I stood before the shiny black cold stone marking her grave. Today, is the second anniversary of her death, also the day that the doctors told me I have the same illness that claimed her. Deep within my heart, I still felt the wide gaping hole that has been left behind on the day of her death. I knelt, feeling the cold dampness of the stone upon my lips while placing a gentle kiss on it. I whispered to her of the longing deep within my heart to see her again, to be within her arms, to hold her against me. I rose from the ground, a single thought racing through my mind in that moment. I decided go for a walk down the familiar path leading into the deep forest, the path that we often walked in the early morning’s light. I walked to my car and slowly drove down the road, heading towards where the entrance of the path was hidden amongst the trees. I felt a hand touch mine, gently squeezing it while I drove, looking over I saw her sitting beside me, her familiar smile shining brightly on her face. I pulled into the dirt parking lot as I felt the hand leave mine. I shut the car off, opening the door as I left the car behind and walked to the small clearing between the pine trees marking the opening to our path. I smiled looking ahead of me as I began down to head down the small road. While I walked, I listened to the sweet sound of the birds singing their morning songs, fluttering between the branches of the oak and maple trees. I was jealous of their ability to sing and dance in such graceful moments. I could hear the scampering of the rabbits the swift movements of the deer dancing about me. My heart, felt lighter as I found the first of the brooks, we passed along the trail. I heard her laughter remembering the first time we traveled over the brook and I slipped falling to my knees in the cold water, the warmth of the hand that reached out to help me back to my feet. Arriving to the other side, I knelt before the lavender hued lupines, picking one; I move to do her favorite silly game of placing it in the brook, watching it while the current of the stream carried it slowly along like a miniature canoe. I turned back, heading deeper into the forest. I picked up a dried branch that had fallen from a nearby oak tree, testing it before using it as a walking stick. I sighed in happiness as I felt her arm slide under mine, smelling the sweet scent of her perfume in the air along with the freshness of the pine trees.
I continued forward as the path narrowed ahead of me, knowing that this was the spot where most would turn back. I moved forward, feeling the gentle squeeze of her hands on my arm. I looked over dreaming of the loving smile that once covered her face in radiant beauty. Before me, I saw the small path of ‘lilies of the forest,’ remembering how she would often run over to play, filling each bell of the flowers with water, the gentle sound of her giggling dancing in the air about us. I knelt before one of the bells, running a finger lightly over the silk of its soft petals. I stood back up, turning around leaving the flowers behind me while heading further into the forest. I arrived at the first clearing, watching the memory of the snapping blanket flowing slowly down, plates and containers softly settling over its soft pallet of green, black and blue stripes, weaving a gentle pattern over the ground. I watched her dance in the meadow after the food disappeared from the plates. I followed her while she lightly laughed, skipping forward to the opening on the other side. I felt the loneliness flow over me, once more, walking along the twisting route leading me forward into the depths of the woods. I thought that I must have been walking for at least an hour now, sensing that it was only a little further before I would arrive to our secret spot. The path ahead of me forked to the left, right and directly beside me on the right, I headed down the left fork, knowing that it would be a mile before I saw the markings of the hidden way.
I watched the ferns begin to thicken with blooming buttercups peeking out in a game of hide and seek between them. A deep joy filled me as I found the bleeding heart plants; we had planted so many years ago. A short distance down the road, shining off to the side was the wild rose bushes hiding the entrance of our secret little path. I ran quickly to the plants, sliding swiftly between them, my heart leaping by the sight of the trail least traveled under my foot. I moved forward quickened by the sight of the joyous beams of the sunlight radiating in random placements like guiding lights upon the path. Once more, I danced down the trail wanting to rush to the binding circular field surrounded by birch trees.
The light sparkled off the white sheets of bark covering the trees; spotlighting beams of the bright afternoon sun drove through the upper branches, highlighting the beautiful purplish blue rose bush lying in the center of the clearing. My movements quickened down the path bringing me closer to the bush, kneeling before it to smell the sweet fragrance of its flowers. I rose from the ground, hearing a soft thunderous clap echoing about the surrounding area. I saw before me, a thin whispering mist slowly begin to crawl out from another hidden path before me. I moved towards it, feeling a sharp coldness flow into my side as it began to wrap about me. I used the spears of light to find my way further and deeper down the trail into the misty fog. The mist started thickening around me as another chilling steel cold clapping sound came from behind me, slipping down a small hill that I did not see before me, stumbling as I rose from the ground. A cold dampness piercing my side as it flowed through out me while I was walking, the fog turned a thick white enveloping me alike gentle white pillows.
It started to thin out as my steps slowed down for a little while, a shadow moving before me in the distance waving to encourage me forward along the path. The closer, I moved to the shadow the more it took shape, my eyes began to fill with tears, a hazy green covered figure with looks of copper flowing gently down its back. I stumbled once more, feeling the frigid ice of pain piercing deeper into my side as I struggled to rise from the ground. It turned, moving closer to me, bending down while reaching out a hand to help me stand once more. The deep coldness within me began to turn to warmth while my hands grasped the image’s hand. I opened my eyes, tears streaking down my cheeks like rivers of pure joy. My heart filling with ecstasy as the mist cleared, the shadowy image sharpening before me. The hands that held my hands becoming solid, arms wrapping to embrace me; her scent, her beauty, her graceful silver eyes mirroring my image looking back at me, the precious loving smile of hers joined mine. I closed my eyes, while the ever growing depth of our love repairing my heart, darkness covering me in that tender moment turning into light. I felt the warmth of her silken lips touch mine in a soft everlasting passionate kiss and my soul once more entwining with hers.