TheBanyanTree: THE MAN OF THE FOREST

[Sharon Mack]

>From my writing workshop:

THE MAN OF THE FOREST
 
They took the long way home just to add a bit more to their time
together.  They hated being apart even for one minute.  The path was an
ill-used one; rutted by all terrain vehicles, earth shoved up in high
uneven bunches in the middle and ruts as deep as six inches on either
side.  It made walking hard and slow.  They didn't mind at all. 
Wherever they could they would try to walk off the path a bit, but most
times this was impossible.  Trees and shrubs grew thick along the sides
and close to the path in most places.
 
 
It was going uphill that was the most difficult.  Wilbur had sneakers
on so he fared better than Bonnie in her smart new flats.  The smooth
leather sole was no help on the stony dry soil.  Wilbur helped all he
could by wrapping his arm tightly around her and moving her along with
him. Bonnie liked that Wilbur had the strength to do this.
 
"Wilbur, can we take a little break?"  Bonnie was panting and her
forehead glistened slightly with perspiration.
 
"Sure, let's find a rock or some grass we can sit on."
 
He took her hand and led her slightly off the path, looking for a break
in the undergrowth and brush.
 
"Here," he said at last.  "This is good."  He patted the rock he'd
found. 
 
Bonnie took her seat while Wilbur sat on the ground at her feet.  For a
while they were both quiet. 
 
"This is beautiful," she said at last.  "I love the breeze and
listening to the birds, don't you?"
 
"Sure."  Wilbur picked up her hand and turned the palm up.  He began
kissing her fingertips one by one.
 
Bonnie eased herself to the ground next to Wilbur. Just as he took her
in his arms to kiss her lips, they thought they heard a voice.
 
"You better no-ot.  You know what your mother would say"
 
They froze.  
 
When no other sound came forth, Wilbur whispered, "Let's get the hell
outa' here."
 
They moved as fast as they could to find the path once more.  Brambles
pricked at their skin and sharp thorns tore at their bare arms and legs.
 The faster they tried to go the harder it became.  The brush and bush
seemed to grow thicker and thicker with every foot they traveled.
 
"This can't be the way."  Bonnie cried.  "Wilbur you must have gone the
wrong way."
 
Wilbur didn't answer.  He was to busy trying to find his way back,
pushing and shoving at the branches.  Suddenly Wilbur stopped.
 
"Oh, my God!"
 
"What?"  Bonnie asked. But he didn't have to answer.  She saw the rock.
 They were back where they had started.  "You mean we went in a
circle."
 
"I don't know.  I guess so."
 
"I need to rest.  Please, let's stop a minute and figure this out."
 
"Bonnie, it's getting late.  Soon it will be dark and no one knows
where we are."
 
"Oh, someone does."
 
"Did you hear that?"  Bonnie whispered.
 
Wilbur decided to challenge the voice.  "Who are you, what do you want?
 Come out, wherever you are.  Come out...now!"
 
There was silence.
 
"I'm scared, Wilbur."  And Bonnie began to cry.
 
"Don't cry, Bonnie.  I'll get us outa' here, I promise."
 
With that, Wilbur took her hand and started to move straight ahead
where he thought they had originally come from.
 
"Mmm, mm, not that way.  You'll get lo-ost."
 
Wilbur stopped and  turned to where the voice was coming from and then
proceeded to change directions going to his right instead.
 
No voice.
 
"Let's go,"  Bonnie pushed ahead of Wilbur.  "This is giving me the
creeps."
 
Off they went, this time more slowly.  They decided to mark the path as
best they could, so they could see which way they had come...just in
case.  At last they came to a stream.
 
"Now I know we're lost," sighed Bonnie.  "We never saw a stream before.
 Oh, Wilbur what are we going to do.  I'm so hungry and thirsty.  Do you
think it would be okay to drink from the stream?"
 
Wilbur shrugged his shoulders.  Walking to the stream, he put his hand
in.  The water was icy cold.  He lifted some to his nose in his cupped
hands and sniffed.  Then he drank.  "Seems to be fine."
 
Bonnie followed suit and drank heavily.  Suddenly she felt
overwhelmingly tired.  As she yawned and arose from the waters edge she
saw that Wilbur was already asleep.  She laid down beside him and slept
a dreamless sleep.
 
*******************************
Bonnie felt hands lifting her.  Many hands. She wanted to call out to
Wilbur and she opened her mouth but no sound came forth.  The hands
moved her forward and she heard the splash of water.  They were carrying
her across the stream.  She desperately wanted to wake up, to stop this
nightmare, but she couldn't.  Finally she gave up and let herself float
back into deep sleep.
 
 
When Wilbur awoke at last the sun was high and the air was cool.  He
felt groggy and shook his head to get the last bit of sleep off.  Then
he noticed that Bonnie was gone.  The grass where she had slept was
still mashed down and there were heavy boot prints all around that had
dug up the soft earth on the creek bed.  He followed them to the stream
and crossed over looking for more footprints.  But once past the creek
bed there were no more.  He looked for other clues, broken twigs,
crushed grass, anything that might tell him which way they'd gone. 
Nothing.  Now he wanted to cry.  He sniffled the tears away wiping his
arm across his eyes.  At last he decided to follow the stream as it
flowed.  Perhaps he could find help.  
 
**************************
 
When Bonnie awoke at last she found herself in a bed made of down.  It
cushioned her body and it felt like she was sleeping on a cloud.  The
room was pink and gold and the sun streamed through the windows.  White
curtains made of lace blew in the morning breeze.
 
"So your awake at last.  It's about time."
 
Bonnie rubbed her eyes and tried to sit up.
 
"Stay where you are, I will get the master."
 
The womanly voice could be heard but not seen.  There was no other
person in the small room.
 
"Master?"  Bonnie spoke aloud, not really expecting an answer.
 
"Yes, the master."  
 
"Wha....?  Where are you?"
 
"I am here, you will not see me with your eyes.  I exist in your mind. 
You can only see me there."  It was not the womanly voice she'd heard at
first.  The voice sounded vaguely familiar.  It took Bonnie a few
minutes to place it.  "The voice in the woods!"  she exclaimed.
 
"Yes," the voice hissed.  "Yes."
 
"Why am I here?"  Bonnie was frightened.  Her hands began to shake and
she felt suddenly cold.  "What do you want?"
 
"Is the room suitable?"
 
"No, I want to go home."
 
"Home is where the heart is," the voice quipped.  "Come, come now. 
Don't be disagreeable child."
 
Bonnie got out of the bed.  She looked around the room.  There was no
door.  Only the window stood open.  She went to the window and looked
down.
 
"Don't do it, it's too far.  You'll injure yourself."  The voice sang
its warning.  "It's too fa-ar."
 
Bonnie looked around the room once more, hoping to find something to
tie together to let herself down with.  She knew the voice was watching
her every move but she didn't care.  As she grabbed the bedding she
asked, "Where is Wilbur?  What have you done with him?"  Maybe he's in
another part of the house, she thought to herself.
 
"No he's not in another part of the house.  No one wanted him.  He's a
fool who gets lost and doesn't listen.  Why would anyone want him?  It
was you we wanted.  You with your astounding good looks."  A snicker
followed.  "And your brilliant mind."
 
"Are you laughing at me?  If you don't like me why do you want me
here?"
 
"Because I can have you."  The voice had changed.  It was dark and
sinister and threatening.
 
As Bonnie tied the last knot, she shoved the bed to the window, tying
the string of linens to the foot of the bed.  As she stood on the window
seat and prepared to tie the other end around her waist and to begin to
lower herself down, the window suddenly clapped shut.  Next shutters
closed from the outside over the window making it impossible to break
the glass and leave.  Bonnie was stunned.  Jumping off the window seat
onto the bed, she screamed, "Let me out!"  Tears coursed down her face.
 
"Cry baby, cry baby.  Don't you want to die, baby?  Wah, wah, wah." 
The voice was back to it's original singsong state.
 
 
******************************
 
The legend of the Man of the Forest that was told to me when I was a
very young child is that when you enter beware.  Do not stay too long,
for the Man of the Forest is always there and watching and when he gets
bored and has nothing to do, he will take someone home to play with. 
His cottage is hidden and so is he.  No one has ever found him.  No one
has ever seen him.  But many have heard him.  His magic is great and has
grown strong through the ages and his favorite toy is the mind.  It is
what happens when someone is lost and never seen again.  They are
hidden.  Hidden in the cottage of the Man of the Forest.