Lingering Mist, By Glenn Madden
The sun arose in the morning. I awoke when the warm rays fell upon my face. It had a tingling sensation. My mind felt so clear. I feel that this is unusual but I am not sure why. I feel free; it is as if I have awakened for the very first time. I look around me and I realize that everything I am seeing is new to me. I can not remember why but I know that this is not all there is. The wind gently blows soft flower petals around where I am sitting. I am atop a beautiful green knoll overlooking a lake of pure shimmering blue water. There are birds swooping across the lake. Flowers of every color one can imagine surround it. I hear the birds singing in symphony of music. I look to the heavens and just for a moment I thought I saw a face looking at me. I see a trail of cobblestones leading away from the knoll where I am sitting. I feel compelled to follow it. I start down the trail and I realize there are some items in my pockets. I pull out some small pieces of metal on a ring. I also have some round pieces of golden colored metal with a bird on one side and someone's face imprinted on the other. I am not sure what they are so I return them to my pocket and continue my stroll down the path. I see smoke rising from beyond a forest somewhere along the trail that I am following. It looks to be some miles away. The music from the birds almost makes me feel I could fly into the clouds.
As I look down at the cobblestones I notice some etching that does not appear natural."GUSHANTIE ASHA EKANA ASHANOL." It appears to be some kind of words but I have no idea what it means. I continue on along the trail until I enter the forest. The air instantly changes. I feel as if I am in a rainstorm but there is no rain, only moisture in the air. It is somewhat cool. I smell many different odors coming through the air. It is a myriad of smells, and every step I take it changes. There are flowers everywhere and strange insects that shimmer with a trail of light as they fly. It is if I had entered a magical world. In the distance I here something running through the trees. It sounds like maybe someone like me but I can not be sure. I only caught a glimpse in the distance of a shadow running from tree to tree. I continue through the forest for maybe thirty minutes before reaching the other side. As I approached the edge it is like a wall. The forest being dimmer but just on the other side along the trail everything becomes a shimmering golden day. As I exit through this strange curtain dividing forest from glade I feel the air instantly change. It is still comfortable but a warm dry air now covers me.