Back to the woods

The story of a teenager named Paul afraid to come to terms with his dreams, anxious to let himself fall in love, scared to confront his past and petrified to go back to the woods.

PROLOGUE: Damp and dark outside, it was early in the evening and you could tell it was only going to grow darker as the night wore on.  Paul found himself at the edge of the clearing near the woods, the woods that he sometimes took as a shortcut back to his house from school.  The woods always made Paul uneasy, especially when it was dark out and his imagination could run wild.  The wind rustling against the leaves as they whirred through the slightly chilly air made an eerie noise that brought goose bumps to his skin and made the hair on his forearms stand on end.  Slightly clammy a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead and into his eyes.  Wiping away the thin layer of moisture, Paul looked down to notice that his hands were shaking.  Confused by his current state, Paul looked further down to found himself covered in a thin layer of dirt all over his legs.  The dirt was surprisingly dry when compared to the layer of perspiration that traveled from his head down to the small of his back.  He had no idea what had taken place earlier that night or why he now found himself standing at the edge of the woods.  His pulse was racing, a feeling of nervousness had suddenly taken over for some unknown reason.  As he explored deeper into his feelings, the realization came to mind.  It was fear that he felt, spine chilling fear, it was now pulsating through his body and he was afraid, afraid for his life!