The long open trail comes to a cool end,
Your overworked body feels the first shaded bend.

Your body is filled with a feeling of completion and relief,
It seems like there are no more observable signs of grief.

The pain and suffering is over,
Oh so you think?
Maybe you can just settle down on a shaded bed of clovers,
And enjoy a chilled drink.

Trees of all colors and kinds tower above you,
Their leaves covered with the remaining dew.

No sunlight can reach your trail,
Your body loses the feeling it might fail.

Shadows fill your vision,
You should make your decision.

Do you continue on this trail of dark twists and turns,
Or are you too consumed with thoughts and concerns?

Who knows what lies ahead,
Whether it is a monstrous beast or a sketchy shed.
Your body longs for a bed,
But suddenly a noise fills you ears and you stop dead.

Not a human, that is for sure,
But it moves towards you, its figure obscure.

The sun is setting over the trees,
And your body begins to freeze.

Your heart beats with rapid pace,
Mindful something horrible with surely soon take place.

The figure moves towards your space,
So you prepare for the worst, just in case.

I closed my eyes and heard, “Into the Forest you shall never come,
For you will now pay the price, let your body be and become one of them.”
You take another form.

Colin Niehaus ’19