We were nearing

the end of

the Forever Forest.

Sunlight was starting

to pour through

the tree tops

and it left

diamond shaped shadows

on the ground

all around us.

My hand was

still clasped firmly

in yours, it’s

warmth bringing me

comfort. I watched

the Forest change

around us as

we neared its

end. Gone were

the shadows that

had been ever

present, absent were

the dark creatures

that used to

fill the trees

branches. Instead, there

was only the

whisper of the

wind as it

moved through the

tree leaves, sounding

as if the

trees themselves were

whispering at us.

“What do you think we’ll find when we leave the forest?”

I asked. You

turned to me

and said simply:

“We’ll have to see.”

At the very

edge of the

forest, on the

top of the

highest branch, on

the very last

tree that graced

the path, a

black bird sung

to us. As

we watched it,

yellow feathers began

to sprout from

amongst the black

until the bird

was no longer

black but a

brilliant shade of

gold. I looked

at you, confused.

“What’s happening?”

“Don’t you know? You’ve changed, so the forest must change, too.”

As we moved

past the tree

and out of

the forest completely,

the wind increased

and I heard

cracking of wood,

and the bending

of branches. I

turned around, my

hand still clasped

in yours, and

watched the trees

change and morph

before us. The

burnt black bark

of the trees

began to flake

away, filling the

air with what

looked like soot.

As the pieces

of bark fell

through the air,

they, too, changed.

They began to

shimmer and pulse.

It took me

a moment to

realise that the

pulses followed the

beats of my

own heart. Everywhere

a piece of

bark fell, a

flower grew up

out of the

ground, quickly, as

if it were

thirsty for air.

Soon, the forest

floor was covered

with them. I

laughed out loud

to see such

brightness in a

place that had

held me prisoner

for so long.

“It’s beautiful.”

I said softly.

“So are you.”

You replied. The

heat that ran

through my body

whenever I thought

of you intensified

and for a

moment we both

glowed as bright

as stars. We

walked a little

further, into a

meadow filled with

grass and trees.

It astounded me

that, just beyond

the forever forest,

there had been

such beauty, just

waiting to be

found, but I

had been to

lost amongst the

shadows to see

1. Standing in

the centre of

the meadow was

one tree, still

blackened. I wondered

at its placement

so far from

the forest, and

amongst such beauty

as the meadow.

“Why is this here? Why isn’t it back there with the rest of the trees?”

You looked at

it for a

moment and thought.

Then you said:

“Even in light, there is darkness. As in darkness, there is light.”

We walked nearer

to it. Up

close, we saw

that it wasn’t

blackened by soot,

instead, the tree

was made from

what looked like

a black stone.

“It looks like black onyx.”

I said. Nervously,

I approached the

tree and ran

my hands along

its trunk. My

fingers saw two

similar shaped grooves.

I pointed them

out to you

and you came

closer to me.

“They look like handprints.”

You said. I

nodded and put

my hand in

one of them.

Nothing happened. I

looked at you.

“Maybe we both have to place our hands on the tree at the same time?”

I said. You

nodded and placed

your hand in

the second indentation.

Still nothing happened.

Then I had

a thought that

went off inside

my head like

a brilliant light.

I reached out

and took hold

of your other

hand. The moment

our hands were

connected, the tree

and the air

around it began

to hum. The

song-like noise grew

louder until the

very air around

the tree began

to vibrate and

started to glow

with its own

inner light. We stood

back and watched

as the tree

began to shift

and change shape,

morphing into something

new. It became

a curved archway

and I could

smell different scents

coming from it,

could hear noises

of people, strange

sounds so unknown

yet so familiar.

When the archway

was done shaping

itself into its

new form, there

was a blast

light that was

warm on our

faces. Then it

was still. We

looked through the

archway and saw

a new path,

leading towards what

looked like a

great mansion, a

house that stood

empty but even

from where we

stood, I knew

it was lonely

for someone to

live within it.

“It’s waiting for us.”

I whispered. Beside

me, you nodded

and squeezed my

hand. I turned

and stood on

my toes to

kiss you, trying

to communicate everything

into that kiss.

When I pulled

away, I saw

we were both

glowing once more.

You took my

hand and smiled

happily at me.

“Our forever home awaits.”

You motioned at

the archway and

the house that

waited for us.

“Shall we?”

“We shall.”

When we stepped

through the archway,

the forest, that

had held me

for so long,

let out a

chorus of birdsong.

It was the

most beautiful feeling

in the world

to me, outshone

only by my

love for you

and your love

for me.