Solo...

It was dark… my shoes skidded on gravel as I trudged to the assigned meeting place. I knew this would be a challenge. The group was already there. My torch flashed off as the light disappeared from others. The moon gleamed, lighting up the thickly clouded sky. Trees emerged as my eyes adjusted to the low light. I huddled into the group, while a shadow, towering barely ahead of the dreary tree line, waited. The whole group hushed as the hoarse voice began. “We will be doing two loops of the track, each loop should take us forty five minutes.” Beams of light burst the sky as torches were turned back on. Our journey began. I stepped into the trees. This was it, I could not turn back now. The gloomy sky vanished. My stomach did flips as I left familiarity and entered the unknown.

As I waded through thick mud and frigid water, they started to appear. Creatures. I can see huge spiders and hammerhead snakes. My light flashed toward them but they vanished as fast as they appeared. I felt alone. Surrounded by so many others, yet alone. I was trapped. The trees went on and on. My chest started heaving, as my breath caught in my throat. I stumbled upon moss clumps as tree branches prickled my skin. Leaves rustled as I brush past. There it is again, the sound of my heart pounding. The nature that so often soothes me, has become twisted and vial. It lurks around, as though this is a horror movie.

I had given up on avoiding water, trying to dodge it usually caused me to slip. I was shaking, and so afraid. My lip began to tremble, and my lungs stilled. Then they started to escape my eyes, salty rain drops. My chest began heaving as the world faded in and out. Dizziness struck and the world fell off its axis, going round and round. I was lost, stumbling upon the uneven ground and slimy, stream rocks. The ground suddenly dropped but I had to stay on the track.

As I bumbled down the neverending slope, my feet disappeared. Tumbling down I grabbed plants of all kinds, trying desperately to stop. I felt the beech bark graze my fingertips as I continued rolling. Flax sliced down my palms, causing red to ooze from my hands. I gripped onto a mountain beech tree. Stopping as I pulled myself to the bark and wrapped my body around its trunk. Dirt fell from my face as I gagged at the taste of grass in my mouth. I started to feel dizzy again. I sucked in as much cold, damp air, as my lungs could bear. It was okay, I had reached flat ground. For now at least. “Ella, Ella.” My voice was a hushed whisper. I trudged on desperately trying to find the voices of the group. They had stopped. I could no longer hear chatter, but why? ‘Awoooooo!’. I heard a wolf cry ring out, then another, and another. What was happening?! I wearily continued until the trees cleared and the boys appeared in front of me. ‘Awoo!’ They let out another cry, however now it was much less terrifying.

I gave one of them a good jab in the ribs. The rest of the group came into view, and we continued on our way. We looped around again picking up those who had been assigned spots to sit on the track. The next morning the blue sky shone. Some of us girls walked the track again, giggling as we talked about boys.

I let out a heavy sigh. Nature was beautiful again. The creatures had gone, and the beauty of the forest showed. The green of the leaves and the dew on the dirt, brought me peace.