Tree branches kept scratching my hands, but I got deeper into the wood. I squinted into the semi-dark; was it me or was there a silhouette right there, among the trees? My feet were drenched but I didn’t feel cold, like someone had switched off my senses. As I moved, the silhouette moved as well. Was it some kind of game? Something pulled me towards that silhouette. It seemed to be watching me, but there was nothing threatening about it. And I couldn’t get why my soaked feet didn’t feel cold. Unusual warmth tickled my back; the pools around me set alight, flaring with vibrant orange. I looked back and squinted at the sun that forced its way through black cotton-wool clouds. Either my eyes played tricks on me, or the shriveled moss did change to green. Something weird was happening to the trees as well. They’d had no leaves, and I could see buds on the skeletal branches growing into small leaves. Like the forest was awaking from a deep slumber. Whoa, I thought. That’s weird. When I turned to the silhouette again, it glowed.
