eden pt.2: the shadows

one day when the young traveler returned home again, she immediately noticed something amiss.  although the creatures of the trees and the ground and the air all seemed to be singing their usual cheery songs, something in the air betrayed a melancholy heaviness.  all at once, she realized the problem: the lake had receded all the way past its bushy curtains.  its steady murmur was absent from the mix.

greatly concerned, the girl did not know what to do.  she looked up at the tree and down at the badger, but neither acknowledged the difference in the atmosphere, though the girl sensed they both knew the problem.  she even searched for the deer, who she knew sometimes drank from the lake's waters, but it was out of sight.  she looked up at the sun, who also made no reply, but sent a ray of warmth to her to reassure her. the girl decided to linger and try to sleep.

just as she was dozing off, the sun's ray of light moved from her, waking her up.

Follow me, it said.

looking over, she saw the light shining on an opening in the brush where the lake had been.  she had noticed the opening before, but never pursued it.  however, this time her curiosity and concern got the better of her.  she got up and gingerly padded over to the brush, parting it.

as the girl stepped through the thick bushes, she was immediately stricken by the heaviness of the air, as though the melancholy of the grove's air had been merely a light prelude.  on the other side of the brush was a clearing, almost entirely darkened by the trees' long branches, and in the middle of it, the lake.  the lake had retreated far into the clearing which it had once filled, but the girl was relieved to see that it had not disappeared completely.  she could tell that the lake did not see her there, which also gave her some comfort, as it did not know of her invasion of its defense.  she sat down and thought for a long while.  she had to do something.  she just had to.  whatever the consequences.  then for an even longer while, she mustered up her courage, and arose.  cautiously, hesitantly, the girl tiptoed over and stepped one foot into the lake.

I am glad you have come here, it said.

startled and relieved, the girl simply replied, "Then I am too."  she lingered for a while longer to keep the lake company and dangle her feet in its solemn waters.  eventually, though, she had to get up to return to her business in the light.  but it was only temporary.


the next time the girl visited the lake, she stepped in a little deeper.  the water seemed very clear, but she still could not see very far into it.  so she took a deep breath and dove in.  she was shocked by the coldness and darkness of the water, which reinforced her sense of melancholy that much more, but the lake reassured her that she was still welcome there.

she began to come more often to the lake, swimming deeper each time.  at times, the water became too murky for her to go on, or she would come to a spot of high salt content, for which she was to buoyant.  when this happened, she would let herself rise back up to the surface, hoping that she could go further next time.

as she explored, both underwater and on land, the traveler's eyes began to change.  she began to see new details, even in her familiar routes, which she had never before noticed.  even the sun looked a bit different--but of course, her view of that had been changing since she had first come upon the grove.


after finishing her explorations one day, the girl returned to her home and noticed that the lake had risen into its former space.  water trickling in from its stream created a soothing addition to the forest sounds.  the traveler sat down and drank in the scene, perfectly content that her former status quo had finally returned.

the scene went on for quite some time, but it was not meant to last.  as the traveler came home each day, she noticed that the lake had began to dwindle again, more and more.  she went to query the lake, intent on demanding what the meaning of all this was anyway, and to stop this nonsense at once.  but before the words even left her lips, she noticed that the lake rippled only at the very edge of the little grove.  still there, but barely visible.

"Are you leaving again?  So soon?"

Yes.

astounded, she stared.  an uneasiness began to dawn on her.

"But you'll be back again, right?"

she immediately regretted the question, for a sense of despair began to bubble up in her.  she was almost certain of the answer, and that it was inevitable.  

No, never.  Goodbye.

with that, the lake vanished entirely.