Of Life...

I took a walk on the Byrd's land the other day. It was quiet. The sun's warmth spoke of spring, but the cool breeze said that winter may still linger a while. I passed over the King's Hill and made my way down the far side. My thoughts were wandering and I lost track of where my feet were taking me. I kept to the paths mostly, gazing abstractedly into woods around me. Then my eyes caught a glimpse of something silvery grey passing through the trees. It seemed too large to be a bird and too high off the ground to be a dog or coyote. It seemed to stand erect, like a living statue of granite or a small tree that had wakened from its sleep. I really do not know what it was, but it awoke something in my heart that had been asleep for a long time--my imagination.

For the first time in what seems like an age, I started to see the world around me as a story. I began to notice the shadows swaying against the trees and the moss clinging to the rocks. Everything contrasted. The light was lighter and the dark darker. I began to wonder if the creatures in George MacDonald's tales might not actually exist. Perhaps C. S. Lewis's was not so far off the mark. After all, these authors were not the first to talk of strange creatures. The centaur was not their invention, nor the dragon, dryad, unicorn, or goblin. Where did they come from? Could it be that they used to exist, or still do?

My eyes raced to the place where I had last seen the silver-grey specter and my legs began to pull me quietly towards the spot. At first I went slowly, hoping not to scare whatever it was, then I ran. When I reached the last tree I had seen it pass, I stopped and looked in all directions. Nothing. I listened. Still nothing. But, wait...

The trees around me still had an air of mystery, the blue sky still seemed a darker shade of blue, the branches still swayed with a new rhythm, and I still felt the thrill of life running through my bones. I dropped down quickly to my knees and prayed a short prayer. The cool breeze brought me with a rush to my feet and I let out a battle cry! This story is just beginning!