The Woods – A true story

Walking back from my grandmother’s, I stopped and looked over my shoulder as I viewed the woods. Discolored trees as high as a mountain leaned a bit as if at any second they were going to come crashing down onto the ground below. I stood there for what seeemed forever as I debated whether to walk by there. It had been so long since I had explored it. Finally with my laptop case on my shoulder as if I child were hanging there, I trudged towards it. As I neared, my steps became slower. I had a weird feeling in my stomach, not fear exactly, but something else. Finally as I walked into the woods, dead leaves crunched under my New Balance shoes as I scanned my surroundings. Things had changed a bit since I had been there last.

Looking straight ahead, I tried to look through the many trees that lined the woods. Although I couldn’t see all the way into the woods, I knew it was going to be a bit of a walk trying to get through. As my laptop case began to shift down off of my shoulder, I hoisted back into its rightful place and continued my walk. I noticed that the log that was once there, was gone, only a deep indication in the mud was the only evidence that it had been there at all. I sighed as I looked down into the place where it once sat. Memories started flooding back as I looked at it. Tearing my eyes away, I continued my walk. Nearly tripping over broken branches, I looked on each side of me, looking at all the leaning and decayed trees, remembering how they used to be so vibrant and full of color. Frowning, I kept walking. I was searching for something, I knew what it was but the question was, would I find it?

As I looked down at the ground, I saw many more branches broken off from the various trees around me. Again, I sighed. Ducking under one tree that was the exact height of my body, I stopped as I saw something ahead of me. Walking a bit faster, I kept hold of my laptop case so as it wouldn’t slide off my shoulder. Ducking under several short trees, my steps increased. Stopping, I looked around. I was sure this was the spot. Scrunching up my face, I tried to remember back to that day. But as much as I tried to force myself to, I couldn’t figure out if I was at the right spot or not. Walking further, I looked to my left, then to my right. Nothing but fallen trees greeted me. Relying purely on instinct, I walked to my left. As I walked, I slowed down. I thought I saw a vine hanging down. Squinting because I hadn’t put in my contacts when I was home, the weird feeling that I had been experiencing all along, grew steadily stronger.

As the laptop case started to weigh my shoulders down, I shifted it to my other shoulder. I continued to look straight ahead. More memories flashed in my mind as I looked around. As my legs started to ache, I started wondering if what I saw was an illusion. Something that had pulled itself from the recesses of my subconscious to plant itself in front of my eyes to deceive me. I cursed silently under my breath as a cold wind blew around my ears. Finally arriving to the farthest edge of the woods, no vines. Standing there, I felt foolish. Foolish that I thought they’d still be here after all this time. I finally knew what that feeling was that I felt earlier. Disappointment. But there was also another feeling. Happiness maybe. Still, I didn’t smile. A deep sigh came from my lips. As much as I wanted to sit down, I knew there really was no place to sit down. Everywhere I looked, there were broken branches and dead leaves.

As I walked back, I started humming a song. A song that I had heard a long time ago. I couldn’t place what the song was, but it was something familiar. At that, I started remembering a few things. A picnic. Radio. 2 bikes. The radio playing a song. The exact song that I was humming. Still, I couldn’t place who was singing it or what it was about. I stopped humming soon after as the memory tugged at me as if it wanted me not to forget. I brushed the memory away, as I did so, it tugged at me one more time. Forcing it to the back of my mind, another memory flashed in place of it. Another sigh. Looking again to my left, I took long steps until I stepped out of the woods. As I walked along the road back to my grandmother’s, I thought I heard noises. Tilting my head to the side, I frowned, listening hard. Just the swirling leaves that the wind picked up along the way was all that I heard. But I could have sworn I heard something else besides that. Laughter maybe. I knew I had been the only one there and all the houses that I saw were either closed up or the people were all inside the house.

Looking once again into the woods, that same feeling pursuited me. But it wasn’t disappointment this time. It was the feeling of when you want something back but it can’t come back. All there are are memories. Memories that eventually push their way to the back of your mind till you find yourself asleep one day and here they come once again. Pulling at you and saying "Hey, I’m still here, I’m not going away anytime soon." Crossing the street, taking one last long glance at the opening of the woods, I envisioned the log still being there, bikes leaning against a big tree, laughter ringing out throughout the woods, scaring the birds off. I trudged the way back to my grandmothers in silence, deep in thought.