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The sky is heavy with clouds, and there is barely any light breaking through the dense foliage. I know I should not be in this forest, but something about it draws me in. As I keep going further, the mist covering over the ground grows thicker – so thick it almost becomes impossible to see the ground. I tread lightly.
The forest is silent; there is no sound of birds or insects – none. The only sound that echoes through the dark passages of the trees are my footsteps. The cold is so sharp I could almost feel it piercing my bones. Though it is dusk, dew still sleeps heavy on the leaves.
Something about this forest does not feel right. Instinct tells me I should run away as fast as I can, yet my body urges me on. It is as if a silent melody haunts the caverns of these woods, enticing me to find it's source.
Now and then, I could swear I felt eyes looking at me through the trees in the distance. I ignore them.
Eventually I come to a cliff. Below, I can only see more expanse of trees, stretching for what seems like eternity. The mist envelops them as far as the eyes can see. I sit on the edge and look up. It's beginning to drizzle lightly now, the clouds roaring gently. As I sit here, I know that I am so far away from town, far away from everyone else. And yet, my heart swells with sweet melancholy. This is where I belong, it is my solitude, my refuge. I do not crave human touch. The melody tugs at my heartstrings, begging me to go further, to keep searching until I find it. What 'it' is, I do not know, I only know that it waits to be found, and found by me alone.
No, I will not go further, not today. The moon is starting to rise. I must head back. I turn and ignore that sweet calling. I head into the forest, making my way back to the town. Though I do not belong there, I know the town is where I must be. Where I belong, on the other hand, is an entirely different matter altogether. Only the forest knows, but it is too late to continue this quest, and my body is far too weary.
