whisper

prose.

I stand within a grove of tall pines, their grandeur leaving me in awe, their long, spindly branches casting spiky shadows along the forest path. Acorns and pinecones are strewn along the pine-needle covered ground, and beside me, a squirrel is gnawing away at a walnut. He catches sight of me, and with a twitch of his furry, thick tail, he drops the nut and scampers up one of the pines. I watch him as he goes higher up the tree, stopping occasionally to look down at me. He stopped on a branch that jutted out from the tree, flicking his tail in frustration and barking loudly. “I’m sorry,” I called up to him. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” He stared down at me, cocking his head to the side quizzically.

I continued walking along the shadowy path, the trees becoming denser and the air becoming more still. The sun was a bit lower in the sky now, its afternoon glare shining through the jagged branches that stretched out into the warm, summer air. I gazed up at them, breathing in a sigh of the fresh, piney air. I started hearing the faint sound of a waterfall in the distance. Intrigued, I pressed on through the woods, allowing the path to guide me along.

The sound of rushing water was closer now. The path had opened into a bit of a clearing where vibrant wildflowers were blooming and swaying in the wind. The grass was tall and free, fresh and green. I dropped down to my knees and laid down, rolling onto my back. I looked up at the bright blue sky where just a few white clouds were drifting. The wind began to blow, and the pines that surrounded me whispered. I drew in another long sigh, a smile appearing on my sunkissed face. I stretched my arms out wide, grabbing a small patch of the grass and tossing it into the air. A bright red cardinal flew in, stopping on a tree branch and singing its melodious tune. I sat up, resting my body weight back onto my elbows. The air was still now, but the sun seemed to be getting brighter. I held up an arm to cover my stinging eyes, and before I knew it, everything around me went dark. I felt around me, but instead of grass I felt my blankets and a silk pillow. I jolted up quickly, looking around me. I was in my room. I peered over at my clock, and it read 2:38 a.m. I sighed and laid back down, pulling the covers up to my chin. I had a few more hours.