You rubbed your eyes as you sat up suddenly, heart beating. Where did the day go? Your eyes searched around in the inky darkness. The balmy day time air had gotten cooler, sharper and somehow more fragrant. The rustling leaves of the trees sang softly in the evening breeze as you plodded your way carefully toward the path you believed you used to enter this place. Cricket song hushed as you approach, to reform again in subtle chirps behind you. Was that the slender form of another forest visitor just ahead, moving in the foliage? "Hello!......Hello, are you there?" you called softly. The Forest echoed back your words to you. Was that the soft sound of laughter from the shadows? Smiling and hurrying forward, you moved just past that small stand of birches, only to trip and land in the center of a circle of smooth white stones. Standing up, you dusted yourself free of the fallen leaves and moist soil that clung to you.
Turning to call out again, you cupped your hands around your mouth. "Hello! Is anyone there?" The Forest grew silent all around you suddenly, and the inky darkness was filled with a misty fog. Your voice echoed back to you tauntingly. You stepped out of the stone circle and headed for the path. Was this the way? You saw movement in the shadows, like eyes watching you, but when you reached them, the illusion was gone. Chills ran through your body as you thrashed about in the darkness, lost in one fleeting shadow and then another. You stumbled over a dead tree limb, and paused in bending to rub your shin as you began to hear your name whispered to you from among the trees. Quietly, softly, it built.....your name, over and over again and coming from all around you.
~by Cymbyliene's writer
From the smallest tree among the Rowans, Dreela watched the fae lights dancing deep in the forest. The night had movement but no colour except for the lights which glowed and sparkled with globes of amber against a backdrop of soft, velvet darkness. It was a magical moment for Dreela that none of the other Dryads seemed to share.
Suddenly, her moon-silvered aura flared with annoyance as a dark shape made its way towards her tree. The moment was spoilt! It was a human! Aaah! Some fun! Her laughter sounded like whirpling wind among the leaves as the human tripped into the middle of the ancient stone circle. Her pale, shadowy shape separated itself from the tree trunk and flowed towards the human, whispering, "Run, run." As she watched the interloper flee deeper into the forest, the mist of her young elfin shape thickened and shivered into sight with her excitement, then quickly faded.
Hmmm! Humans in the forest again! Interesting! A wicked little smile tweaked at her mouth as she settled on a gently, swaying leaf near her tree, just before the blackness purpled into dawn.
