Nature’s Witness
Sunlit leaves breezed past the window as John drove Sarah deep into the woods of Shadowpeak Mountain. It was their five year wedding anniversary and he’d worked very hard to surprise her with a weekend stay at a cabin in the woods. She loved being in nature and, although that wasn’t really his thing, he adored his wife and loved to make her smile. Her happiness warmed him deeper than any ray of sunshine ever could.
Sarah had finally guessed where they were headed when they turned down a twisting and winding road into Shadowpeak Mountain. Her sweet husband always seemed to have a trick up his sleeve and this one was amazing! He knew she loved the outdoors but he had quite accidentally stumbled upon the absolute perfect surprise weekend getaway. Sarah didn’t just love the outdoors, she felt bonded to it. Grass and trees and moving water, it all called to her in a voice almost as real as any person she'd ever heard. She hadn’t revealed that side of herself to him yet, but maybe this weekend would be the perfect moment to do it.
Fear of judgement was always what kept her silent about her lineage, having come from a long line of practicing witches dating back many generations. Since the day he proposed, she’d told herself that she would tell him soon but weeks turned into months which turned into years and now, five years into their life together, she was starting to feel deceptive by not sharing with him the most important parts of herself. Also, it was becoming a challenge to explain why she always seemed to disappear during full moons or eclipses or any other lunar events. He had taken to calling her his moon goddess for all the time she spent in the woods with the moon. This weekend was not just their anniversary. There was also a supermoon this Saturday night and she was more than excited to experience that deep in the woods and away from other people.
John worked his way up the curving, one lane, dirt road higher and higher. At times, the tree lined road threatened to stop him in his tracks with limbs seemingly reaching for their SUV. Sarah rolled her window down to take in full, deep breaths of the forest air. The sounds of crickets, frogs, and other wildlife filled their ears like a symphony presented by Mother Nature herself, just for them. Sarah couldn’t hide the joy on her face and John found himself slightly distracted by her bliss. It’s exactly what he’d hoped for.
Just before sunset, they came upon their little cabin. It was a simple structure with visible logs forming its walls and a tin roof perfect for falling asleep during a light rain. The gravel walkway was lined with ferns and the prettiest little flowers that looked like pink dangling hearts all in a row. Sarah practically skipped around the car to take John’s hand as they walked up to the cabin’s door. He pulled her close and the scent of her homemade lavender perfume filled his lungs as he breathed her in. This moment couldn’t possibly be more perfect. Upon opening the door, they were both greeted by a quaint, rustic living room area with a small kitchen tucked in the corner. A washboard, what looked like a handsewn quilt, and a painting of a rooster were among the decor adorning the walls. An oil lantern sat on one of the tables against the wall and looked ready to use with oil still inside it. The kitchen area was cheerfully decorated with red and white plaid picnic cloth on the table and lemons stitched onto every dish cloth and curtain. It felt like a well loved farm home from the moment the couple entered the cabin.
The bedroom was sweetly romantic with tones of red and pink amongst the wood finished furniture and simply decorated window dressings. John scooped Sarah up and gently collapsed onto the plush bed with her, kissing her softly as she giggled. The energy of this place filled every pore of her body and she happily melted into his arms. For a moment, they both forgot anyone else in the world existed. His fingers ran through her long, brown hair as her fingers searched for the buttons on his shirt. Once they were both free of their clothing, she welcomed him into her. He was her soulmate and she was his. They both knew this to be true without either of them ever speaking it aloud.
Laying in each other’s arms, listening to the nighttime creatures sing their songs, John and Sarah drifted off to sleep with perfect contentment. Their bags hadn’t even been moved into the cabin or the car doors locked. They were so far in the woods of this mountain that there didn’t seem any need to be cautious. They were happy to simply be in the moment and enjoy their time together.
Morning sunlight found its way through the trees and into one of the bedroom windows, shining onto John’s face. It was the most satisfying way to wake up. Sarah was breathing quietly beside him, still deep in slumber. He was mesmerized, staring intently to memorize every soft curve and dimple of her form. He’d never been so in love with anyone in his whole life. His friends kept warning of a seven year itch when they would begin to drift apart but he couldn’t even imagine such a thing.
After some time, John carefully eased out of bed trying not to wake his beautiful wife. He splashed water on his face, dressed, and began to unload the car. He’d paid extra to have the kitchen stocked with a list of groceries he’d given the cabin owners so they wouldn’t have to worry about shopping. Once the bags were in the house, he got to work making pancakes, Sarah’s favorite breakfast food. She must’ve heard the commotion because she came out of the bedroom right as he was pouring the first pancake in the frying pan, smiling ear to ear.
“I love you.” she said, touching his shoulder as she walked past. He could never explain it but her touch always felt ever so slightly electrified, like she was full of static electricity.
“I love you, too.” he answered, and meant every word of it.
Sarah shifted some of the luggage around and found her shower bag. Lifting it out of the suitcase along with some fresh clothes, she said “I’m going to grab a quick shower.”
“Don’t be too long.” he warned. “Breakfast will be ready in about twenty minutes.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t miss your homemade pancakes for anything.” she assured him and walked back into the bedroom.
After a breakfast of pancakes, fresh strawberries and blueberries, and Irish breakfast tea, John and Sarah decided to go for a long walk to explore the woods around them. It was Saturday and Sarah had an ulterior motive, too. She wanted to find the best place to be with the supermoon that night, preferably with John since she planned to explain her alternative lifestyle she’d kept hidden from him these five years.
It was good that he’d secretly packed their hiking boots because the terrain was to be expected for the side of a mountain. Slate and other rocks jutted out everywhere and trees were so dense in some places that they could reach out and touch several at one time. It was a glorious place to find yourself, Sarah thought. You couldn’t possibly be sad in woods like these, even if you wanted to. She believed doctors should bring back the practice of prescribing long stays in secluded places for ill people. Surely, a month in this cabin could cure just about anything.
After hiking for about twenty minutes, John and Sarah came to an opening on the side of the mountain that featured some large slate rocks and the most magnificent view of the valley and neighboring towns that she’d ever seen in her life. Breathtaking was an accurate description since she gasped after a moment and realized she’d been holding her breath in awe of it. John also seemed to be silenced by the sea of green trees with little church steeples sticking up every now and then, signifying each village. Serenity washed over both of them. They stood quietly for several minutes, just taking in the majesty of it all. The blue sky was clear except for the occasional white puffy cloud the mountain created and cast away from itself. Birds chirped, squirrels scampered from tree to tree, and something much larger than a squirrel lumbered through the woods behind them. Probably a large buck or maybe even a bear. John was happy to be wearing his backpack with his bear spray hanging from the side. Whatever that was, it sounded big. Sarah didn’t seem to notice it but he had and that was okay. Let her enjoy the moment. He was happy, privileged even, to be her protector for the rest of their lives.
After several minutes passed, Sarah turned to John with a loving but slightly nervous look on her face. He could tell something was on her mind. She always had a little crease in her forehead when something was bothering her. It was how he always knew when she really needed him, emotionally.
“You know how my mom, Granny, and Great Granny always loved home remedies and nature?” she began. He nodded. “It’s where I learned everything I know about herbs and gardening, and natural healing.”
“I know.” he confirmed. “It’s one of the quirky things I love about you.” he said and brushed some of her hair out of her face.
“There are other things I learned from the women in my life. Things that I’ve been too shy, or maybe nervous, to share. I don’t know why. You’ve never given me any reason to fear sharing my whole self with you. I guess I just worried that it would change how you look at me.” Sarah said.
Surprised, John looked deep into her green eyes and said, “I can’t think of anything that could change how I feel about you.”
“That. That look right there. I love when you look at me like I’m the only person in the whole world. Like I’m your world and you’re mine. Because that’s how I feel about you. I think I’d melt into the ground and cease to exist if I lost that connection with you.” she said, tears forming in her eyes.
“Sarah.” he said gently as he wiped a tear from her cheek. “I’m not even worried about whatever you’re about to tell me. I just want to take away this anxiety that’s inside you right now. If telling me this secret will alleviate that for you, hurry up and tell me because I know everything will be fine after that.”
As Sarah prepared to speak again, John noticed that distant trudging sound deep in the woods. It sounded far enough away that he allowed his focus to stay with Sarah. He wasn’t sure what was bothering her so much but he wanted to be there for her.
“I….I come from a long line of healers. But not just healers. The women in my family are….special.” she managed to say.
“I think I’m following you. Are you hinting at witchcraft?” he asked.
“I am.” she said with an intended amount of surprise in her voice. “How did you guess?”
“That was no guess, honey. You disappear for walks in the woods whenever there’s some kind of moon anomaly.” he began. “You grow herbs I’ve never even heard of and always seem to have some concoction for me to take when I’m not feeling well. The crazy part is that they always work! I haven’t bought medication in a few years now.”
Her relief was so palpable that they both laughed out loud. Tears were flowing down her face now but they were tears of happiness, of being truly seen for the first time in her 26 years of life. Every other person she’d told outside of her own family had ridiculed her and slowly pulled away from her.
“And I know the table in our reading room isn’t simply trinkets. I got curious and researched the things on that table. It’s an altar, isn’t it?” he asked.
She was awestruck, not just by his perceptiveness but by his acceptance without ever even feeling the need to discuss it with her. He’d known all this time and never let on. And to think, she thought she’d been so clever in hiding it.
“So, I’m a witch, you’ve known it for a while, and everything is fine?!” she exclaimed, half laughing as she spoke.
“Yes!” he answered, enthusiastically. “Why do you think I brought us to a cabin in the woods of a mountain on the weekend of a supermoon? I figured being higher in altitude during a supermoon might be a good thing. I don’t know a whole lot about your craft but I did read that somewhere during my research.”
“I didn’t think I could love you any more than I already did but here I am, feeling something so much deeper.” Sarah stammered. She really was in awe of him. He was everything she’d ever hoped to find in a partner. She did cast a spell on her eighteenth birthday, asking the universe to send her perfect match to her but she had no idea what finding that person would really feel like. It was bliss.
John embraced Sarah in a hug so engulfing that it also held her soul tightly to him. He didn’t try to kiss her or alter the mood to anything romantic. He just held her while they both looked over the mountainside to the world beyond.
Softly, he said, “So, is this a good spot for my moon goddess to visit with her moon?”
She grinned and replied, “Yes. It’s the perfect spot.”
Hiking back to the cabin was made a bit easier by the bright yellow ribbons they’d loosely tied to tree limbs along the way. She would remove them before they left but they made an excellent trail to follow in the darkness of night. She would need that guidance to get back to the opening on the side of the mountain that night. Now that her secret was fully revealed, she was able to openly plan for her visit with the supermoon. John watched and listened as she explained what she intended to do and gathered the items she needed, both from what she brought with her and what she scavenged for in the brush and trees outside their cabin. He found it all to be fascinating and also a little seductive. His wife was already a beautiful woman but to see her under the bright light of a supermoon being her true self. Well, he found it to be very alluring.
For dinner that night, Sarah made a big pot of soup while explaining that using foraged foods from these woods could bring her closer to Mother Nature and help her connect better when she went to visit the moon. The soup was delicious. She found wild garlic, onion, and various leaves and mushrooms that she included in it. He never once questioned the safety of eating such things because he knew her family was well versed in foraging. They’d been doing it for generations. It also helped that he had ordered that food from the cabin owners. He knew what foods and seasonings she liked to cook with and made sure they were available to her.
After dinner, she began gathering the things she wanted to bring with her to the clearing. Crystals, candles in candle holders, chalk for drawing on the slate rock, and some oil concoction were all packed carefully in a pack for her to carry on the hike. He respectfully asked if he could go with her this time, as an observer, and she happily agreed. She’d been hoping he would accompany her. She wanted to share her whole self with him now, without holding anything back. It felt so freeing. His pack would be water and snacks and protective items like the bear spray and a taser if any wildlife got too close. She didn’t think those things would be necessary but he knew it was better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
They left when there was about half an hour before nightfall because they knew it was about a twenty minute hike. Although the moonlight would be bright, hiking before the sun had fully set would be easier. Getting back would be more tricky but John had flashlights for that and the yellow ribbons were easy to see in the dark. They both felt very prepared and were thrilled to eventually see the clearing up ahead of them.
John sat off to the side while Sarah meticulously set out her items, one by one. First, she drew a circular shape on the large slate rock. He wasn’t sure what it meant but she drew it quickly and cleanly so he figured this was not her first time doing so. Next, she took out the crystals and placed them in their respective spots with care. Finally, she lit the candles and set them out, surrounding herself with soft candlelight. As she was preparing the oils she’d brought with her, his attention shifted from her process of doing things to just her. She was stunning. Her hair was not pulled up but hanging loosely, almost touching the small of her back. The setting sun cast a dim light on her body, which showed through the white, floorlength sundress she wore.
As he sat admiring her, a familiar sound drew his attention to the woods behind them. It was the slow, steady, plodding through the thick woods that he’d noticed earlier in the day. It almost sounded like something very large was steadily walking towards them from far away, pushing branches and brush away from it as it passed through them. There was a distinct sound every time it seemed to lift a foot and a thud that vibrated through the ground every time the foot landed. This didn’t seem like a bear to him, now that he was paying attention more carefully. It seemed like a dinosaur from one of those movies but he knew that was impossible. So, what was it?
Sarah finished setting up her items and sat next to John to wait until the moon was high enough and bright enough in the sky. Another muffled boom came from the woods and she turned quickly and said, “Did you hear that?”
“I did. I was just sitting here trying to decide what it sounds like.” he answered.
The sound happened a few more times and Sarah said, “It almost sounds like when the T-Rex was coming towards the people in that movie, doesn’t it?”
“I was just thinking that.” John agreed. “That’s not what it is, of course, but it sounds too big to be a bear to me.
“Yeah, too big for that. But what is it? Are we safe to be here?” she asked.
John considered her question and responded, “If it continues to get louder, it could mean it’s moving towards us and we should probably head back. I’ll keep an eye on it. You focus on what you’re doing. I’ll interrupt if I think it’s time to go.”
“Thank you, my protector.” she said with a smile. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and stood to begin her bonding with the moon. She pulled a glass jar out of her bag and took the lid off. “May I have some of that water you brought? I want to charge it in the moonlight.”
John smiled and handed her one of the two pouches of water he’d brought. She poured it into the clear glass jar and set it on the flat slate rock she was stepping onto. She slipped her hiking boots off, as well as her socks, so she could be completely in contact with the Earth. Grounding herself during her rituals was an important step to connecting with Mother Nature.
Sarah, barefoot and dressed in only her flowing white sundress, stepped across the slate ground and stood in the circle she’d created. John watched as she turned her face straight upward to the huge moon, eyes closed. A slight breeze moved her thin dress around her and he could see that she had nothing on underneath it. He felt a stirring in his body, a longing for her. The deep, slow sound of lumbered footsteps pulled him out of his thoughts and back to reality. Sarah stood swaying and reaching for the sky while chanting softly but John sat near the treeline, listening. He didn’t like how much more he could feel the sound in his feet and butt. It was booming enough that it was vibrating the log he was sitting on.
John quietly stood and turned to face the woods. The sound felt close enough that he felt like he should start looking for movement among the trees. Thankfully, the supermoon was bright enough that night didn’t really seem like night, more like dusk. He was getting close to interrupting Sarah when he noticed something odd. Way back in the trees, just barely visible in the dim light, was a yellow ribbon tied to a tree limb. Except, that wasn’t at all the direct they’d come from. There was no logical reason for that particular tree to have a ribbon on it.
“Sarah” John called while still staring at the out of place ribbon.
“Yes,” Sarah answered, a little out of breath. “What’s wrong?”
“I just….I’m not sure why one of our ribbons is over there when we came from this direction over here.” He pointed as he spoke. She looked at the ribbon they’d left on the nearest tree and then in the opposite direction he’d indicated. After a few moments, she did see a yellow ribbon deep within the trees. It took her a moment to find it but it was there.
“How do you think it got there?” she asked. She began to walk toward John and as she stepped onto the dirt where he was, she gasped.
“What?” he said, thinking she’d stepped on something sharp with her bare feet.
“We’re not alone. I can feel something through the soil, like a buzzing. It’s big and it’s not…It’s not a person. It’s something else. It feels like the trees feel but….” she paused as she kneeled down and put both hands on the ground, palms against the soil. “It has thoughts of its own. And a purpose.” she finished.
“What’s its purpose?” John asked. He was quite alarmed but he never even thought to question or doubt her. For some reason, he knew she was right. No matter how far fetched it sounded.
“Us” she answered. “I can’t tell if it means us harm but it’s coming this way and we are what it’s coming for.
“Okay,” John said abruptly. “Time to go.” Sarah began to gather her things and John barked a quick “No. Leave them. We should go now.”
Sarah followed his lead and immediately slipped her socks and boots back on, taking nothing else that she’d laid out on the slate. John grabbed his pack of supplies beside him and they entered the forest where their ribbon trail began.
Armed with the bear spray in one hand and the taser in the other, John hiked at a steady pace, constantly glancing behind him to make sure Sarah was keeping up and safe. Following the yellow ribbons, they continued for several minutes before he heard Sarah speak softly from behind him.
“There’s a tree with a yellow ribbon off to our left where the deep trudging sounds are coming from.” she whispered.
“I know.” he replied, glancing to his left just in time to see the tree’s trunk split in two and uproot itself to take another booming step towards them. He spotted it a few minutes ago but didn’t tell Sarah, hoping they could make it back to the cabin before she noticed it. With leaves rustling and branches snapping, the massive tree completed the step and then brought the other half of its trunk together with the first, instantly sealing them together as if it had never been split in the first place. The thing was forming legs each time it wanted to move and then closing them up again after each step. John’s mind raced but he couldn’t come up with any explanation for what was currently pursuing them. It defied all logic and yet, it was managing to keep pace with them. Maybe even gaining on them.
“Can you go any faster?” he quietly asked her.
“A little maybe, but I’m getting tired.” she answered, shakily.
“It’s taking much bigger steps than us but we might be able to move faster. I think we’re only about five minutes from the cabin but we can half that if we run. Let’s make a break for it as fast as we can.” he whispered. He had no idea how well trees could hear, if they could even hear at all. Of course, this one was walking so anything was possible, he figured.
“Okay” she agreed and they both broke out into a sprint, branches scratching at their faces and roots pulling at their feet. With the treeline up ahead and the cabin within view, the worst happened. Sarah tripped while running at full speed and fell hard on the ground behind John. He whirled around to see her picking herself back up and the tree, trunk split and stepping, coming right up on her. John had no time to help her up, he jumped between her and the tree and held up his only weapons. He tossed the bear spray aside, realizing that it would do them much more harm than the massive tree looming above them. He wasn’t even sure if it had a face to spray it at.
Two large branches suddenly shed their leaves all at once leaving only long, spindle-like twigs, a yellow ribbon hanging loosely from one. They reached for John like fingers on two very long, knotted arms. Groans came from the wood as it bent and moved in ways wood wasn’t meant to move. As soon as one got close enough to him, he reached out with the taser and made contact with it. Sparks flew and the tree withdrew but only long enough to pluck it from his hand and shove it deep into the soil near its roots. Then, in one swift motion, the tree’s twisting hands engulfed John in a wooden cage too woven to escape from. The treetop bent down to face him, banging and knocking into other stationary trees around it as if they weren’t even there. Two enormous eyes opened in the top of its trunk and blinked once at him. The whites of its eyes were as pale and light as fresh snow with green irises as deep and multicolored as its leaves. The pupils widened like saucers, as if it were trying to use as much light as possible to fully see what it had caught. As they locked eyes, John and the tree were held there in a stare that they didn’t break for several seconds. To John’s amazement, the tree’s eye color changed from a deep green to a light blue and a mouth and nose opened just under its now sky blue eyes.
“I have seen your soul and found you to be brave and kind. You may continue on your way.” the tree said with a booming, bass voice that shook the leaves and ground around them. The tree’s fingers unwove themselves and John stumbled back to look at Sarah. Her eyes were filled with both fear and astonishment, staring up at the colossal tree with a face, arms, and hands. She’d stopped trying to get up and simply gaped at the tree.
The tree blinked and its eyes were back to the deep green color they’d been a moment ago. As it reached for her, John began to jump to her defense and Sarah waved her hand quickly to stop him. She’d twisted her ankle and couldn’t stand so she simply sat and waited for the tree to trap her like it had John. But it didn’t. It was as if the tree knew she couldn’t escape so it had no need to hold her captive. It simply looked at her and blinked as it had to John, catching her in the same steady stare it had shared with John. After a moment, the tree’s eyes again changed to a beautiful, sky blue but with a tinge of gray this time.
Its mouth curled into a smile as it said, “You are a child of the forest, raised by those among us to heal and serve. Your soul is pure and kind. You may continue on your way.” With that, the tree reached out its hand and extended a slender finger to her. She grasped it and the tree gently pulled her up off the ground into a standing position. John rushed in to help steady her as she let go of the tree and stood shakily. The tree slowly stood tall again and looked back at John, its green eyes returning once more.
“Protect her. She is cherished.” it thundered. With that, the tree’s face sunk back into its trunk, the arms sprouted green leaves again while retracting back to a normal length, and its trunk split into legs that it used to begin its trek back into the depths of the forest. Watching it trod through the forest away from them, they realized the other trees shifted to make room as it passed, as if to show respect for their leader. John and Sarah watched for several minutes as their yellow ribbon gradually disappeared into the forest.
John had no words. He looked at Sarah with pleading eyes, searching for an explanation but Sarah had none. She only stared back with the same bewildered look.
After a few moments, John said, “Lets get you off of your feet and take a look at your ankle.” Sarah nodded and John helped her into the cabin. After wrapping her ankle with supplies from the cabin’s first aid kit, John asked if Sarah wanted to leave. She was adamant that she did not want to leave. They slept deeply that night, despite the experience they’d just had and awoke to birds chirping happily the next morning. Sarah’s ankle felt a bit more sturdy and she insisted on making the hike back to get her belongings. They traveled the ribbon path slowly, taking double the time it took them before. John gathered up her things, including the glass jar of supermoon-charged water, and packed them for their hike back to the cabin. All along the way back to the cabin, they carefully removed the ribbons they’d placed to mark their way. With all of their luggage packed and the handful of yellow ribbons stored in Sarah’s witchcraft supplies, they had a pleasant lunch at the picnic table on the porch of the cabin before leaving. Sarah wished they had one more day but it was time to return to civilization. They left the cabin with their car windows down to enjoy the fresh mountain air one last time. Somewhere off in the distance, they could hear the rhythmic rumble of the tree making its way through the mountainous forest. They no longer feared it but did wonder what would’ve happened if they’d been judged differently.
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