The icy wind whips through my hair, turning it to knots. The cold turns my nose and cheeks a rosy red that glows like when my grandmother pinches them too hard after being reunited. The blue birds and robins perch among the branches as they sing their love songs to the world. The sound of crickets rubbing their legs together reminds me that I am completely alone here, in the deepest part of the forest.
“Caacaww!” I below out at the top of my lungs. The black birds swarm from the trees , startled by the unexpected holler. The wind whispers his sad story of sorrows in my ear as I admire the flock birds twisting around the sky.
I stroll through the woods, leaping over fallen logs and dodging sticky spider webs between the undergrowth. I pass the oddly shaped “K” tree and a massive gray boulder. Another left and I would be at the lily pad filled pond. Something I’ve memorized after years of child hood adventures here. The earth spins at almost one thousand and thirty eight miles per hour but is frozen when I’m here. Water trickles down each leaf, leaving me mesmerized and turned to stone. The commotion from each day fades away, leaving me with nothing but blank thoughts and deep breathes.
“I worry about you when you’re still out after dark,” my mother’s voice echoes.
“Okay, I promise I’ll be home before the sunset this time.”
I know I should hurry back but the crunch of the leaves beneath my feet taunt me.
With every step they murmur, “Stay longer and explore more. Your mom won’t mind if you’re a few minutes late.”
I give into their persuasive arguments and scurry up my favorite maple tree to catch a glimpse of the energetic sunset, challenging myself to climb higher than ever before. I’m no longer me as I sit in this tower of bark and leaves. I gradually contort into one of the dull yellow leaves dangling from the branches. I become the furry brown caterpillar crawling up the rough bark. I’m the foot print trail left behind in the mud by deer and other wild creatures. This is my home and my serenity. Here I am nothing but free.
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