I walked into the woods, following my own path rather than the bike trail narrowly carved into the dirt. I slid down a slope, feeling the spindly branches of various shrubbery peck at my exposed arms and legs, nipping lightly at my skin. Coming to a stop at the bottom of the incline, I take a breath of fresh air. The scent of pine cones and morning dew sends electrifying tingles up and down my legs. Such is the beauty of nature.

Feeling the brush underneath my bare feet cracking under my weight, I slowly start to walk through the forest. Sunlight cuts through the low canopy, sending rays of sunlight beaming down to the forest floor. Various bugs crawl around my feet, varying from a beautiful blue beetle to a large colony of fire ants. My heart skips a beat as a haze of thoughts rush through my mind. Nature is inspiring. In the loud silence, my mind makes up whimsical adventures of fantasy and action rampaging through the very forest I was hiking through.

Before long, I come upon a shady clearing, the sunlight blocked by sparse leaves on overhangs. I lie down in the clearing, hitting away a few curious mosquitos as I make myself comfortable. Curling into the soft grass and closing my eyes with a soft smile, I loosen my body. Tension no longer exists in this utter tranquility I find myself in. Slowly, my body gives up free will and I feel my mind slip into a peaceful sleep.

I wake up to find myself covered in a sprinkling of sap green leaves. The trees seem to sway welcomingly, dropping a few more fluttering leaves onto my sleepy figure. Light is now quietly meandering into the clearing, it's reddish orange tint reminiscent of a luscious fire lily. Looking up at the sky, the high noon sun has drooped, leaving daylight sparse. I roll onto my back, staring up into the slowly spinning sky. It is a light red color, reflecting off of the clouds in a pastel orangish color. Clouds lazily float throughout the air, mingling and changing shape in mesmerizing shapes. Sighing, I stand up, brushing off dirt pellets and loose strands of grass from my already green attire. Leaves fall off of my body, and I feel an odd sense of nakedness without them, as if I am leaving something extremely important here.

I turn to the trees, still swaying in the ever-stagnant air. I make my way over to one, and I put my hand on the bark. I shudder as a tingle passes through my fingers and into my chest, leaving an aching feeling wherever the tingle spreads. I look up at the tree as it extends a branch, caressing my face with its soft bark. I feel my face flush, and my body go limp. As strange as it was, it felt good to be intimate with nature in the sense that I was welcoming it onto myself. I leaned into the tree's touch, taking its branch into my hand and interlacing my fingers with it's twigs.

Another branch extends, this time tangling itself in my hair, the brown color camouflaging itself in the mess of my hair. My breath hitches,    and I sadly take said branches into my own hands. They look disappointed, pale and fragile. I give them a tentative kiss, the chapped skin on my lips brushing against the knots and ridges of the tree bark. Rescinding themselves, the branches retreat upward into the tree, content with my company for the time being. It has always been like this and always will.

I heartily climb up the sloping incline, dirt crusting onto my bare feet and the underbrush crackling beneath myself. Once more, the bushes and ferns nip at my skin, a final caressing touch before I break the tree line and head home. I stop before I exit, looking over my shoulder with a heartrending smile, and the forest seems to lean into me for a moment, like a hug before a good friend says goodbye. With damp eyes, I take a step out of the forest and begin the slow meandering walk home.