Surroundings
Sunsets on this planet look weirder than they’re supposed to look, I think to myself.
The air smells like a campfire and I watch as the water ripples against my hands, soft buzzing around me. It’s been a while since I’ve felt so… at peace. Huge mountains around me and all I feel is quiet. The urge to sing suddenly makes my chest tighten and my eyes wet. Something here touches my deeply human feelings, the raw ones that weren’t polished by society.
“Hello?”
I call to the outside, as I suddenly felt watched. Or is it my own consciousness? I thread my fingers through my hair, they need watching, I think. This waterfall looks nice. I feel like falling in it. It feels unusually warm and inviting. Its heart has a tiny bit of a rock peeking through the surface, as if to welcome me. I can sit on it and feel like a marble statue, the current trickling down my body as it washes it of its sins and whatnots. And knots. Muscles, auburn hair.
The time I pass here under the jet is not a lot. It’s just forever.
At least it’s what it feels like.
Bristling in the leaves and drops in the water don’t seem to worry me, it’s nature, I think.
Is it still nature as I feel something brush against my neck when I turn around?
Or a giggle as high as the wind fraying itself in between trees?
I whip my head around in confusion and wonder. Hair fraying their way around my face and shoulders. Suddenly a sharp warmth hits my chest and I fall to the ground in a surprised grunt.
My knees hurt. I feel exhausted and at peace at the same time.
“Are you lost, bunny?”, I hear whisper in my ear, a faint breath hitting it.
I turn my head and almost get whiplash just to find some leaves quietly falling to the ground.
I get up again and start going back to the water, when something grabs my ankle and tugs it, making me fall into the small lake. After almost drowning, I finally surface and get seated as good as I can on the nearest emerging rock, coughing and wiping water from my eyes.
When.
Two green and blue round eyes appear in front of me, making me let a scream in surprise. The odd mossy figure startles too and falls to the ground gracefully, letting their makeshift hair fall in front of their glowing eyes. I take a moment to breathe and to really take a look at them, tall, looked like a tree, soft features, long leafy and mossy hair with big antlers made out of wood.
“Wow.”
Heart beating out of my chest I try to get myself together, seeing as they seem as surprised as me to come across another being here.
“Uh… hi.”, I breathe, half question half sentence.
The creature does not react at first, and then slowly starts moving around, almost levitating as they merge and untangle themselves from their natural surroundings.
“Queer… Most very queer… Are you not scared, bunny?
- Um. I mean, I am, but. Who… What are you?
- Oh bun, she giggles. Though it sounds more like bells softly ringing than a laugh.
I am… anything you want me to be.”
Impressive how her whole body seemed to light up saying that, atmosphere warming up gently.
A bird flying out into the sky.
“That’s… not a definite answer. What if I want you to be a friend rather than a foe?
- You can ask that. You can ask even more if you’d like.
- I don’t think I should. Doesn’t feel right.”
It also still did not feel real to be talking to a literal tree woman. Though she may be beautiful and enticing. She is, isn’t she, I tell myself. Magnificent, says something in a corner of my mind. Something tells me a kiss from her would be divine. Absolutely ravishing. Breath-taking. Life-changing. I need to make her mine.
“Would you stay with me forever?
- My, bunny, of course. Whatever you’d like.”
What I don’t see is her slightly deformed smirk as she seems pleased of what she hears.
I approach her calmly and take their wooden, soft hand in mine. Locking eyes. I can feel her aura surrounding me, like a warm hug after a long day. I could see myself living in her arms forever.
“Would you kiss me?”, I whisper.
She does not answer and dives softly into me, brushing her flowery lips against mine. Seems as they flourished in between our words. It’s a silent explosion. I do not think I will ever need to live on my own anymore, with her on my side. No one will believe me. I will be her only lover. We will stay. My stomach turns and churns as I try to feel her face and hair with the palms of my hands and, God, do they feel soft, and good. It feels right. For a moment in my life, I forget about everything. I was so hungry, so tired, I lacked sleep but now, her words are my water, her kisses my food and her voice my air.
“Never leave.”, someone says.
“Never.”, the other replies.
Though, not one of us knows if the other spoke first or second.
"Is that you?"
"Once. This drawing… it's older than here."
One day, someone will find a bone finger of mine. Maybe step on it and will make it crack. Broken. Weak. And they will shiver as the wind around them will envelop them in horror and amazement.
They will most certainly come across her. Like I did. They'll fall. And fall harder and deeper. So dizzyingly fast. They will tell their friends. They will forget their friends. They will stay.
And they will never. Come back.
,_Great_Otway_National_Park,_Beauchamp_Falls_--_2019_--_1271.jpg){kind=link}
