"Beyond the Trees" (a preview of a work in progress)

     “Brielle.  Brielle.”

     There it was again.  My breath caught in my throat as I listened to the voice that was gently whispering my name.  The same voice that always called to me when the world around me was otherwise silent.  In the silence of an empty house or the dead of night, and, as now was the case, alone in the woods, far away from the hustle and bustle of city life.  Never, however, had this voice been as insistent and enduring as it was now. 

     I had needed to escape.  And I knew the very best place: to nature, one of the only places where I felt like I truly belonged.  I could release all my cares and just be whoever I wanted to be.  No worries about the past or the future.  Just living in the moment, which I never seemed to do anymore.  Between school, homework, peers, and my undecided future, there wasn’t much time to live in the moment.  I shook my head, trying to clear these thoughts as I drove to the Ice Age Trail, my favorite hiking trail.  I couldn’t get there soon enough.  When I finally arrived, I grabbed my camera and keys and headed toward the trail.  Almost immediately I felt myself relaxing and the tension of the past week eased out of me as I breathed in the fresh, clear air of the outdoors.  Not long after, that mysterious voice began calling me.  It was insistent but gentle, like a soothing lullaby.  I was enchanted and began walking in a trance, trying to discover its source. 

      I eventually arrived at a little grove of closely-knit trees.  The pull of the voice was absolutely magnetic now.  I couldn’t turn back now even if I’d wanted to.  Without a moment’s hesitation, I turned to walk through the trees.