A Place Called Now

      It was almost dark when we decided to walk through the woods around the shoreline of the lake. We had waited a little too late. But there was a certain excitement in the air, a need for adventure. It had been a long week and except for the tiredness, we were free from the stress and tedium of work.

      The woods were on a strip of land that jutted out into the lake forming what you could believe to be an island. It was surrounded on three sides by the lake. The trail was moderately clean on the playground side of the island where we started. If there was a path, it was camouflaged by the dim light and the meadow grass. But there was no undergrowth or briers to cling to our clothes or tangle our feet.

     Before we rounded the first bend darkness was settling like a slow cold rain. You could tell there would be no moon that night although it was not cloudy. An eerie feeling was trying to play with my spine. I shrugged it off with a silent shudder. A deep breathe swelled my chest while I tried to remember the adventurous feeling that was so stimulating just a few minutes ago. Even the sounds were changing. I could nearly hear my thoughts and the space above my ears tingled.

      Briers seemed to grow under our feet as spiders quickly spun webs just ahead of us. There were hunters in the distance firing shots in rapid succession. Gosh! What if they spot us and think we are deer! Neither of us are wearing bright clothing. I didn't say anything.... I was aware of every physical discomfort but no pain.... My chest had hurt all week but now there is no pain. Only the nuisance of stickers, scratches, and sticky spider webs on my face.

      We joked nervously that we were lost and would probably be in the woods all night. I thought of the horror movies where the victims always played into the monsters hands by doing stupid things..... like walking in the woods on a pitch black night without even a flashlight. Sheesh.. What if we find a body! Even if we could get out of the woods we don't know how to get hold of the Sheriff.

      Suddenly the sky appeared through the trees. I could just make out the picnic tables and garbage cans in the picnic area. Now, at last we are out of the woods. Now, there are no monsters, no bodies, just dang stickers and spider webs. How wonderful! And my love by my side, how wonderful indeed.

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Copyright © 1990 Charles Prier

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