The Grove

The grove was serene... Its multitude of tall members reached their arms high up into the air, reaching up to grab at the stars that decorated the skies. Their limbs intertwining and locking to create a canopy of leaves that shaded the forest's ground from the moon's soft glowing light. With the gentle luminescence stolen away by the tops of the trees, it brought an eerie aura to the forest below. The soft whispers of the woods hummed their entrancing song... The wind dancing with the melody through the branches, causing them to join in with a delicate sway.

Along the floor of the grove, there was just a small winding path, one that seemed to consistently change. Even with the changing of the mysterious path, I traveled its never-ending length. Stepping and sometimes even climbing over elongated roots, I kept moving. The only thing that gave me any sort of vision of where I was going was this floating ball of light that I held. It illuminated only just a couple of feet all around me, keeping the shadows barely at bay. For as long as I can remember, I've been traveling through this endless forest. Even though I couldn't see my full surroundings, I kept going. Something was pulling me, driving me to continue traveling. It was all the same, the wandering. Sometimes I'd stumble and fall, but I would quickly stand back up to continue. Nothing in the dark forest caught my interest, I could only see what was in my small radius of radiance.

That was until I saw another ball of light a couple of yards ahead of me.

My heart stopped, should I fall for this possible mirage? Or should I adjust my direction and move on?

Before I could make my choice, my feet had made my decision for me. They lead me straight in the direction of the other glowing light. The want of hesitation and to turn away gripped my heart, fear sending its sickening chill down my spine. As the distance between me and the light closed step by step, the pace of my pulse quickened. It wasn't until I was only a few feet away from it that my feet that had a mind of their own finally stopped. But just as my gaze fell upon what stood before me, I could have sworn I felt my heart come to a halt as well.

There, just a few feet before me stood another human being. I didn't think it was possible. This was my dark forest, and mine alone. I had never ran into anyone before. Only illusions that deceived and tricked.

So how could I prove that this wasn't just another one?

As if they read my thoughts, he erased the remaining distance between us. Now standing just barely a foot apart, our lights illuminating our faces, I could truly and fully see him now. He was tall, broad, and had a rugged look to him. His hair was a dirty, dark blonde that was clean-cut and trimmed. But it wasn't his muscular tone, hair, or rough hands that captured my attention. No, it was those ever mystifying grey eyes. I could have sworn they were an entrancing and pleasant blue when he first approached, but they had shifted into a captivating silver. It was as if the moon gifted it's personal silvery hue to them. I took a half a step closer, and when I did, I noticed the gentle touches of a soft jade within them. My heart that I had thought stopped reminded me of its life as it's beat rang in my ears. I had been holding my breath, and it wasn't till I felt his warm touch on my arm that I gasped, the air filling my desperate lungs. No mirage had ever managed to physically touch me. This was new, this was different. I wanted to run, but yet...I stayed firmly planted. My gaze fell to the hand that traced ever so gently down, gliding along my forearm till he reached my hand that held my own light, leaving a path of warmth and goosebumps in its wake.

I watched as he brought his own light with his other hand over to mine. Both of those glowing radiant lights began to spin around one another, their pace slowly building into a rapid rotation as they climbed the air up above our heads. Our two lights merging into one as their luminescence grew brighter and brighter. Then the light burst out like a bright firework, spreading it's soft, golden lights all throughout the dark forest, erasing every shadowy presence. A smile painted across my lips as I stared at the scene in complete awe. The forest looked as if it finally was brought to life. The lights showing the grove's naturally beautiful treasures that it held within. There were lights everywhere that danced along the winding paths of the forest, leading in all different directions. The bright greens, delicate browns and other colors of the woods had life breathed into them. The once eerie hum of the wind had its tune shifted into a harmonious song, filled with birds singing their melody for all to hear.

The warm hand that had drifted into mine gave a tender, reassuring squeeze. Prying my attention away from my new view, I turned and looked at the man. A sense of home fluttered within me as he gifted me with a small smile. This wasn't just my forest anymore, no, it was ours. He'd shown me how beautiful it all really was, and I know with him, it always will be. I didn't want to let go of his hand, and I don't think he wanted to let go of mine as we began to travel through the newly illuminated grove.

Both of us had been wandering through that dark forest for as long as we could remember. Being deceived, tricked, and made fools of mirages and the paths that didn't keep their direction. It wasn't until we found each other that our lights lit up the grove, giving us a brightened forest that we now get to adventure through together. And even though there are times that one of us stumbles, we can now look up and find a hand to pull us back up and continue on this journey together.