The Forest pt. II

The path is well lit.

The path is paved and level. Walking the path is easy; pleasant, even.

The path stretches on into the forest. You follow.

For each step along the path, you are rewarded.

A treat.

A kind word.

Why leave the path? The path is

Safe.

The path is

Easy.

The path is

Nice.

Because you follow the path, you know you are

Special.

You are

Good.

The forest is dark and scary. The forest is loud and busy and if you go in you’ll stray from the path and you’ll no longer be Good or Special. You’ll no longer be rewarded for staying on the path.

But then

There is a bird.

At first, you hear it. Chirping. Tweeting. Rustling the leaves. You look, but you don’t see it.

You feel that looking is wrong somehow, but you want to see so you look some more.

There! You see it. Just a glimpse, but you see it flitting between branches then

hopping along the ground then

its back in the branches and heads further into the forest.

The forest is dark. The forest is scary. The forest is

Not allowed.

You stay on the path.

You look at the others who follow the path with you. You notice now that some enter the forest. You fear they’re gone: taken by the dark. But they come back. They look happy. It seems fun.

Maybe it is okay? You look closer and notice the forest is not dark, it is green. It almost looks friendly. You want to see

The bird.

You step to the side of the path.

You veer towards the forest.

You are scared, but you are also excited. You will see the bird and come back to the path like the others.

You step off the path.

Pain.

Pain in your heart.

Pain in your head.

Pain in your body.

Because you tried to enter the forest you are

Bad.

You are

Not special.

Entering the forest is

Wrong.

You look again to the others and see them freely moving into and out of the forest. Some don’t return, but most do and they are happy. Why not you? Why can’t you enter the forest?

Because you are

Good.

Because you are

Special.

It feels nice to be Good; to be Special. You follow the path.

The path dims.