They're Watching Me
They say life after death is the most---peculiar, if I do say so myself, like more than the others I too find it quite queer, tangle this not into your thoughts, for we---all have the chance to answer this certain...phenomenon.
Others just had it answered faster than we do.
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DAY 1,
The mirror in front represents a wonder, what is this wonder you might ask? 'tis not of any sweet merry lullabies, but a deep hollow orchestra of subtlety, drowned in a drench line of mud.
Ahhh...the man in the mirror was me, I tried my best to brush away the traumatic experience from before as we make our way to the open dining room in the middle of the inn.
Seeing the long table filled with wondrous foods and galore does somehow puts a smile between my subtle cheeks. Ysa, Mel, Drey, and Gab vigorously sat along with our tour guide, the man, and the old woman.
The old woman still wearing her grin---gestures me to sit as I fail to notice that I was still standing. The day vibrantly sparkled across the inn, as the breeze brushes along with the trees, making the birds dance and leaves to flutter.
What a perfect scene---then comes along thin layers of fog and that chilly breath.
" How did everyone sleep last night? " pleasantly asked the old woman.
A shiver came running up my spine and a halt came between mid-way of the spoon to my mouth, I cautiously caught glimpses of the old woman along with the man and our tour guide's eyes, they were all sharply pointed at me from time to time.
" I actually don't remember much from last night. " answered Drey.
" I only remember the dinner from last night," added Gab.
" That's almost 24 hours of traveling for yah! " Ysa blissfully replied.
Come to think of it---I didn't actually sleep last night. I tried, but every time I close my eyes I see the cinders of the trees and hear the shrieks of numerous pleas for help...for salvation.
" Mel, what was the last thing you remember from last night, after our dinner? " I quietly asked blending at the chattering of others.
She stared at me for a while and said, " After we ate, we all went upstairs, we got worn out from our travel and quickly fell asleep. "
A catastrophic shell shock skewered my sanity, as I struggle to keep a straight face, then Mel continued, " Are you okay? You look kinda...tired? "
" Yeah, just homesick is all. "
They're watching me...
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After breakfast, we made quick work with our gears as we finally make our way to the native residences at the heart of the island, where thick layers of forest bare barren, High and mighty trees corrupts the forest floor and rattles an eerie sound, not of the breeze and not of any bird, but of the forest itself.
The man and the old woman were left behind giving us warmth with their pleasant smiles---but for me were grins from those of the devil itself. Alas, a fair price was arranged for our stay at the isolated inn, but the toll was too high a price---at least for me.
Traveling back to the urban city, then finally to the forest. From the humble hearth of the ocean surface beside the narrow urban road, to the alien tongue of locals, all the way for an exhausting trek from enchanted river-runs, to trees of ancients, to narrow forest paths, to a bridge where green molds and tree vines reign supreme from the planks itself including the rope, to our final destination. The heart of the forest.
Thick and magnificent tree roots burst out of the earth itself, trees tall as mountains and wide as a tower, that you would think of this forest as a home for giants and titans. No birds nor animals of the such have we encountered yet, or if we ever will, banks of trees so great that no light was to touch the depths of its land.
With the sun high up but low as a mole beneath the ground---we stuck closer to each other in a parallel line with our tourist guide in front leading the way and me trailing at the back.
Tyrannical hurricanes of tree roots, malachite of vines, and ornamented forest floor filled with small crawling critters and bioluminescent gastropods---colored our eerie hearts in awe.
Our eyes fleeted as most flora and fauna shined in their own shade of bioluminescence, including some of the giant fungi attached from the mountainous pinnacle of treetops and even as wide as the forest floor itself.
Arthropods of varying species and sizes inhabit both air and land, from a rather large crawling critters to gliding feebles, all glowing in a unique set of shade.
" Woah...a thriving, self-sustained eco-system. " Ysa claimed.
" How come only a few tourists travel to this side of the island? " asked Gab.
" The natives at this part of the island---aren't to...warm, when accepting outsiders. " replied our tourist guide with an unusual gesture.
" If you look closely and stare hard enough, you might just see that they're watching us as much as we're watching them. " I muttered to myself.
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The further we reached, the darker it got, and the brighter the ecosystem glowed. Further, did we spiraled along the forest, with fear and its gaping hands wrapped around tight between our throats.
After what seems as everlasting now comes to an end, we've reached a sunlit village. The village far surpassed my expectations---this seemed to me as the heavenly part of them all, kinda like the aftermath of a storm---where everything bad and violent had just passed, and now light finally brushes against my skin.
The village was showered by the glazing light of the sun, somehow the trees came to a halt and after-hand was a neat patch of greenery with flowers of blossoming color instead of glowing like the ones inside this forest.
An enormous stone column lays in rubble not far from where we stood, it greatly surpasses any old stones that I've seen before---stones of ancient maybe? or perhaps a fallen totem? Flowers and grass ate away most of its features.
A small dirt path brought us past the forest of giants, made us relish in the calming breeze of fresh air basking on the foot of this miniature patch of greenfield, and to the village itself where the heart of the island rests near.
The people greeted us with care and pleasing gestures along with warm smiles and accompanying service, it was later that night when we all gathered at the center of the village to celebrate one of their traditions called " Uhtrr " or mother as for our language.
It was a celebration for good fortune and a bountiful harvest for today and of the coming days, this was briefly explained by our tourist guide---after a large bonfire was lit they made noises from whatever they can put their hands-on, this was accompanied by various screams and howls.
Drey and Ysa made an effort of great length to immerse in the experience as Gab, Mel, and I failed to keep up as did our tourist guide---but either way smiles and laughter went about the night.
Before the fire from the logs were of cinders and the smoke that spiraled to the night sky was extinguished, I couldn't help but notice that they didn't have a farm nor enough clear patch of grass to cultivate one, another is the peculiar landscape and agriculture of this island, why would it suddenly be clear of those giant trees in the middle of the island? they couldn't have cut it down, those trees were far superior to any of their tool and equipment.
It also came from the tourist guide herself that the natives around this island " isn't too warm with guests " and so did gossips from the residence of Batan, yet here we are having one of our best nights together.
Although I can't help it but feel---odd, as if they were watching us...watching me, the ground, the moon, the sky, and even my own skin, I felt like they were all watching. Soft droplets of water came waving down from a nimbus cloud, it'll start to pour hard soon.
How ominous.