Woods

Being happy was never an option for me. It was always staying home and being depressed or going to school and being antisocial. And then there was the woods.

No one ever dared talk to me or look at me. My parents were either too busy working or taking care of my little brother to pay me any attention.

I never complained.

I did have one friend though. I had the woods. I always liked the way the woods were. The smell of pine and nature. Especially in the winter.

A year ago while walking amongst the woods I took a turn to a path I never took before and I found a cabin.

The place was old. The windows were shattered and became the home to vegetation. The wild grass around it was hip-length and the wood was falling apart. It looked like it was deserted for years. It may have looked like an abandoned, useless shack to anyone else. But to me, it looked like the most wonderful place.

Ever since I found it I went there every day.

I don't know if other people ever feel this way; but I swear the woods speak to me. It speaks to me in whispers and it's movement. It's like its alive.

It's like its trying to tell me something.

Today after school I grab a thermos and fill it up with hot chocolate. It's already winter. The air outside is crisp and cool. I wear a sweater and a scarf and make my way to the woods. The walk is silent and I enjoy the peace.

As soon as I reach the woods I hear it start to whisper to me. It's breath is cold and it's words are crisp. I listen while I make my way to the cabin. I look at the scenery around me. The snow that perched on top of the trees are like decorations. There is a loud silence.

As I walk through the rusty door of the cabin I'm greeted with the familiar sight of the unused fire place, debris on the ground, and a cot I found that was the only stable thing here.

The place has a prehistoric scent to it. Like burnt wood and pine.

I sit on the cot after making sure its safe and I take a sip of my hot chocolate. This seems like a routine for me.

I stand up and walk around the cabin. Something catches my eyes.

There are lots of scratches on the fireplace but one in particular looks very organized. There's two letters carved in cursive.

SK

I wonder what that stands for. It makes me wonder who built this cabin and who lived here. Also why they left such a peaceful place.

I turn and go to the right side of the cabin where there's a medium sized crease within the wall there. I decided to use it as a secret compartment where I keep the book I'm currently reading.

I take out my novel and read for one hour while relaxing in the cabin. I then put the book back into the crease and take my almost empty thermos out of the cabin with me.

The woods start to whisper to me again. As I make my way home I get the feeling I'm being watched. This doesn't make any sense since no one but me ever goes this deep in the woods. It can be dangerous if you don't know your way around.

Its hard to know your way around since everything looks exactly the same.

The thing with me is that I can sense where I am when I'm here. I know my way around because I have a connection with this place.

When I'm out of the woods at make my way home where I'm greeted by my little brother running around our home. My dad is still at work and my mom is only one home. She's speaking on the phone while stirring something inside of a pot in the kitchen.

She looks up when she sees me come in and she puts the phone to her chest.

"You want some soup Lena?" She asks me.

"No, I'm not hungry." I tell her. I use this excuse almost everyday. I walk up into my room and I sit on my bed. I proceed to close my eyes and go into a deep sleep while dreaming of the woods being alive and sending me messages.

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"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." -Proverbs 3:5-6

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Message from the Author:

Secrets are hidden everywhere. They are only revealed by fate to those who let their eyes and their ears accept these secrets. Also to those who are willing to share these secrets to the open-minded.

Keep your eyes open.