Surrounded by complete darkness, I could hear the whispers of the wind. Never had I realized how similar crashing waves and wind through trees sounded. Sitting against the oak, I listened to each falling leaf, acorn, and twig. I could feel the blood in my veins rushing through my legs and temperature climbing. Tranquility flooded my mind nearly flushed my memory. Lost deep in the timberland of an unknown district, I dawdled around. Completely unaware of how I came to be, I could hear a faint whisper. The noise oddly and familiar soothed my soul. I had never felt more at peace than that very moment. In a time of worry, I no longer felt fearful. With no vision of my surroundings, I followed the sweet melody. Standing to my feet, I nearly lost my footing. Climbing through brush and squeezing through saplings, I yearned for the song. I had lost track of time and couldn’t tell if today still continued on. I had no recollection of how I ended up in the forest. While fighting off insects and crushing leaves beneath my feet, I wondered aimlessly through the darkened habitat. The song became louder and louder. How could I possibly find the source of the noise in this concealed forest?

Smack! My body no longer felt the warmth of serenity. I could feel the blood streaming down my face. I reached for anything my stiff fingers could latch to. The peace I had once felt dripped from the gash across my forehead. I could no longer hear the comforting tune but only a high­pitched squeal. What had just happened? I felt around for any sign of familiarity. Finally, I felt the bark of a sappy pine and pulled myself up. No longer was I blind to the night. The brilliant sun showed me the severity of my wound. I picked the dried blood off my face and studied my surroundings. Fortunately, I had the sun on my side and could easily navigate my way through the woods. No familiar things registered in my mind. With absolutely no memory of this place, I trucked forward looking for any sign of humans. Hours of walking up, down, left, and right the song returned. I felt safe and warm with the music running through my ears again. In a place full of treacherous creatures, I only noticed the song. I got down low and climbed up high to find the singer of the song, but my luck had run out.

Out of nowhere a face appeared through the bushes. Confused, I rubbed my eyes to prove that I was really seeing a human. He held twigs in one hand and acorns in another. He had bright, heavenly eyes and mud across his face. He seemed too angelic for a man covered with dirt. I called out to him and no answer came. I shut my eyes for a second and when they opened, he was gone. Lost and scared I screamed for him to come back. Who would be this far in the woods? Minutes after this strange encounter I heard the song again. Much louder and defined, I could follow the trail of notes. Scanning the grassy floor, I discovered the bush the man hid behind. I studied the place where I spotted the stranger and to my confusion saw no footprints. How could he not leave any sign of his location? I knew what I saw and what I saw was a person. Frustrated, I convinced myself that hallucination could be the only answer. A booming burst of the melody pierced my ears and I felt as if I were surrounded. Exhausted and even more delirious, I drug myself to keep moving in the direction of the sound.

Nightfall came and I could no longer find my way around. Weary, I fell to the ground and became numb. The cold air stung my raw skin and burned my lungs. Frazzled, I could no longer keep my eyes open. After hours of fighting sleep, I lost the battle. I may have been alone in the woods, but I wasn’t alone in my dreams. I saw the man again that night in my thoughts. He didn’t speak a word to me, but he did point his finger at me. His eyes looked right through me and into my soul. I woke up screaming and gasping for air. I had no idea what this nightmare had meant. My determination to find this strange man and get out of the woods was rising. Today would be the second day of trekking through the forest. I could no longer hear the music and silence filled my eardrums. I stumbled upon a stream and cupped the liquid gold into my hands. Looking into the stream I saw a reflection, the man returned. I whipped my neck around and came face to face with the stranger. He softly grabbed my hand and led me away from the open realm. With very little options, I followed him willingly. This strange man could be my way out of the grove.

Struggling to keep up with the man, I rushed through the dense brush. Running out of breath, I couldn’t feel from the waist down. We hurried through the trees for what felt like days. Out of nowhere, the music returned and I knew who the culprit was. I stopped and stared at the man as the noise fell out of his pressed lips. I couldn’t make out any words, but the song came pouring out. I crept up to the man and listened even closer. Unphased by the lack of personal space I gave him, I looked at the dirt smeared across his forehead. Curious, I reached to feel the warmth of the stranger’s face. To my shock, my hand moved through him and swung back to hit my own leg. I held up my hands and examined them thoroughly. When my eyes finally returned, he no longer resided beside me. Instantly, I no longer felt safe. My body went cold and the woods became a black hole. The silence filled my ears and choked my breath.

Searching for air, a violent shake, radiant light, and intense shock ended my deep sleep. My head pounded and my chest ached. When my vision cleared, I was encircled by people containing puzzled looks of worry. The melody, no longer sweet and soothing, rang like an ear­ piercing siren. The men that surrounded me dressed in blue uniforms and red with whistles around their neck.

They repeated the same questions, “Can you hear us?” “Can you tell us your name?” I could hear the ocean crashing and seagulls squawking. One of the lifeguards informed me of what happened. The memory of being at the beach filled my mind and I felt flooded with terror. I had nearly drowned in the current until a man with bright eyes pulled me out. I scanned the beach looking for the man, but no sign of him appeared.