Forest Path

jasonr

Thu Sep 25 2025 04:04:57 PM PDT

As I walk through the dimly lit path, ethereal beams of light permeate throughout the forest canopy, highlighting the amber and crimson leaves scattered gracefully on the forest trail. My destination, still far, but within reach, fills my mind with a cozy warmth and a deep melancholy that tugs at my chest. I return to the scene at hand and see a long-forgotten farmhouse deep within the forest. The wind causes a creak on the ancient hinges forged from strength and built with care, still holding up the passage to a world that once provided a haven to loved ones from the elements, as to say, “I will never forget, and I’ll hold this until you return.”  I carry on with my journey through the ghostly forest, the wind picks up, and a faint aroma creeps into me, a sort of sweet maple with a gentle touch of earth, and something else… I know this scent, it lights me up inside, first with a jolt of euphoria, but is no later rendered into concern, it is then a droplet of water meets my hand. The distant thunder rumbles, and I know I need to seek refuge before destiny catches up. I make my way to the cottage of a bygone time and grant it one more life before time washes it away. The oak floors talk to me with exhausted anticipation as I step into a world that has been alone for far too long.  I sit in a dry corner and rest my aching body. The taps on the roof begin, and without hesitation grow into a festive out pour, so much so that it slips through the roof, but nowhere near my corner of solitude. I notice a relic on the floor, no… a candle, sitting sideways--begging to shine one more time. I reach for the candle and lift it up to grant its dying wish: to not lie and waste away in the dust, but to go out with a blaze of glory, and in return, it will gift me warmth and a last light to ward off the encroaching darkness. With my new lit companion, I can rest in peace, I cover myself up and lie back into the corner, my eyes heavy and body giving way, I let it all go and fall into the care of this lost world. This was not my final destination, but a beautiful pause in a world that never stops.