need to keep running. More time passes than I could ever know. Is this what I have always done? I struggle to think of any memories aside from the shadow creature, running, and the light. Has it gotten closer? I am sure it has, but it is hard to be sure. There is something in the light that looks slightly like a tree. Of course it is a tree. There is nothing except for trees anywhere. I grab one tree and another, pulling myself forward in my eternal struggle.

Wearily, I continue to run. I run for miles and hours. I run for leagues and years. The light would get closer only after some time. Finally, the light feels as if it is in reach. It is no longer a faint light in the distance but a shining symbol of my hard work. I am so close to it. I can now clearly make out the silhouette of the tree. Its leaves slowly falling to the ground appear as ants, but I can see them now. I hadn’t even realized the leaves around me had continued to fall even after the setting of the sun. I hear the gentle sound of them passing by like whispered prayers. All the while, the shadow creature lunges and charges after me. I know he is here, yet I am not afraid anymore. I am within reach of where I need to be. I was not meant to be here in the darkness, so I run towards what little light I could find. I am a few mere feet away. I muster all the remaining strength I have and jump towards the light.

I lay on the ground for an uncountable amount of time. My legs are unbelievably sore, but I am alive. I look around and see the shadow creature pacing just out of reach of the light. I suppose it cannot exist where the light shines. I look the other way and see the tree. It does not look very different from the others except for the strange fruit. I am not sure where the light is coming from, but it is shining most prominently around the tree. I pull my legs together and somehow stand. It feels almost unnatural to not have to run, but I walk towards the tree. There are names engraved into the trunk. It is covered in them. Even on a few of the branches, there are names.

Walking around the tree, I find something out of place. A book is leaned against the base of the tree. I pick it up and read a few pages. It appears to be a journal of some kind. Upon inspection, it is really old with leather binding. The journal explains that there was a man who wanted to leave the darkness of these eternal woods, and he had a way of escaping. However, he knew that there would be others who would want to leave the horrors behind, so he found a young tree and waited. He waited for the creatures to come for him. The monsters killed the man, but his sacrifice was not in vain. He had given himself as a substitute for anyone who would come to his tree and choose to live. If anyone wants to leave, they only need to eat the fruit of the tree.

After turning the last page, a small but sturdy knife falls out of the book. I look at it for a moment. It doesn’t look special. It looks worn. This must be how everyone carved their names into the bark. I grab it and find a space among the branches to place my name. These are the people who ran to the light and have escaped these dark woods. I think about all of my hard work. It seems like a lifetime of running, and I am glad that I didn’t stop. I grab one of the fruits while I am in the branches. This tree has saved my life. The book deserves to be placed where I had discovered it so that the next person can enjoy its relief as much as I have. I place the book back against the tree and bite into the fruit, and all I can see is the darkness of the woods being replaced by dazzling, hope filled light.