The sun was starting to set as I pulled into the parking lot at the visitor’s center. I still had to hike to a decent camping spot before dark, so I wasted no time in gathering my things. As I did, the bag on the passenger’s seat caught my eye. My instinct was to leave it. But then I worried the ‘herbs’ might not be as legal as the old lady had insisted. So I quickly put it in my backpack and tried to forget about it as I embarked my hike down into the valley.
Fresh air was a welcome change after so long a drive in my stuffy car. The reddening sun shone through the odd gaps in the pine leaves, so I quickened my step. The national park extended for miles. Aside from the chirruping birds and the rustle of darting squirrels, I didn’t encounter another soul. It was easy to believe I was the only person in the world.
I’m Harry, by the way. I hadn’t been camping since I was a kid, but lately I’d been yearning it. I’d been dealing with a lot of stuff back home. Work stress, a nasty break-up, insomnia. So one day I’d just quit my job and came out here. I was sure this wasn’t a smart thing to do, especially since I’d barely told anyone where I was going. But I just wanted to be alone for a bit.
I came upon a small clearing, an okay spot. I’d wanted somewhere by the lake, but the light was fading and I didn’t want to set up my tent in the dark. So I set up camp and planned to relocate in the morning. By the time it was dark, my tent was up and I was encouraging a small fire into life. After setting a can of beans to cook, I checked my phone. Twenty three messages, mostly from my mother. I switched it off. Perhaps I’d leave it off all week.
The moon was high in the sky now. Part of me was dreading the night. I’d hoped that out here, in the quiet of the woods, I’d have no trouble sleeping. But if I spent tonight lying awake, I’d come all this way for nothing.
I glanced at my backpack. What did I have to lose? I took out the bag of leaves and threw a handful on the fire. They crackled as they hit the flames.
I didn’t notice much at first, save for a sharp woody smell. But as I dug into my beans, I started to feel sleepy. Not tired, like I always felt. Not that dull ache behind the eyes. But instead a happy, drunken wooziness. Calm, relaxed and ready to let the weight of the waking world fall away.
I went from awake to asleep without interruption. I didn’t notice closing my eyes. The trees and the flickering fire just faded away and I knew I was dreaming. In the dream, I was still in a forest, but different from the one I had left. The trees were made of shadow and the trunks extended upwards like skyscrapers. It was still night, but the sky was glowing with stars, more than there would be in a real sky. And though it seemed dark, I could see forever through the blueish, purple gloom.
I’d been sitting by the campfire, but now I was standing. I was naked. In my waking life, I might have been embarrassed. I was hardly gym fit and was kinda hairy, so I could be a bit body conscious sometimes, even on my own. Now, I observed my nudity with only passing interest. It wasn’t cold or wet here, so why should I worry?
I walked through the dream forest. Though my feet were bare, no stones or twigs scratched them. I had no means of navigating, yet I knew I was headed deeper into the forest. Every tree looked the same, yet I knew I was headed toward something.
Abruptly, the trees opened up, like curtains on a stage, and I stepped onto the banks of a vast lake. The water extended as far as the horizon, and yet I knew it was a lake and not the sea. This was not the edge of the forest but the heart of it. Curiously, I stepped up to the bank and saw my reflection cast across the still surface. It spread across the lake like descending mist, until I saw my naked body as a giant spread out under the water.
I dipped a toe in the water and sent a ripple cascading over my reflection. As I watched, the reflection began to change. I found that with barely a thought I could influence the change. I played with my reflection, pulling and stretching and moulding. And soon I was laughing as I imagined myself in different bodies. Eventually, I settled on one I liked. Yeah, that would be fun.
I woke up.
I was lying beside the campfire. My beans had spilled across the ground. The campfire was still smouldering. I swore. I was lucky I hadn’t started a forest fire.
I sat up, brushing the twigs and leaves that were stuck to my face. Amazingly, I felt amazing. Despite the awkward position I’d slept in, I wasn’t at all sore. I was wide awake, for the first time in months.
I remembered snatches of the dream, but they were already fading. Before long, I’d forgotten all about the forest and the lake. And above all, I had no memory of the shape I had changed my reflection into.