Midsummer Sojourn

“Where are we going, Qi’Anna?” asked the young boy as he raced to keep pace with his younger friend. Qi’Anna remained silent but had her lips parted in an excited smile. Occasionally, she would turn her head to face him and their eyes would meet for a moment. She would open her mouth slightly as if to speak, then flush a deep red and turn her attention back to navigating the forest. Leo could not understand what big secret would be waiting among the pine trees and rocky slopes around them, but Qi’Anna had been so eager to show him he had no choice but to follow. He thought she had a rather strange way of convincing you to agree with her ideas, no matter how outlandish or contrived they may seem.

The worn path they started on began to vanish as they traveled deeper and deeper into the woods until it was all but lost under a fiery sea of orange leaves. Acorns and twigs snapped violently under Leo’s leather-bound sandals, while Qi’Anna floated like a spirit over the loamy earth. As the trees began to grow closer together and cast flakes of white sunlight across the forest bed, Qi’Anna reached back and took Leo’s hand in her own. At first Leo assumed she did it to help prevent him from getting lost in the dark underbrush. However, as her small slender fingers curled over the back of his hand, he felt her unusually warm radiance and elevated heartbeat and knew that something very exciting awaited them deeper in the brush.

Despite the cool autumn air, Leo felt beads of sweat condense on his forehead. The forest grew darker, the trees grew closer, the air colder, and an odd sense of fear crept upon him. The cloak he drew so tightly among himself no longer shielded him from the temperature, which had become almost frigid in the absence of the sun’s rays. High above, a thick canopy of branches and leaves quivered in a gentle breeze. Leo’s feet felt like blocks of ice. He was certain he would have frozen to death had it not been for Qi’Anna. The warmth emanating from the silky skin on her hand slowly spread along his arm and drove the frigidness away.

Eventually the forest canopy had consumed the sun’s rays almost entirely, leaving Qi’Anna and Leo alone in utter darkness. Even the animals and insects had gone quiet and, undoubtedly, retreated to a safer avenue of the forest. Leo’s heart began to race as he felt Qi’Anna’s silky fingers slip from his hands, trailing into the darkness until they retreated completely from sight. Leo now had nothing to guide him except for the soft pitter-patter of Qi’Anna’s naked feet on the bare Earth. As the seconds passed, however, even the sound of her footsteps retreated into the darkness and took with them the last ounce of Leo’s courage. He felt himself slowing down and eventually stopped to catch his breath, leaning against the barely visible trunk of an enormous tree.

“Qi’Anna?” he called, though the darkness swallowed his trembling voice. Prodding around with a short stick, he stumbled forward through a small patch of undergrowth. As the twigs and bushes tore at his clothes and skin, he worriedly called out his companion’s name. He scanned the darkness frantically, praying for some sight of the young girl. As he yelled out her name for the third time, he caught his foot on the gnarled root of a nearby tree and fell bodily into the muddy earth. His left sandal snapped off and was lost to the darkness. His cloak was torn and ragged, barely hanging onto his shoulders. The tunic and breeches he wore were caked with dirt and pulled heavily with the added weight of fresh mud. With tears in his eyes, he picked himself up from the dank wet earth, using every ounce of strength within him to resist the strong suction pulling him back down to the ground. As soon as he pulled himself free and stepped onto drier land, he stumbled against the oppressive trunk of another nearby tree and shrank to the ground. Realizing that it was getting late, and that nobody had any true idea of where he was, he quietly sobbed. He huddled close with his legs pulled up to his chest, his clothes cold and heavy from the mud. With his muscles sore, cuts and bruises along his arms and legs, and the frosty air flowing around him, Leo felt he would be lost forever.

He whimpered and closed his eyes when he was suddenly struck by a warm breeze. It was a gentle breeze, but the heat carried with it was a shocking change from the cool autumn air. Leo lifted his head and opened his eyes, curious to find the source of the draft. It did not take long for him to rise from the ground, drawn forward by a faint glimmer of white light in the distance. Though his guiding stick had cracked in the mud and his feet were cut from roots and fallen branches Leo pushed forward, his eyes fixed on that distant point of light. After minutes of pushing through the brush, the light appeared unnatural in brightness and purity. It peered through the brush in a small, focused point, as though aimed directly at him. After many minutes of fighting through the growth, he came upon what seemed to be a wall of solid white light punctuated with bushes and low-hanging branches. With a hint of trepidation he passed through, feeling the light wash over his body like a cloud of steam hanging low over a bath of boiling water.

When his eyes finally adjusted to his surroundings, he felt a rush of new sensations overcome his body. First was the heat: he was no longer in the heart of a cold forest, but under the sun’s radiant light. He felt that same warm breeze that once drew him toward the light fluttering over his skin, driving away the chill that nearly pinned him to the ground. He could smell the sweet fragrance of wildflowers drifting with the wind and his ears were greeted with a chorus of chirping birds, not far above in the distant treetops but closer to the earth, no doubt bathing in the sun’s rays. A small brook trickled nearby, and he was drawn towards it with the hopes of washing the muck off his body.

He kneeled at the edge of the small stream and put his hands under the warm water, cupping them and bringing them to his face. As the water splashed over his skin, he was startled to find that his hands were clean and smooth and unmarred by blood or cuts. Looking down at his clothes, he was alarmed to see a fresh tunic over his chest and a new cloak hanging from his shoulders. He could feel the sandals on his feet again, bound with fresh leather. Leo wiped the water from his eyes and peered a bit more intently at his environment.

The clearing was a small, hilly break in the forest. He entered the clearing at the foot of a predominant hill and was resting at the base of a small waterfall. Large pollen grains sailed gently from the top of the hill, where he noticed the sparse remnants of a building made of brick and wood. A squirrel, perched on a lone log at the edge of the hill, looked down at him with curiosity, then darted off toward the destroyed building. Leo got to his feet and started up the hill, feeling a vigorous new energy replace the weariness that overtook him in the forest. After scaling the hill, he nearly bumped into a young deer that crossed his path. The fawn gave him a passing glance and continued on, as though transfixed by something in the distance. Several more animals of various sizes and species went past in the same direction. Birds, chipmunks, insects, foxes, young bears, and many more creatures formed a crowded circle around what appeared to be an old cabin. It was the destroyed building he had seen from the bottom of the hill; long claimed by the elements, the cabin was little more than a pile of wood and a stone foundation. The animals sat around the apparent center of the cabin, perched on rotten logs or mossy stone. All eyes were drawn to another creature hidden from Leo’s sight by the cabin’s chimney.

Leo approached the ruins with an eye on his feet, making sure not to inadvertently step on the smaller animals. He was no longer afraid of disturbing the creatures: they were so intent on their subject that they barely twitched when he passed through their sight. As he worked his way through the ruins, he made a startling discovery: sitting on the top of a large rock, dressed in a white silk gown, was his friend Qi’Anna, who had vanished while leading him through the woods. In the bare sunlight her skin was as pure and as radiant as the full moon. Her auburn hair fluttered in the breeze and a red breasted robin, seeing an opening, glided onto her shoulder and stared down at a young hare resting in her lap. She appeared benevolent and compassionate with her hands, gaze, and smile focused on the creature in her lap.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” She whispered. The wind carried her voice across the hilltop, and hundreds of furry ears perked up attentively. She patted the rock next to her and the gathering of animals spread out backwards, leaving an opening in the grass large enough for Leo to pass through. He did so after a moment of hesitation, and sat besides Qi’Anna. The stone was warm from the sun and inviting to the touch. He felt his body relax as the animals drew closer. A fox cub leapt up onto Leo’s leg and nestled into his lap.

“Qi’Anna,” Leo finally whispered, though he was not quite sure what to say. She smiled and turned her head towards him. “Isn’t it beautiful?” She repeated, turning her gaze back to the creature in her lap. A monarch butterfly landed on Leo’s hand and slowly fluttered its wings. He needed a moment to take in his surroundings.

“What is this place?” He asked after a short time.

“This is my home,” Qi’Anna answered. Leo looked at her quizzically. Her voice was soft and endearing, like a mother speaking to her newborn child.

Leo glanced in awe at the clearing before him: the plump health critters scurrying across the ground, the wide swaths of brilliant flowers and flora, the wild orchestra of birds in the surrounding treetops. He also glanced at the remains of the log cabin, the few logs here and there which seemed ready to give way after years of exposure.

“You live here?”

Qi’Anna nodded.“This is where I was born.”

“Where do you sleep?”

She nodded at a patch of dirt just in front of her. “Right here.”

“What do you eat?”

As if on cue, the hare in her lap hopped down into the forest and bound into the forest. After a short delay, it came bounding from the brush carrying an apple which it politely offered to Leo.

“But…I don’t understand,” said Leo, declining the apple. “Where are your parents?”

“They’re gone,” she replied matter of factly. “It’s okay though, I have everything I need right here.” The creatures of the forest drew closer, and Qi’Anna lowered her eyes to the glittering grass. As the sun drew closer to the horizon, the small furry creatures began to drape themselves along her feet and legs, sharing their warmth.

“Leo, I wanted to show you-” Her voice broke as she spoke, and her eyes shone brightly.

“Show me what?”

Qi’Anna suddenly smiled and lifted her head to him, her cheeks wet with tears. “We have been friends for a very long time, haven’t we Leo?”

Leo shrugged his shoulders and nodded.

“And we’ve had so much fun together, haven’t we Leo?”

Leo grinned and nodded vigorously.

“And we can trust each other to keep promises, can’t we Leo?”

“Of course we can,” he replied softly. Qi’Anna leaned back slowly in her seat and rubbed her feet across the animals laying by her. She inhaled slowly and deeply, and seemed to purify the air around her with each breath. Leo saw how her dress seemed to catch a wind that was not there.

“We will always be friends, Leo, but we can’t play together anymore. From now on, I have to stay here. Please, don’t tell anyone about this place.”

Leo nearly jumped out of his seat. “Stay? Why-”

Qi’Anna raised her hand towards him and he was suddenly transfixed by a feeling of placidity. His chest, which was on the point of bursting just a moment ago, felt lightened of a heavy and horrible burden, and something beyond his own intuition encouraged him to sit back down.

“There are some things that can’t be said,” said the girl. “I know things that I can’t explain, Leo. I know I need to stay here, and I know I can’t let anyone else stay with me.” She reached over and took his hands in hers. “But even though we can’t see each other anymore, I know we have a friendship that can’t be broken. I know you can’t be happy unless you know where I am, and that I’m safe. Spending time with you is the happiest I’ve been in a very long time, Leo, and I would give up everything to be your friend for just a day longer. But please, if our friendship means anything to you, trust me - I have to stay here.”

Leo stared into the eyes of his friend but his vision was glazed by tears. He lightly rubbed her silky skin with his fingers and nodded in understanding. In a single dream-like instance he found himself in the arms of his friend, sobbing horribly into her pristine dress while she hummed and rocked him like an infant. The creatures of the forest brushed against his legs and perched on the nearby ruins and he wept with renewed vigor.

The sky turned red with the approach of twilight. Qi’Anna led Leo down the hillside towards the edge of the clearing, where the trees formed an impenetrable barrier. They halted at the border, and turned to one another.

“Will I ever see you again?” Asked Leo.

Qi’Anna grinned. “Sooner than you think.” She gave him a wink and elicited a small smile. She reached into the sky and a large, gracious butterfly landed on the tip of her finger. She brought it to her lips and appeared to whisper softly before launching the creature back into the sky. Leo followed the seemingly erratic flight of the butterfly across the clearing and up towards the hill, where it seemed to consult its environment, then watched it flutter back down towards the spot where the two friends were standing. He followed it as it went towards the trees, then stepped back in amazement as a well-worn trail bore a straight path through what was impenetrable forest just a minute earlier. The butterfly went in a few feet before stopping, as if expecting a companion. Leo turned to Qi’Anna to give her a final goodbye, but she was no longer there.

Leo exited the forest under the brilliant rays of a luminescent moon. The path had led him safely through the gnarled and tangled wood back to familiar territory. He heard his name being called and continued forward, following the dream-like voice sheerly out of instinct. As he drew closer, he recognized the owner of the voice, and ran towards the source to find his mother shouting frantically in the direction of the woods. They embraced each other halfway and he was greeted by a force of kissing and pampering.

“By the gods, Leo, I’ve been looking for you everywhere! Where were you?”

“Mother, mother, it’s okay, I was in the woods with Qi’Anna!”

His mother dropped her shoulders and sighed. “Leo, we’ve been over this. There is no Qi’Anna. You mean to tell me you’ve been out here by yourself this whole time?”

Leo leapt back from her embrace. “But mother, I was with her! I can prove it to you! Come, look-”

But as Leo turned back to guide his mother along the well-worn path to the clearing, he found an impenetrable wall of tangled trees and brush and nothing more.