Haze

The fog thinned. I moved forward through it. Its wisps swirled as I passed, though my presence had no effect on it. 

I found myself in a forest. The expanse of it was unknown to me. In front of me was a pond, maybe it was a lake. It was still and silent. It may have been the source of the fog. Slow and sluggish as it coiled upwards off the water. 

The sun was over the horizon hidden behind a thin veil of clouds. I was not alone in this forest. Maybe it was a park of sorts. People walked around the edge of the water on well-worn walkways. They couldn’t see me among the trees. If they could, they ignored me. 

The ladies walked briskly. One had a dog at the end of a rope. It looked in my direction and barked. The lady tugged on the rope and redirected it further down the trail. 

Little creatures scurried through the leaf litter. Some screamed as they soared above in the sky. The canopy was green and lively, though their leaves were starting to curl at the edges. 

Perhaps the weather was turning. 

I felt the unease of the forest. There was more here. More than I could comprehend. Others like me were scant in this part of the wood. Actually, I couldn’t remember where or when I saw more of us. I couldn’t remember much of anything. 

That thought made me look down at the roots protruding from the ground. The grass was thinning there. Was it once all grass here? Before these trees came and took over? They could have pushed the grass out. 

No. Trees are gentle. Some of them, anyways. 

How did I know that? 

The dog barked again. I looked up at it. Black and white fur curled around its long snout. Its tail fluffed at the end and waved slightly. A hunting dog. Was I to be its prey?

Its lady reprimanded it again, pointing where she wanted it to go. Peculiar. Should she not be following its lead instead? Whatever her intention was with her creature, it would not be able to hunt me. 

I turned to walk along the water. I don’t remember what cold felt like. Would this water be cold? The fish seemed to avoid the water’s edge. Water snakes swam in the shallows, but they were not the reason. The middle of the water was the safest, it seemed. Where it was deepest. 

The clouds moved in the sky, allowing the sun to spray down on the Earth. These creatures were lucky to bask in the warmth it provided. I felt jealousy that I wasn’t aware I possessed. 

Following the path took me around the water across a wooden bridge. Someone sat on a bench with the line of his fishing pole in the middle. He would catch something today. Some of those fish were desperate enough to fall for his trickery. I wondered if he would eat it. What did fish taste of, again? Had I ever had fish? 

After the bridge ended the trail split into two paths. One spiraled back into the woods. Another looked like it led out, away. That is the one I followed. Away from the center of the forest. The depth of the forest was what needed to be avoided. 

As I watched, the dog pulled the lady away from that path. But, she insisted. Down they went. 

I turned away. There was nothing I could do for either of them. 

The trail I followed was solid. It was difficult to tell its wear. A building sprouted alongside it. Patrons waited in a line to speak to someone inside through a window. They turned away with full canteens. 

Behind it was an open area with vessels lined up throughout. The fog followed me toward this area, though the water was no longer in sight. It drifted in between the vessels, up their sides, over top of them. I walked next to them. Their different colors melded together. 

I stopped. Which way had I come from? I tried to ask someone who was lacing up their boot near me, but no sound came out. They didn’t turn to look at me. 

That’s right. They couldn’t. 

I wasn’t sure if it was the world that wasn’t allowing them to see me. Something tells me I knew at some point. In this moment I didn’t care, I only wanted directions. Back to the center of the forest. 

No. Away from there. 

More vessels appeared down the larger path on the other side of the area I was in. That is where I went. There were more walkways through the trees. The trees that had criss-crossing branches. 

A fallen tree had attempted to bar the way. It was caught by its brothers and sisters in the process. I must not go that way. 

What would happen if I did? 

Some trees shook as I got closer. Others bowed their welcome. Which ones to trust? A leaf floated down from the canopy. It was red. 

The black and white dog ran out from the underbrush. Its rope trailed behind, covered in dust. It barked at me. Again, and again. I heard shouting from within the wood. Maybe it was its person. Maybe it wasn’t. 

It whined and backed up toward the thinly scattered trees along the edge. I think it wanted me to follow it. Follow away from the center. 

What was in the center of the forest that was so bad? 

I was going to see for myself when the dog lunged through the fog. Its person appeared and together they ran from the forest. The dog grew less agitated the further they went away. Before they rounded a turn, it turned to watch me. 

The world allowed some things to see me. See us. But was it keeping us in? 

I followed the dog. Exited the forest. The fog shrunk away. The trees stood their vigil.