Echo In The Forest

Her voice bounced off the trees and into my ears, powering my every step. Every moan of pain, every scream of agony, just made me run faster.

The forest was large, and seemed to swallow everything whole. The trees were gargantua, their leaves oddly bright and expansive. On the ground were vibrant flowers that seemed almost phosphorescent, with equally amazingly colorful insects swarming around them. Tangled amongst the natural beauties were vines and mosses and creepers, the latter which threatened to trip me at any given moment.

I navigated using the moonlight and my lover's cries. I could hear them clearly, even over the buzzing of insects and wildlife. The forest breathed around me, but I ignore it, focusing only on my main goal.

Something whizzed past my head, disturbing the air near my ear. I turned around, but there was nothing. Then again, something flew an inch from my nose. I caught a glance of it this time.

It was an arrow.

Like everything in this forest, the arrow lodged in a tree three feet to my right was absolutely stunning. The shaft was carved from an odd, bluish wood that glowed under the lunar rays. The tip was an inky black onyx stone with intricate swirls leading from the edge to the center.

Whoever made these arrows and shot them was close by, which did not bode well for me. I took off again, ignoring even the calls from my lover and listening only to the screams of my self preservative instincts. Voices were calling to me, whispering in my ears. They seemed so close, yet sounded so far.

My feet slammed onto grass and into flowers patches, causing bugs and small animals to scatter. More arrows, hitting the trees and and ground and branches around me. I slowed, only slightly, pondering the arrows and voices.

"Stop"

"Turn back"

"Leave her"

Then the arrows. It seems they were intentionally missing their mark. I glanced over my shoulder to see one lodged in the crack of a rock and-

-and I trip on an exposed tree root. The land was slightly slanted, so I began tumbling downhill into a clearing.

It was a beautiful meadow, filled with flowers even more lovely than the ones in the forest. The moonlight landed right on a couple in a patch of grass. It was a beautiful, romantic way to make love.

But something felt off, and I realized the screams and moans were louder. I moved closer, then froze. My heart stopped, and my blood ran cold. The sight before me tore me to bits. It was simply unbearable.

There was my lover, in the arms of another. I felt sick. How could something so terrible happen in a place so beautiful? I wanted to yell, pull them apart, take back what was mine, but instead I ran.

The forest seemed slightly different. The atmosphere was anxious, urgent. The birds sang louder, the insects flew faster, and everything glowed brighter. My tears only added to the discrepancies. Such anxiety amongst such beauty.

A place that once seemed awesome and perfect now made my blood boil in my and my stomach churn. How could she?!

I was pulled out of my thoughts by a disturbance amongst the bushes and flowers. From behind a tree came a beautiful woman. She was even more beautiful than... Her.

She smiled at me. It was warm, and made me feel at home. She took a few steps towards me, then reached out and brushed my arm with her hand.

You don't need her to feel loved. Let me show you a love that will never falter.

Her voice mesmerized me as her lips brushed the shell of my ear, down my jaw, and to my lips. Her touch was soft, gentle, and loving. She sent me on a high so great I never wanted to come down.

Just as my breathing began to even out, I woke up. My lover lay next to me, certainly not in the arms of another. I got up, began calming myself.

It's just unwarranted paranoia.

My room was dark, but I managed to make my way around the bed and to the connected bathroom without hitting anything. I closed the door softly and flicked on the light. My gaze fixed on the faucet. With practiced efficiency, I turned it on and splashed water in my eyes, running away sleep and memories. I then flicked my gaze up to the mirror, something I hardly did.

Staring back at me was the lovely, gentle woman who made love to me in my dream.