They, The Unseen, were always watching. The forest they inhabited was never dead. Specifically, the trail was a well-loved and oft-used route by many: tourists, families, lovers, cyclists, novices, experienced outdoorsy folk. While it was daylight, there was always someone on the trail.  Those they took the most note of, though, were the thinkers and the dreamers. When they watched them, they were mesmerized, in love, almost.  Those hikers were like them.  That’s why The Unseen were still in the forest after all. It was a place they loved.  It was a place they never wanted to leave.

 

                On this January day, it was unseasonably warm.  It had rained the night before, so the leaves were saturated to the point of sogginess, yet the trail itself was relatively dry in comparison, in that it was easily passable with no puddles or muddy entrapments for the shoes of an inattentive hiker to sink down into.  A cyclist had zipped through and left tire tracks not too long before they saw her coming up the trail at an unhurried pace.  Her brow was furrowed.  She definitely had something on her mind. She was clearly one of the thinkers, who used the trail for therapy and inspiration.  They had seen her type many times and felt a special affinity for her with the recognition that she was of their kind. 

 

                She was completely unaware of their presence and seemed fearless in a way that they also recognized.  Whatever her inner thoughts were, they were heavier and more worrisome than anything without. She stopped to take pictures of the foliage occasionally, and they could sense her mood lightening.  They were glad.  They knew the forest was working its magic.  They were so in tune with her that their dimension nearly crossed hers a few times, obvious in the way she suddenly turned and looked all around, still not exhibiting fear, but rather a curiosity and even a kinship with whatever presence she felt.  She felt nothing but benevolence in the breeze and the rustling leaves.  The trail, the forest, were almost like a church for her.  There was nowhere else that she felt so at peace and was so successful in becoming grounded and spiritually refreshed.

 

                What she and The Unseen could never have predicted was that she would get lost on this trail that she had never been on before.  What she didn’t know was that a sign had been removed for repairs and that the trail was being restructured over the winter, when it was less traveled.  Somehow, these factors, along with the distraction she felt at the beginning of the hike, caused her to get off the trail onto what looked like a path, but was, in fact, a deer track that eventually disappeared altogether into thick brush.  She sat down on a damp rock and tried to get her bearings.  She had her cell phone, of course, but was too far out of the cell tower’s range to get a signal. The one water bottle she brought was almost empty, and she had no food. She didn’t think she had hiked more than a mile and felt it would be easy to find her way back after a short rest.

 

                The Unseen watched helplessly, unsure themselves if she would be able to find her way out alone.  There was only so much they could do to help.  There was a reason they were The Unseen.  Yet, they struggled to rationalize a way to help her that wouldn’t compromise them or frighten her.  They watched as she bent down to examine the ground for her own tracks.  Unfortunately, the water content of the dense covering of leaves made it nearly impossible to discern evidence of which way to go to reverse her route.  Finally, after watching her futile attempts to try multiple directions, The Unseen silently decided to do something.  In unison, they ran down the path ahead of her, deliberately brushing branches aside to reveal a possible direction for her to try.  Of course, it was the correct trail.  She hesitantly at first, then with increasing determination, followed the direction of the wind.  Aloud she said, “I will trust this as an omen.  I will let Nature direct my path.  It’s better than just sitting here.”

 

                The Unseen watched with pride and love as their gentle guidance set her in the right direction.  They felt her confidence grow and, with it, her initially troubled mood was completely replaced by inspiration and renewal.  The forest had again given her healing.  As she made her way back, she grew thirsty, as her water bottle had long ago been drained.  The Unseen intervened again by creating splashing ripples in a clear spring just off the path, so that she would hear the music of the nearby water and come to drink.  They had managed to help her without revealing themselves.  She would return.

 

                As she neared the end of the trail, just as the threat of darkness began to loom, The Unseen felt the presence of a new hiker, whose vibrations of evil intent disturbed them and their forest home.  A man entered the trail just ahead and startled she who was unable to sense his oncoming arrival as they did.

 

                “Sorry,” said the man, who was conventionally handsome in a way that typically threw persons who lacked discernment off guard. He laughed in an appealing way, calculated and successful at gaining trust.

 

                She, more aware than some, joined in with nervous laughter. “I didn’t hear you.” She stated the obvious, while inwardly acknowledging a sudden chill that had nothing to do with the January weather.  This man, in spite of his pleasant appearance, gave her an uneasy feeling.  Her car was now in sight in the parking lot.  She closed her fingers around the rape whistle she carried on her keychain.  “Enjoy your hike.” She called as she jogged to her car. “It will be dark soon.”

 

                He waved and turned toward the trail, but not before The Unseen noted the way he looked after her as she retreated to safety.  His eyes took in every detail of her body, the lack of a wedding ring or any visible weapon (or a place to put one in her pocketless clothing.)  He zeroed in on her license plate.  The Unseen wondered if he had a way to find her off the trail, if he could find out where she lived.  They could not allow this man to hurt her.  They would not.

 

                As she backed out of the spot, she glanced back toward the trail and the man and shivered involuntarily as he disappeared down the path, swallowed by the lengthening shadows. Why would he be going out there in the dark?  She drove away and never saw him again.