I had Nia’s complete attention.
Doe eyes.
Focused.
Only on mine.
Beautiful eyes.
In this light, they seemed almost green.
“This will require trust.”
Nia didn’t blink.
“You will have to trust me.
That is the only way.”
“But I do trust you.” Nia seemed confused.
“I know.”
I tried to sound reassuring.
Didn’t want Nia to think I thought that she didn’t trust me.
“But this requires you trusting me with the things you have never told me.”
Nia let go of my hand.
She put her hand to her mouth.
She turned around.
Looked at things I could not see.
We were almost in the middle of the forest.
The two paths ahead, lay feet away.
They’re position marked by the three trees that seemed to actually be one tree.
You had to be far away, to see that they were three individual trees.
I could feel that another throb was about to come.
I did what I could to keep myself alert.
Slapped my face.
Cracked my neck.
Shook my fingers loose.
As if to avoid losing control again.
I knew I had myself fooled.
Have faith, my sweetpea said.
Yes.
Have faith.
Nia turned around and looked at me again.
She smiled.
Shyly.
I smiled too.
“Well, I have never told you ab…”
I motioned “no” with my hand.
I walked closer to her.
“You don’t have to tell me, Nia.
Just trust me.”
Nia looked confused.
“Let’s both look at the tree, shall we.”
I walked to the one closest to our right.
It had six empty birds’ nests.
One on each of the six branches.
These were odder looking than the rest.
It had a complete spider web at the bottom.
An orbed web.
Intricate.
Delicate.
The house of the spider.
Flimsy really.
Easily destroyed.
This one united by what looked like only six strings.
Nia came to stand next me.
Eyes filled with expect-ations.
Umf.
My sweetpea.
A fairy.
Fairy in the dark forest.
My fairy.
Head aglow.
Lighting my way.
My sweetpea.
She came to stand right beside me.
To my right.
“Just trust me.”
I smiled at her.
She smiled back.
Then we both looked at the tree.
I could still only see the single spider web.
The bark of the tree.
Thick.
Old.
Covered in moss.
The soft light of the forest seemed to disappear.
It was now absolutely dark.
I could barely see Nia beside me.
Then, I saw a slight shimmer.
It seemed to be coming from the spider web.
More like it was behind the spider web.
It became larger.
An almost purplish glow.
Like it was a globe of some sort.
I couldn’t be sure.
The spider web made it difficult to see.
I looked at Nia.
She looked at me.
Doe eyes.
Asking.
Can you see?
I smiled.
Looked back at the tree.
The spider web was gone.
Or transformed?
It was still there.
But.
Now it looked more like it was a veil.
A soft piece of see through cloth.
I stepped closer to it.
Nia kept close to me.
I could just feel her hand touch mine.
It sent shivers down my spine.
I could feel the hairs on my arms and back.
Stand up straight.
Nia didn’t seem to notice a thing.
She just looked at the tree.
Already as if she had forgotten about me.
She was totally entranced.
I went even closer to the tree.
Reached for the veil.
Slowly.
I was not sure if I would be able to touch it.
I grabbed at it.
Again.
Slowly.
My fingers grabbed at thin air.
Like my fingers went straight through it.
I looked back at Nia.
“I’m trying,” she said.
A bit frustrated.
She smiled though.
I smiled too.
Then looked back at the tree.
Slowly I reached for the veil again.
Took a deep breath in.
Faith.
I had to trust too.
Trust that Nia trusted me.
There could be no doubts.
I breathed out.
Reached for the veil again.
Yes.
This time it worked.
It felt like silk in my hand.
Soft.
Smooth.
Tangible.
Almost indestructible.
I looked at Nia.
She smiled broadly.
I pulled the veil towards me.
And sure as God.
I saw it.
A flower.
The purple globe was a flower.
The petals were the source of the glow.
Unlike any plant I have ever laid my eyes on.
This one had a stem.
But it did not seem to be growing from the ground.
No.
It was like the plant was suspended in the air.
I looked closer.
Confused.
It looked like the plant was embedded in the air.
Like it was clutching to something.
Something hidden from my eyes.
The stigma was a fiery red.
It sort of pulsed.
Like a heartbeat.
The pulses became more frequent.
Like it was beating faster.
Then.
A tiny orange ball emerged from the stigma’s tip.
It floated slowly into the air.
A weak, orangey glow.
It looked fragile.
More incredible was the feeling that came over me.
A sort of comfort.
Like I was absolutely safe.
For that single moment, my headache was completely gone.
I was unaware of the fire.
Burning.
Burning in my heart.
I was filled with only this sense of comfort.
The tree was no more.
Instead I saw the thing.
The thing holding the thingy.
I smiled at these words.
Nia’s words.
They suddenly seemed most appropriate.
How else could one describe it?
Other than the thing.
Holding the thingy.
It looked like nothing I had ever seen before.
Hard to describe.
The feeling of comfort became that of some surety.
Surety of success.
Without warning, I stepped further towards it.
Nia came closer too.
She took my hand.
The veil now behind us.
The thing seemed oblivious to our presence.
It just kept holding the thingy.
The thingy was like an odd shaped stick.
/>
That was the only thing I could compare it with.
It was however not a stick.
It was like it was there.
Then like it was not there.
Went from solid.
To translucent.
Sometimes it seemed to disappear.
Like it was literally not there.
But just as you thought it was gone.
It was back again.
Solid.
Then, before you could be sure.
Translucent.
It was really impossible to tell.
The tip was the strangest.
It was circular in shape.
More oval.
An oval sphere.
Empty.
I was sure of this.
The outline clearly visible.
But the sphere was not translucent.
It was the strangest thing.
The thing held it to its side.
Suddenly, the tip opened.
Almost as if it was peeling away.
Gently.
Revealing a green, fleshy part.
The thingy changed colour too.
Then it went completely black.
Only the green sphere was now visible.
It seemed like a rugby ball.
Stuck in the air.
Next to the thing.
All green and fleshy.
Nia and I both stared at it in wonder.
The orange ball started floating towards it.
As the ball was right above it.
The fleshy, green sphere opened like a mouth.
It seemed to swallow the orange ball.
Fast.
For what seemed like only a few seconds.
The ball seemed to be floating inside the oval shape.
Then it was visible no more.
The layers peeled back.
The fleshy green.
Gone.
The thingy started that disappearing thing again.
But strangest now, was the oval shape itself.
It seemed to be on fire.
The thing got up.
Floated.
I was not sure.
Seemed to hover for a second.
Then it just lifted the thingy into the air.
Almost like it was a bat.
It then flicked the thingy forward hard.
The sphere came loose from the tip and flew with immense speed into what I thought was thin air.
But I was wrong.
I could see it clearly now.
There were things hanging from the air.
I didn’t bother to figure out what it was.
It did not matter.
More important was the way everything seemed to work together.
The sphere was not tossed at all.
It was removed from the tip of the thingy.
“Grabbed” securely.
Quick.
Ever gentle.
Whatever removed it, seemed to be handing it to what looked like more of the same things.
Suspended from nowhere.
Each movement swift.
Precise.
The oval sphere always secure.
It all happened so fast.
It really looked like the sphere was tossed from the end of the thingy.
Nia and I followed it.
I glanced at the thing.
I was not sure what I was seeing.
All I knew was that we were safe.
This thing was like a guardian.
It was not human and most definitely not an animal.
I was however not afraid.
It seemed to be unaware of us.
I tried not to glance at it for too long.
I felt a strange feeling coming from it.
Like if I stared at it for too long.
I would not be able to move.
Not that it froze you in place.
No.
It was like I would compel myself to stay.
Never leave.
It made me feel safe.
Nia smiled at me.
As if she felt what I felt.
She smiled like she understood.
For this moment.
We were really connected.
Like Nia and I was one.
And we were safe.
Then.
The thing and the thingy were gone.
The oval sphere was the last thing I saw.
It became an empty bird’s nest.
Then, all that remained, were the trees.
I fell to the ground.
I started twitching.
Uncontrollable.
The headache banged like it was trying to escape from my head.
The burning fire once again ablaze.
This time Nia saw me.
Terrified look on her face.
But she was not looking at me.
She was staring past me.
Doe
eyes.
Filled with horror.
I looked in the direction Nia was looking.
I saw them.
Red eyes.
All hiding behind the trees.
Lots of red eyes.
Watching us.
Nia screamed.
Will he catch her.
Whisperers.
*I-see-you*
The Dark Tunnel
i
2010
My head pounded like crazy.
Literally like someone took a sledgehammer to it.
It felt heavy.
I was dazed.
Confused.
I found it difficult to concentrate.
I struggled to breath.
I put my hand to my chest.
It didn’t bring any relief.
My chest was on fire.
Same as before.
Slowly I lifted my head.
Looked around.
The trees.
Yes.
Protected-Dreams-Forest.
Slowly things started coming back to me.
Nia.
I suddenly realized.
Where is she?
I quickly scanned the area.
I saw her in the distance.
Something was with her.
I could not be sure what it was.
It was too dark to clearly see.
In places the forest was on fire.
How?
Did the fire reach the forest already?
I remembered.
Yes.
Uhm.
Those things.
They were responsible for the fire.
I cringe.
Where were they?
I rose to my feet.
Lightheaded.
I stumble and fall against a tree.
Started moving again as soon as I was able to focus my eyes.
I went in the direction I saw where Nia was.
My whole body was in pain.
But I ignored it.
I had to get to Nia.
Before.
I don’t know.
It was difficult to make sense of things.
I was not sure what exactly happened.
One minute we were surrounded.
The next I was coming to.
Face first in the dirt.
How and what happened.
I wasn’t sure.
We simply had to keep moving.
We have to get out of the forest.
At least we didn’t have much further to go.
We were now way beyond the point where the two paths were.
Luckily it seems we went right.
So we were not too far from the edge of the forest.
As soon as we are out.
We will be safe.
Safer.
I was feeling less disoriented.
The bluish-black thing slipped into the darkness as soon as I was in view of Nia.
She came running towards me.
She seems scar
ed.
But it was at the sight of me.
For once it seemed like she was afraid for my wellbeing.
She put her arm around my waist and told me to lean against a tree.
I was glad to see Nia.
Safe.
Doe eyes
like she had been crying.
“Are you okay?”
The words hurt my throat.
My mouth was dry.
“I’m perfect. Better than perfect.”
Nia seems almost sad as she says this.
I wondered what was bothering her.
She looks back to where the thing disappeared and then back at me.
She scans my face.
Reaches with her right hand to my forehead and cheek.
I didn’t show the pain as she assessed the wounds.
Nothing major I guessed.
Bruises and cuts.
Same with my legs and arms.
Nothing was so badly hurt that I couldn’t manage own my own.
With Nia with me.
Safe.
I suddenly had renewed strength.
How did she make it by herself?
However it happened.
All praise belongs to God.
I look at Nia and smile.
Doe eyes.
Still hiding things from me.
Something must have happened to Nia.
But now was not the time to figure that out or even ask.
Now we had to go.
“Come.” I said.
I did my best not to stumble or cringe.
I had to show Nia that I was okay.
So that she didn’t have to start worrying about me too.
“We have to keep moving.
The forest is not safe.”
I start walking.
Slowly.
Then faster.
With more confidence.
After a few feet.
I turn to find that Nia was still standing where I left her.
She seems to be staring off into the darkness.
“Nia,” I call softly.
In case there was something still in the area.
Where were they all?
There were so many of them and now suddenly nothing.
Only evidence that they were here was the fire.
Some bushes and trees were flat on the ground.
I couldn’t think what would have caused these trees to fall to the ground.
I mean.
The trees were gigantic.
We mere ants compared to it.
I would have to ask Nia.
Perhaps she remembers.
For now.
“Nia, please. We must leave.”
She stares at me quick and gestures she is coming with her hand.
She looks back one last time.
Shrugs her shoulders and then starts tippy-toeing towards me.
That was a good sign.
I wanted to ask what she was looking at.
But thought it best to let it be.
Now we just had to get away from the forest quick.
“This way.”
Nia took my hand.
I didn’t have time to even enjoy it.
Just kept looking around.
One never knows where they might be hiding.
ii
We reached the edge of the forest without any further hindrance.
I was relieved at the sight of the bright light.
The Bright.
Nia seems to be relieved as well.
She baths her face.
Her cheeks seem to go more pink.
The porcelain skin.
Smooth contours.
The dark lavender.
Those velvety doe eyes.
I brush it off quick.
Uhm.
*Nia*
We had to keep moving.
We were still not safe.
I walk over to the bushes to our left.
Remove the branches.
It was exactly where I hid it.
But how?
“Sherwin!”
*Sheeeeeeeeeeeerrrwin!*
“It’s gorgeous!”
She walks over quick.