by Dreidle Flare

Created on: January 15, 2010

There was something about the woods that she missed. Something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. But the longing for it was strong. And she would have to get out of here soon. The white laced trees were beckoning her this time.

Her mind rushed over all the reasons why this was silly. Stupid, even. But it was as if another force had gained control over her body; her mind had no say anymore, despite its pleadings for sane decision making skills.

Emma pulled on her mittens and slid into her heaviest winter coat. A chill shot through her body as she stepped out into the wintry mix falling from the sky. By now the snow was beginning to make a statement on the ground, taking over the remaining green and brown leftover from Autumn and replacing it with an angelic white glow.

Emma stopped for a moment to take it all in. She hadn’t seen snow this beautiful in such a long forever, it seemed. Slowly, she tilted her head back, and with her palms open and her arms outstretched, she let her pale blue eyes linger on the snowflakes as they danced towards her, landing gently on her nose and cheeks, and playing softly in her deep auburn hair.

The trees swooned overhead, and she breathed in deeply, taking the frosty air into her lungs. She looked towards the forest, and felt a strong pull on her entire being. Willingly she lunged forward, breaking into a full speed sprint, her legs carrying her as if she had grown wings in the last couple minutes.

Deeper and deeper into the forest she went, snow beginning to fall faster all around her.  Emma ran until her legs began to give underneath her own weight, and soon she was gasping for breath, despite the sting in her chest from the frigid air.

She stopped for a moment under the thin white branches to catch her breath. She was panting, hunched over, with her hands on her knees, when she heard a still whisper coming from somewhere over her left shoulder.

“Emma”, the voice whispered. And then it grew louder, so that the voice was just barely audible, and Emma knew her ears weren‘t playing tricks on her.

“Emma, darling, how long I’ve been waiting for you here. You’ve come at last.”

She turned around slowly, delicately, and stared deep into the trees. Her breathing slowed as she recognized instantly what had been calling her; what had been tugging on her soul all this time. Her heart calmed, and she began to recognize the voice as if she had heard it for hundreds of lifetimes in other worlds. The image before her was the most beautiful creature her pale blue eyes had ever seen.

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