The path

The path before me held secrets to uncover. It held the darkness and light of the woods beside me.

I took a few steps, my trusty dog Zander right beside me. He looked at me for a sense of direction. I looked at the path that would tell me where to go.

This path was not created by human hands or human feet, it was created by mother nature, although scientists say migratory animals use this path.

They don't know secrets are lying here

They are clueless.

"Ready Zander?" I say to my dog, even though all he can do is bark. I take more steps, and Zander follows close behind.

The forest closes in as if it would like nothing more than to trap me and keep me there forever. I would not like that at all. After all, the trap of the woods would not get my research done. I need more evidence to even prove that.

Zander barks out to the forest. "Shh," I hissed, "don't scare the wildlife." Zander barks again, I grab his leash tightly and pull it a bit to shut him up. "Zander!" I look at the ground covered in leaves and even plastic. I pick it up and put it in the garbage bin close by. People are evil little fools when it comes to wildlife. They need to stop or be stopped.

I pull out a thick poster and put it on the bench

Please throw away all the litter in the park if you want to keep animals alive and this place looking fresh.

It will do little to help, maybe a bit. I walked deeper into the woods. Zander again behind me.

There was a fence almost a mile ahead, that was to prevent more pollution I had no need to worry, authorized you to know.

I grabbed my dog's leash and headed down the path indicated by the map. Zander looked at the path ahead he went in front like normal and I let him explore his surroundings. He sniffed. Zander was to find trash. He was what we called a trash finder. He would find pollution and bark for me to come. This deep in the woods I didn't even expect to find trash but I brought him along anyways.

All of a sudden Zander barked. He looked at me and barked, waiting for me to come to him. "What did you find out here?" and once again I wished he could truly talk. But since he couldn't I went over to him and investigated.

A small purple bucket held orange goo in it. I took Zander back, tying his leash tightly to a branch. I grabbed a small flask and put on gloves. The orange liquid was pretty much like slime but what I had learned in chemistry class was, "trust nothing" I put it in the flask and wiped it off with one of my wipes, put it in my metal box, and the bag.

Hey, I found orange liquid along the path that I'm taking. I'll leave the beeper here for the clean-up crew.

It was a quick text to my boss that they would handle it.

Got a sample?

I always got my samples.

Of course.

I put the phone away and put a small device called a beeper there it was for tracking and used in multiple ways.

I left the mess of orange goo and walked to Zander taking his leash off the branch, and we continued forward.

Nothing new down the path.

The trees were all the same. I had gotten a text from my boss saying the team had cleaned it properly. I trusted them. I had many good friends in the cleaning crew.

I finally found the gate. I opened it with much strength, it was pretty old and plants took hold of it.

I walked through Zander in front. I knew that I was safe with the combination of my dog and gun. I looked around for answers on how the path came to be. All I found were vines and trees. As I kept going I saw more colorful flowers. "Zander stays away from the sides please," I commanded, knowing the plants could be poisonous or carnivorous. We had no record of them. I took my flasks and gloves. I had to take the risk. I chopped off the flowers and leaves of most of the plants around me.

I put them in separate metal boxes and back in my pack. "Come on we should continue" this was always the fun part of exploring a new surrounding. Most people were scared of the wilderness like these; they would never risk their lives like I am. I took pictures with my phone and put them in the text.

The scientists would document them. I walked closer to the end of the path where no one had gone before. I was in perfect condition. I wasn't harmed or decapitated.

"Zander we're doing it" I looked at my faithful companion and he was smiling. I smiled as well. I looked forward and walked through the blue flowers and the green flowers. The dream of my dad and the dream of mine. I was to fulfill. I was to see what was at the end of this. To see what was the end of the path of mysteries.

Problem was. I didn't know when it ended. This map was unconcluded. I could go in circles forever and there wouldn't even be an end. But I didn't want to lose hope. I continued and I took my companion.

"Zander you good boy we're doing it." he said a tear slipping out "my dad would be so proud." he couldn't wait to tell his scientist father. He had only one leg now. He had done some fatal research that had taken his leg.

As they walked he continued to get worried, he kept going for his dad.

"Captain I'm close to the end," he said but only the static "captain" came out; they must have been too far away.

He carefully grabbed a couple of flowers and put them in metal boxes. Oh well, he would give the flowers when he got back.

Then all of a sudden a rabbit came to him. It was too calm. It came right up next to zander. Was the rabbit okay? It was glowing a faint glow and only then did she realize it was getting dark. He smiled and went to pet the bunny hoping it might go away. He got close but then stopped. The bunny just squeaked and stayed put. He stepped back. Something was wrong, this rabbit was poisonous or something. He didn't trust it.

He took a step back pulling Zander back. Zander hadn't touched it either; he hadn't even gone to sniff it. He petted Zander as the bunny bounced away leaving a trail of shimmer.

He smiled and continued to walk avoiding touching the shimmer. His dog did what he was told, which was to stay behind him.

After about an hour of navigating they found a very cold arch. Made of leaves and glowing shimmer. He looked at the bunny trail. It had gone right inside. He petted zander and went in.

It was not what he suspected. As many furry creatures as you could think of sat here.

He saw cats and bears. Dogs and horses. Any animal. He looked at them and they didn't look concerned at him. They welcomed him, sort of. They came over and touched him. He stepped back in fright.

"Don't be afraid human" someone said from behind the animals "they are only ghosts of animals" a human came before him. Normal and fed. "It's only when they're bored that they get a bit aggressive although since they're ghosts they can't hurt you." It was a girl. She had brown curly hair and her eyes were gray. Her skin was pale as if she was a ghost herself.

"Who are you?" I asked

"Gracy," she said bowing slightly all the animals around her bowed following her lead

"Mason," he said doing the slight bow "and this is Zander"

"He's cute," Gracy said, looking at Zander now. "This is kale and berry" she pointed to the two actual live bears "it would take a while to get to know them all but kale and berry are my bodyguards by choice.

"Oh okay," he made a note in his head on what to tell his boss.

"Wait..."

"Yes?"

"You're a scientist right, you're here to exploit our peaceful lives!" she yelled

"No, I wouldn't do that," I said unconvincingly.

"Yes you would" she said "Kill him!"

The bears came at me and..

Researcher went missing

Still investigating the scene. Zander was u