Dryad

The day was as any other for John: the smell of coffee being brewed wakes him from his sleep, slippers and a housecoat, shuffle into the kitchen for a cup and some cereal, catch up on the days news, then back to the bedroom to slip on some pants and a shirt before shuffling into the office to work. Same routine, same step by step. John was so used to the routine, not even the perpetual fog that permeated throughout the world around him could slow him down.

The fog had seeped in over the years making John’s quaint little patch of home look like London during the great smog. He wasn’t quite certain what caused it, and for some reason it didn’t seem to be hazardous on its own. John worked from home and was generally able to operate within the small area of visibility he had.

John flicked on his computer and rummaged through his emails. Nothing important, nothing new. He took a long drink of his coffee, drew in a deep breath, and started into his work. It didn’t take long for his phone to ping with the alert of a new text message. He eyed his phone for a moment, wondering if this was going to be just another spam message, then picked up the phone to take a look. He let out a brief sigh as he read the notification bubble on his Lock Screen.

Hey Johnny boy! It has been too long! Honestly, you have been cooped up in that foggy hole of yours without any real living for months. Pack your camping gear. We are doing a guy’s trip. I know you’re gonna come up with some half-assed, “oh but I gotta focus on this project” excuse, so let me save us all some time and say this: I’m gonna be at your place at 7am tomorrow morning. I will be getting you in my car and taking you to the camping trip even if I have to drag you out in your robe and slippers and buy you camping gear on the way.

See you bright and early, buddy!

Reese. He had always been the one to push John out of his comfort zone, sometimes literally. John stared at the message, then back to his computer screen. Maybe a vacation was exactly what he needed. He clicked his email status to “away” and went through the process of shutting everything down. He watched as the little green light on his computer terminal faded and his lips stretched into a contemplative line.

True to his word, Reese pulled up to the house at 7:00 am on the dot with a jubilant blare of his car horn. John hoisted up the bag holding his tent and swung the pack he made up the night before over his shoulder. He could hardly see the car through the dense fog, but the staccato beeping provided a perfect, albeit annoying, guide through the mist.

“Well now, I’m glad I didn’t have to drag you out of there,” Reese quipped with a toothy grin. “Not really sure I’d be able to find you if I had”.

“See, if I would have known that, I would have probably hid under my bed and dodged the whole trip,” John smirked as he tossed his bags into the back seat. “Thanks for picking me up”. John slipped into the passenger seat and took a deep breath. Even if this weekend didn’t solve all of his problems, it would at the very least be a relaxing one, he felt.

Reese gave a soft snort of a chuckle and smiled. “Of course, Johnny Boy. That’s what friends are for”. He popped the car in reverse and slowly rolled his way out of the driveway and out of the fog. Once visibility returned to normal, he kicked the car into high gear and tore off down the road.

It took a few hours of driving into the backwoods before they turned onto a rough path that appeared more like an ancient foot trail rather than a road. Reese stopped the car and gave John a sly side look. John pulled out his phone to check for service and found he had none.

“Don’t bother,” Reese grinned as he unbuckled and began to get out of the car. “We are miles away from even the crappiest service. Hell, if Tony hadn’t brought me here a handful of times before, I would never be able to find this place. I rely too much on my maps app”.

“I can only assume Tony is with us on this trip,” John said as he began to pull his camping gear out of the car. “Do we have a full house?”

“Kings over jacks,” Reese grinned as he slipped his hiking pack over his shoulders. “Mark rode in with Tony and Jacques texted me this morning saying that he would be at camp before nightfall”.

John and Reese began their hike into the woods. John marveled at the vibrant shades of emerald and jade that filled the sunlit forest. This place had an almost magical feel to it, unlike any of the campsites that they had chosen before. John thought to himself that it may just be due to living in the fog for so long. His doubts were quickly cast out as he saw the wonder beaming across Reese’s face, especially considering that Reese had been here multiple times before. That realization served to only increase the tingling sense of awe and excitement John had as they delved further into the woods.

After what John assumed had been a five mile hike, the pair slipped through a patch of thick underbrush into a tucked away clearing. The area had been patted down, very likely from the previous trips Reese had mentioned. There were already two tents popped up in the clearing: one a rough canvas tent you would expect to see at an army surplus store and the other a flashy, and obviously very expensive, dome that could only have been Mark’s. Tony tossed back the outer flap of his simple tent and glanced up with a warm smile.

“John! I am so happy you were able to make it,” Tony beamed as he made his way across the campsite to take John in a firm embrace. “We have missed you on these trips and I just know it will be a wonderful experience for you”.

“John’s here?!” The dome tent began to shake frantically before a quick ZIPP sound heralded Mark stumbling out of his tent. He scrambled in a clumsy half crawl to get to his feet and launched himself into a low hug around John’s midsection. “Johnny! How y’been”?

John dropped his pack with a bright smile. “Working. Getting by. Living in the setting of a survival horror game. You know, the usual,” he quipped. John glanced around the camp some more before turning to Tony. “How did you find this place?” He said with a genuine sense of wonder.

Tony shrugged with a casual look on his face before slowly pivoting to take in the whole clearing. “It just called to me. This place is filled with a good spirit,” he turned his gaze back to John and gave a soothing look. “You will get to know her before the trip is over, and it will change your life”.

Just before nightfall, Jacques slipped through the underbrush into the clearing. He dropped his camping gear and quickly made his way to John with a long hug. The two worked together to set up his tent before joining the others for dinner. After dinner, the group caught up on how things had been. John found himself growing more and more relaxed by the minute and questioned why he had ever declined the trips previous.

John stayed up to watch the campfire die out, wanting to take in every moment he could. As the last flame died out into glowing embers, John noticed the woods around them seemed to glow with an enchanted hue. The verdant light seemed to ripple and dance, as if a green flame was tucked behind the trees.

John’s curiosity consumed him. What could be casting that light? John rose to his feet and began to head toward where it seemed the light was coming from. He climbed over a small hill at the back of the camp and slipped past a number of tightly grown trees. As he lowered himself into the little valley beyond, he could see the light shimmering from the crook between what appeared to be three trees growing intertwined.

The experience was surreal, like something out of a dream or a fairytale. John moved closer to the tree, uncertain what he would find, or even if he was awake. As he approached the source of the light, he looked into the crook between the entwined trees. The glow seemed to come from thin air between the trees, but rather than being off putting, he found it exhilarating. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a figure standing on the other side of the tree, staring at him. The image startled him and he jumped back. The figure quietly slipped around the trunks of the trees and continued to peer at him, studying him.

The figure looked like a young woman, with one noticeable trait that set her apart from any woman he had ever seen: Her skin seemed almost as if it were made from flower petals, leaves, and tree bark, while her hair seemed like strands of fine vines. It was hard to tell in the emerald light, but it almost seemed as though her skin held a greenish hue all its own. She slowly approached John, continuing to let her eyes drift over him appraisingly.

John couldn’t move. He didn’t understand why he wasn’t terrified at what he was seeing, instead an overpowering feeling of anticipation seemed to wash over him and keep him planted to where he stood. The fae-like woman grew closer and closer before pressing against him and wrapping her arms around his waist. She peered deep into his eyes, studying his soul. Slowly, the woman placed her lips to his and began a kiss that felt like a refreshing walk through a warm garden rain. John closed his eyes and gave into the moment. As the kiss continued, he could sense what felt like vines wrapping around him in a rejuvenating crystalis. Just as the vines fully encased him in his caccoon, John snapped his eyes open to find himself laying on the ground next to the fire pit, the warm sunlight cascading from the leafy canopy above.

John didn’t know what to say about his experience to the others, though each of them seemed to give him a knowing look for the rest of the trip. He couldn’t get the image out of his mind the whole car ride home, but it filled him with a warmth and joy that he hadn’t experienced in a long time. He let himself relax on the ride home and even slipped into a peaceful rest.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Reese exclaimed as they pulled up to John’s home. He gave John a waking shove and pointed toward the house. John opened his eyes and stared in disbelief. The fog was gone, allowing the house to be bathed in warm light.

John gathered his camping gear and gave Reese a hug goodbye.

“Call me for the next trip,” John said with a warm smile. “And this time I wouldn’t be able to hide under my bed if I wanted to”.

Reese laughed as he slipped back into his car. “Damn right, Johnny boy”.

John headed into his house and slipped into his office to check his emails. As the green indicator light on his computer illuminated, a warm and transformed smile crossed his face.