The Forest

The walk through the forest yielded sights and smells that aroused the senses. Straw berries as big as my fist weaved through the greens at the base. Wild Spanish moss webbed the canopy, dotted with tropical birds above its crest. The path below was crunchy, a little loud for a quiet walk in the trees. The noise was welcome though, without it there would be nothing to compare the silence to. Animals were seen but not heard. How they managed to avoid the noisy crunch was a mystery. Maybe they just avoided the path? Up ahead a stranger rests on a fallen tree. He was wearing a McDonald’s crew uniform, the old kind woven with orange polyester cloth. He smelled like French fries. "Out for a walk today my friend?" He said to me. "No, actually I am taking a nap right now; you are lounging in my dream". I said. "my apologies, I don't mean to trespass, I will leave if you want me to. It is your dream" the stranger said. I was not sure how to respond to this, it was my dream after all. Do with it what I like, that is a choice cherished by those who drift away in slumber. However, he is my creation. His presence available for some reason. Better to keep him here in the woods. "No, I suppose you are here for a reason, stay where you are." Upon my request, he began to fade from sight. Right before my eyes. As the stranger slowly melted, a glimpse of his face caught my eye. A familiar face it was. Uncanny how I had possibly met this person before. In another time? Another place? Before the thought was over, the stranger was gone. Kind of odd, I thought. It is a dream.