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An Icy Reception
I felt my footsteps slow as I walked back through the forest. I was
reluctant to leave that area, mostly disappointed that I hadn’t really found
anything; there were a few scattered clues and signs, but nothing that
really seemed to fit in with everything else I’d encountered that summer. I
was tempted to go back and explore some more. A part of me still wanted to
explore more, and take another step. I would have been satisfied with even a
fleeting glimpse inside the mysterious structure, but something dissuaded me
from going back. I knew returning would be a mistake; there was a strange
force that seemed to be pulling me away from it. I turned back around and
continued across the clearing, back towards the forest in the distance. The
trees gave grounding to the skies above, their black splotches rising at odd
angles, almost forming letters in their twisted, curved lines, like
permanent ink at the bottom of a painting, forming a natural signature
without need for a name. I tried to connect the forms to previous symbols
I’d seen, but my memories were scattered and distracted by the forest. I
tried to walk around once more but couldn’t quite find the right direction.
I quietly arranged and catalogued my memories,
trying to make sense of things. I was searching for some kind of clue as to
where I should head next, but nothing seemed to coalesce, there was an
overwhelming amount for me to process. I walked forward without direction,
letting the sun light my path back home. I heard a distant rumbling behind
me, there seemed to be something else out there. Up to that point, I hadn’t
thought that anyone else would be out there. I saw no other footprints, no
sign of life. This was unnerving and I wondered if someone was following me,
without my realizing it. I scanned the forest looking for someone on the
ground that might have created the noise, but couldn’t see anybody there.
There was no movement coming from that direction, and I couldn’t figure out
where it could have come from. I waited nervously for a few minutes and
stood still in the middle of the field. I worried that I had disturbed
something, I felt a strange tingling in my feet, and began walking slowly
backwards, a step at a time, preparing myself to run away quickly, just in
case. I looked around nervously; despite my trepidation, I didn’t see
anything that felt threatening or out of the ordinary.
My heart was beating faster, I had gone out there alone many times, but I
knew that it was only a matter of time until someone would catch me there. I
wanted to run and duck behind a tree to avoid being caught, but I was
exposed. There was nothing I could do. I looked up at the hot sun and it
suddenly seemed like a hot spotlight, beaming directly on me, anyone would
see me right away. There was nowhere to hide; the secrets I kept were
vulnerable out there under the sun, for anyone to see. I stood there
nervously for a few more minutes, waiting for my tormentor to come out from
the shadows, pouncing on me. Just as my anxiety seemed to become unbearable,
I heard a second noise from the same direction. I looked at the tree
branches rustling above and saw a large flock of small birds flying upwards
in the distance, just above the area where I had been exploring. They seemed
to rise in formation, flying together in straight parallel lines, quickly
soaring above the trees. There were too many too count and I couldn’t see
exactly what type of birds they were, but I could make out their small
silhouettes as they flapped their wings, quickly flying above the trees,
they sank down once more and crashed backwards, gliding back into the forest
depths, disappearing as quickly as they had appeared. I watched them for a
moment until they vanished back into hiding.
Looking into the deep lines, I stood there for a
moment, looking back. I could almost make out the letters in their twisted
branches, but they seemed to be just out of reach, slightly above my
comprehension. I tried to locate the cabin, but it had vanished, seemingly
submerged beneath the thick trees. I knew it would take a lot of time and
luck to locate its exact position, and that take a huge effort. Retracing
all those steps seemed risky, with no reason for me to think it would
welcome my return. I wondered if it wanted to be found. I had gone too far
to turn back. Instead, I decided it would be better to take a rest and hold
my breath for a moment. I closed my eyes and tried to catalog and arrange my
memories, holding them for another time, hoping to hold onto something
useful, for use at another time. I walked slowly back over the uneven paths
through the edge of the clearing. Emerging back onto the flat land, I could
feel the heat again. The ground seemed to melt under the summer sun, it was
later in the afternoon but it still burned through the sky, a fiery king
overlooking the wooded preserve, ruling from far above. Its intensity still
reaching through the trees, despite my attempts to hide underneath them,
their strong branches gave me no respite on the afternoon. The heavy forest
clusters offered no relief, and I could feel its heat maliciously burning my
shoulders through them. I had taken a long journey and put in a lot of
effort but was left with nothing tangible to show for my efforts. Despite
everything standing in my way, I continued to walk despite the disappearing,
evasive paths that seemed to vanish under my feet. I took a mouthful of the
fresh air which seemed to rejuvenate me. In that moment, I reminded myself
once more of all that happened. Despite everything, the long journeys had
been worth it.
I took a few steps forward, and found myself
moving towards the temporary lines that I had drawn. They took me inside,
and I walked in different positions seeming to go around in circles. I had
to protect myself, there was no way I would let anyone follow me out there,
I wanted to explore on my own. The presence of anyone else would interfere,
they’d only slow me down and get in my way. It took a while but I finally
reached the other side of the forest, and I could see the shadows begin to
lengthen behind me, the branches on the other side seemed longer and they
seemed to darken with each step. I still had time, but it wasn’t unlimited.
I needed to hurry if I wanted to make it out of the thickets of the forest
before darkness fell. I looked at my side and could see my own stretching
further behind me. Increasing the pace, I walked at a faster rhythm through
the twisting pathways. I was moving over the ground quickly and I quickly
got into a good pace. As I scaled down through the forest under the trees,
it was almost like I was dancing beneath them. I watched my shadow move with
their branches and felt like my feet were almost being guided in the right
direction.
I was eager to get back home and anticipated what I would need. I needed to
take a rest which would allow me to piece together the scattered clues, and
figure out what was happening. I was happy to be back on track, and my plans
were falling into place. It felt like I was finally going in the right
direction, but I knew not to dally around. I began to quickly descend into
the lower portion of the path and began to regain my confidence. Everything
seemed familiar at first, and I was headed back down the dirt paths quickly.
I skipped over the rocks and jumped over the bumps, and everything seemed to
be going as I remembered but soon I realized I had made wrong turn
somewhere. I didn’t realize it at first, but I found myself walking over
pine needles and the branches suddenly grew thicker and they seemed to be
standing in my path. I tried turning back but seemed to have lost my way
several turns back. There was an unusually cool breeze that arrived in a
sudden burst. This was unnerving and I suddenly felt a little off balance,
my head was spinning for a moment and I stopped in place for a moment. I
regained my composure after it passed through and I looked around. I was a
bit startled by what happened with me realizing it. The trees had grown
surprisingly thick at that point; they closed in and surrounded me,
obscuring my sense of direction and pointing in confusing directions. I felt
lost and began to feel my legs get a little numb. I had been walking too
quickly and lost track of my position and before I knew it, I had no idea
where I was.
I
was lost once more, stranded in the middle of an unfamiliar area. I looked
up towards the sun to ascertain my position, but it didn’t offer much
guidance. Its diffuse light gave no clue as to where I was or where I should
go. I stumbled over thick branches that touched the ground, moving slowly
away from the exit. I became frightened for a short time, wondering if I
would escape the encroaching trees. Their sharp needles seemed to draw
closer the further I walked and it took a bit of effort to avoid getting
stuck by them. I walked more carefully with each step, avoiding the sharp
points along the way. I had to be careful and patiently worked my way back
up, moving towards a more level surface where there weren’t as many trees. I
had some breathing room and decided to take a look around. I looked up and
saw the sunlight beginning to falter, slowly diminishing, its heat no longer
overbearing and intense. In the distance, I heard another commotion and
quickly realized the birds had gone on another mission, fluttering around,
their suddenly loud and urgent squawks, yells and, calls echoed all the way
to me, reverberating throughout the forest as they commanded each other on
their mission. As they had before, they vanished just as quickly, their
cacophony going silent as they vanished once more, taking their acquisitions
and discoveries with them, on a flight to safety quickly returning to their
hidden nests.
I
stood for a moment and let their echoes subside, waiting for the right
moment to move forward. I had to time things just right. The trees above
shaded the ground and offered protection, but also made it more difficult to
see where I was going. I carefully walked some more and looked for some
signal that I had turned back in the right direction and was heading home.
It had been a long afternoon and I wasn’t sure where I was heading. I looked
through the thick branches surrounding me and tried to see some break
between them, but they were opaque and I could only see more branches
beyond, further confusing my position. I couldn’t seem to find the path I
had entered, nothing seemed like it was in the right place, or where I
remembered. I walked faster but that didn’t seem to lead me anywhere. A
sense of almost-panic began to set in, it seemed like there was no way out
of there, and the light was beginning to falter with every step. It felt
like my chance was slipping away. The trees grew taller their needles
sharper and it seemed like my feet were sinking into the ground no matter
how fast I walked. I tried to remember the path, from where I had come, but
there were no obvious markers and I just seemed to be getting deeper. I took
several desperate turns, but each one seemed only to send me further into
the depths of the forest. The air grew thinner and the light became even
darker, while a cool breeze that had been sporadic became consistent,
gliding through my thin summer clothes into my bones. I wanted to pause and
listen for the birds once more, but there was suddenly too much at stake for
me to stand and wait. I walked further down into the woods, going underneath
their branches which grew thicker and thicker until I couldn’t see the blue
skies above at all. Despite all my effort, I had managed to remain lost.
I decided to take one last shot at an escape, and decided to walk in the
opposite direction of where my instincts told me to go. The ground quickly
became uneven, with no clear path but I kept going forward and began to feel
myself going downward, back towards the ground and hopefully, civilization.
There were several sharp turns and twists in the ground, and it was hard to
keep up a steady pace, but I knew I had to keep going, there was no other
choice. I took the harder steps that I had been reluctant to, and I began to
see some things on the ground that seemed to show promise, there were some
scattered patched of concrete surface, as the broken ends of a sidewalk
began to form under my feet. I walked deeper into the woods and things began
to brighten up. The trees began to break apart from one another, opening a
path that seemed more solid, almost completely covered. I nearly ran across
the walkway, trying not to get too excited, and the straight line helped me
move quickly through its ground without losing momentum. I continued
running, and things began to open up. I could sense the lowering altitude
and continued until I reached one final turn, which I easily navigated. I
reached around with anticipation but my heart sank into my feet once I
realized what happened.
I found myself standing at the bottom of the walkway, where the path ended.
At this point, it was blocked on three sides by thick, overgrown weeds and
vines that covered its walls. Each was at least twenty feet tall. I looked
around and there was no way through. The bushes and shrubs above were
covered by clusters of thick, sharp thorny bundles that stuck out like the
pines, making it unlikely that climbing would allow me to get over them. I
searched for some way through but no ladders or windows were visible.
However, the break meant I could see the sun directly above me. Its
diminishing, late afternoon light still flickered through the trees and lit
the landing. I saw my shadow beneath me and it seemed to grow darker. Layers
of mud, leaves and rock worked at masking the thick ground and only
intractable situation I found myself in. I walked closer towards the
thickets looking for some kind of sign, something that would direct me how
to get out, or even a way forward. I scanned the vines but they were tangle
and sharp, there weren’t any markings or symbols. Walking closer, I saw some
odd patterns emerge. At first, it seemed like it was only my imagination,
but I was intrigued. I took some of them in my hands and examined them for
any additional markings but couldn’t find any at first. I tried to see if
there was anything behind them, and wondered what might be hiding, but had
no idea what to look for. I pushed them aside and looked between them to see
what they might be hiding. The only thing I discovered were more vines,
wrapped around each other, making for an impermeable barrier. There was no
way to get through.
The sun began to sink in the distance, and the
shadows lengthened even more, making it even harder for me to see. I stood
there and watched the vines covering the bottom of the hill and they seemed
unmovable, and unreachable. I wondered why I had been drawn there in the
first place. I might have tricked myself into believing I was on a different
path, but ended up lost there with seemingly no way out. I had reached the
end, with nothing to show for it. I felt a breeze, which was colder than the
previous gusts. It seemed to blow right through me, chilling me to the core.
I knew something had to happen quick or deeper trouble would follow. I
looked out of the corner of my eye towards the opposite end of the
embankment, and saw something odd. It was familiar but I wasn’t expecting to
see it. Almost hidden between the tangled clusters of vines, I saw the
outlines of three distinctive dials, evenly spaced and aligned. If I hadn’t
looked closely, I would have missed them. I walked closer and pulled the
vines covering them aside. I saw the outlines of a strangely familiar
looking doorway. It took me a moment to realize where I was, but once I
figured it out, I was taken aback. I wondered how I got all the way back
there, I had returned without realizing it. I took a few minutes to mark my
path there and it didn’t seem to make sense no matter how hard I tried. I
thought someone was playing a trick on me.
I took another tentative step back and looked it over. I needed to make sure
I wasn’t seeing things, but there it was, inviting me inside like an old
friend. I felt the encroaching darkness and cold, and new instinctively that
this was door it was safe to enter. I looked at its surface and nothing
seemed to have changed. I noticed a small panel sticking out, slightly ajar
and opened it, which revealed a small dial and other buttons. I examined the
dial’s symbols which were back in their neutral positions, with the same
esoteric odd symbols. When I went to turn it, I found it cold to the touch
and it seemed to be frozen in place. I tried to move it, but it wouldn’t
turn in either direction. I tried again to dislodge it, but it wasn’t going
anywhere. I tried using both my hands and turned it really hard, which
finally seemed to unfreeze it, and it spun wildly a few times around. I held
it again to stop its spinning and maneuvered it back in position. Examining
it for a moment, I realized what I needed to do.
I remembered how long the frustrating trial and error from my previous
encounter took and tried to recreate the combination I had successfully used
before. Nervously, I pulled dial and held my hand on it until it was guided
into place. I closed the panel and waited. There was nothing. I walked back
towards it and tuned the dial positions carefully and deliberately,
arranging them some more until they were in just the right position. I held
my breath and stood back for a moment. At first, there was silence. I had
made a mistake – either my memory was faulty or the combination had changed.
I felt my heart sink and the silence underlined my defeat. I walked back
towards it to try another combination when I heard a sudden loud clicking
noise. That was followed by a loud thump and I could hear the locks turning,
there was metal clanging inside the door and it slowly began to shake. A few
moments later, there was another loud clasp and the door began to open. It
greeted me with a burst of cold, almost frigid air that felt strange, almost
alien, in its clarity and cleanliness. I didn’t wait for it to open all the
way before running inside, back to safety. I stood inside a familiar
corridor, and waited for a moment. I found the right button and quickly
pressed it, the door stopped opening and began to close once more until it
was sealed tightly behind me. I was finally safe but had no time to bask in
my good luck. I’d spent too much time going around in circles and it was
getting late. I knew someone was waiting for me.
(Click here for Part 2)
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