In The Forest Away From It All

The bridge of her nose and her cheeks were adorned in freckles that seemed to turn to a deeper reddish brown pigmentation the angrier she got.

"Give me one good reason why I should not end you right here!" she demanded. One wrong move and Ray was finished.

He raised both his hands in the air in surrender carefully not to anger her some more. From her physique, there was no doubt she was female but indeed not a creature like he. The closer she got, the more he realized that it was in fact not a dream. He was in pain from his broken leg so he needed to be smart about his every move.

"My name is Ray and I was on my way to Canada. The last thing I remember was crossing a very old bridge then I took a wrong step and fell. And that's all I remember. Next thing I know I'm waking up here." He confessed.

"I have no idea where 'here' is but if I have made it to Canada I have no intention of causing you any trouble. I'll be on my way and you'll never see me again." It was the best he could come up with given his circumstances.

Thesipha could read his mind now that he was conscious; nothing about him put her on edge any more. She could feel his fear get stronger and a wave of guilt came over her.

"This is not Canada. I don't even know what a Canada is," admitted Thesipha, laying her weapon down. She would have to sit down for this.

She was wearing an ancient white dress that resembled a long robe. She was aware of its sheer characteristics so she crossed her legs in reservation as she sat back on her armchair. Ray could see her light brown nipples through the fabric and immediately averted his eyes. She could see the confusion written all over Ray's face and she shook her head.

"You are in my domain- a barrier world and I am a Nymph." The words did not come out as planned so she tried it again.

"I know this is going to sound insane, man has forgotten about us after all, but I am not like you, as you can tell. You are in my sanctuary... somehow. I am still trying to figure out how." They were both still trying to wrap their heads around what was unfolding.

Ray stayed quiet, still shaking from the thought of impending danger. So far nothing was making any sense.

"My name is Thesipha- and I created this sanctuary in the form of a magic-hmm let me think- a bubble- a magic bubble. The bubble was meant to keep everyone and everything out that was unwanted by my or my patron. That was the plan so now it's your turn to tell me just how you got in here." She sounded agitated but polite.

Frankly she couldn't care less about explaining herself to him. After all, he was the one trespassing. Though having someone to talk to regardless of the circumstance was nice.

Ray sat upright aware that he was still in his dirty clothes which had finally dried up.

"I'm sorry but I have no idea what that means. I just wanted to get to Canada." He went on.

Thesipha kept eye contact listening in on the myriad of thoughts that ran through the poor boy's head. He must have been a teen at most.

"I'm not going to kill you. You're a boy- 18 years of age?" She answered one of his mind's concerns blatantly.

"Can you read my mind?!" he shot up, realizing what she had just done.

Thesipha somehow felt a new found strength since the boy had arrived nodding her head in affirmation. He was also funny, regardless of how weird it got he didn't run or tear away from the unknown:

"I can do a lot of other things too, you'd be surprised. Get some rest. I need to figure out what I am going to do with you." She got up and left the large tent like domicile.

Thesipha had mixed feelings about having the stranger in her home. If she could help it, he would be gone immediately. The best thing she could do was help him heal faster so she went to pick up some more healing herbs. The thought of leaving this boy in the cold forest to die bothered her, especially with how wet and cold the recent nights had been.

Ray had not moved an inch since the nymph left the room; he was not sure what was going on. He sat there for about half an hour looking around the strange room. There were writings all around the wall that seemed from an ancient language while every single décor showed no signs of modernity. The room was separated by a piece of cloth at the far end prompting him to wonder what was behind it. He searched around him and spotted the spear next to the chair Thesipha had been sitting on. Slowly, he crawled out of bed to the floor, hitting his leg harder than he had calculated. He closed his eyes groaning in pain but continued on till he got to the seat and struggled to get up. Ray's upper body strength was still lacking and he felt a little bit dizzy. Still he had to get out before she came back.

Grabbing on the iron spear, he lifted himself up into a standing position then continued to limp towards the other room. He pulled back the cloth to find a well-lit room with a shrine of sorts in the center. From where he was standing, it looked like an obelisk of sorts. It was a statue shaped like a female but not quite human that terrified him out of his wits causing him to jump back. He wondered what kind of witchcraft he had just walked into. He probably should not have gone in there. Ray limped faster out of the tent struggling to catch a breath. Suddenly he was not feeling too well. One hand on his hip and the other on the spear that was now his walking stick, he took a deep inhale and when he finally opened his eyes.

He was taken aback by the view outside; the air was cleaner than he was used to it was hard not to compare. Never before had he seen anything so breath-taking in his entire life. The grass beneath his bare feet was wet from the morning dew, something he very much enjoyed. Up above the sky was bluer than usual while all he could see beyond was a beautiful meadow filled with flowers. It was exactly what Ray had envisioned when the word paradise came up. The smell of wet soil made his heart leap with joy and in that moment he felt content.

"What do you think you are doing with that?" he heard a familiar voice come from behind him.

Thesipha emerged from nowhere carrying two baskets over her shoulders. She looked concerned then her face turned pale when she saw him holding the spear.

"You really shouldn't take people's items without their permission, if you plan on doing something with that, now's your chance." She was frozen in her tracks watching for his next move. She could take him if he lashed out but she defeated the thought of even having to use violence.

Ray dropped the weapon to the ground quickly realizing what that looked like. He wasted no time apologizing and explaining himself. Thesipha sighed with a laugh at the release of tension and his apologies.

"You need to rest your leg if you want to ever walk again." Thesipha picked the spear up and proceeded to walk inside.

Ray half-hopped hot on her heels curiously observing the freckles similar to those on her face that faded into her back and he wondered how far below they went. She had a thin athletic physique much like a supermodels he'd seen on TV while her wildly styled, chin length, auburn wavy hair did little to hide her somewhat pointy ears. He had never seen anything quite as exquisite as she. Like something out of a fairy tale he thought to himself

"How long have you been here?" Ray asked foolishly.

Thesipha turned her head a little to watch him hop behind her, "Bit more than 1,000 years. The part of the world I lived in got very unstable when the last of the ancients passed away."

Ray just looked at her even more confused. All the vernacular was so bizarre. She could feel simple thoughts and intention but his confusion was only a flavor or a color in her read.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could stay a little bit here with you- until I'm better. I'll help around seeing as you are the only one here." He didn't want to impose but he was hesitant to brave the wilderness and get lost again.

Thesipha was already inside when she put the baskets down and turned around bearing her weapon. He had now crossed a line to her and she couldn't stand he'd even ask such a question.

"You will do no such thing!" she'd assumed the position of attack. "What is it that you want from me exactly? I saved your life! I've offered to heal you as much as I'm comfortable with. Do not think yourself entitled to my place in exchange for labor."

She was not happy about him hinting at the possibility of staying longer than she intended. Thesipha did not need the company nor the trouble of a human, let alone a man.

"Oh fuck, I'm sorry. I just- I've been through a bit. The forest is scary and I'm on the run." he confessed.

The word was odd 'fuck' what did it mean, "So you're running from something and you thought it best to come here?"

"It's not exactly like that. It's my government, there's a war. I didn't want to participate and that put me in conflict with my family. If I cross this border- I won't have to fight." He beared his heart to her in hopes she'd understand.

Thesipha sighed, he was as good as she could tell ," you may stay until you're healed. But I cannot provide safety for you. You'll have to cross that border as soon as your fit." She pointed at him subtly with the spear, "Your arrival here was not fate. You were half dead so my magic could not detect you when you came flowing down the river... that's the only explanation within reason." She dropped her spear once again realizing that her worst qualities were showing.

She calmed her stern tone, "Do you mind having a seat so I can treat that?" She pointed at his lame leg.

Ray did as she asked, still marveling at her delicate figure. Thesipha went into one of the baskets and took out a bunch of herbs. She had makeshift cabinets that she had made by suspending wooden planks with rope from where she took out two jars, a pestle and mortar.

"What are you making?" inquired Ray in concern. He wanted to know everything that was going on henceforward.

Thesipha put the contents from the jar into the pestle along with the leaves and began to pound.

"It's a mixture of medicinal herbs that have healing properties. They will help your leg heal faster. But you have to stay off your feet for a while." She huffed as she pulverized the concoction.

Thesipha had seen human beings in similar situations before. They never listened when they were told. Ray watched as she tore off the leg of gis trousers with a razor sharp rock then began to apply the paste onto his skin where his leg was swollen. It had turned purplish black; a nasty reminder of why it hurt so much. The paste was cold as ice serving a intensely herbaceous smell that made it almost hard to breathe but was all the more soothing. Thesipha could tell it was working.

"Do you mind if I ask how you got here?" Ray was trying not to be insensitive. It was clear that he had to re-evaluate everything he had ever believed in.

Her lips were voluminous but not plump; her upper lip a slightly darker reddish brown similar to the pigmentation on the bridge of her nose. Ray was aware that staring was rude but he just couldn't help it. She was gentle, making him feel like she was not such a stranger.

"I can hear your every thought Ray." She startled him but she knew it was a lie. Thoughts where too complex it was more like broad colorful strokes of emotion and sensation. Thesipha was quite enjoying his unfamiliarity. She would not admit it but it felt different in a good way. Ray adjusted his pose feeling a sting from what he assumed was the strong herbs seeping through his broken bone.

Thesipha knew there would be grave consequences if he stayed. On top of that, she did not feel comfortable sharing her life's history with a complete stranger. Despite her intuitive ability to tell he meant no harm she still could not trust him "With magic, like most other things." She hoped it would dissuade his curiously but Ray just laughed.

"I know sarcasm is an English thing and more than that an American thing, but damn." He was jovial despite her coldness.

Thesioha responded, annoyed, "I'm not lying."

"I know you're not. But no magic boat? Just poof- you're here."

"In a way it was just poof. Teleportation is one of the hardest magics ever. It's also not instant for the Traveller. You cross a bridge through space and time to reappear."

Ray was enraptured by the description, "Like- a metaphorical bridge or?"

Thesipha looked at him with piqued by his curiosity, "To me it resembled a bridge, but that's how my mind made sense of it. Magic and the more intense aspects of it are affected by the observer."

Once she finished applying the ointment, she got off her knees and placed it on the table. At the corner was what looked like the cooking area where she began to prepare her vegetables. Everything was fresh and colorful and he waited quietly watching her move around to prepare them a meal. He decided to hold off any questions he had. Perhaps if he gave her a little bit more time, he could get her to let her in. He really did not want to go to Canada any more.

CHAPTER 6

Days had turned into weeks and they barely said anything to each other. Ray would try to spark up a conversation with Thesipha every chance he could but his efforts were often in vain. She hardly spoke to him unless it was completely necessary. He had not seen her smile much; he could only get a smirk or puff of air from her nose when he made only the best of jokes. Thesipha instead seemed anxious and agitated most of the time. True to her word, she had been doing everything in her power to help him heal. She had made it her sole mission. But his broken bone was a lot worse than she could've imagined or he reacted. He seemed at oeace with pain, had he not disliked violence he would've made a good hound or war. With minimal movement on his part, he had taken his time to observe her demeanor. Ray felt so ignorant for thinking that human beings were the only ones that existed in the entire universe at this level of consciousness or with a choke hold on understanding the universe. In fact, if he actually gave it a lot of thought, he never did understand where the line between fiction and reality was drawn. Christianity in its entirety was fictional; without evidence that is-and all believers hang on to the writings of a world that supposedly once existed. So who's to say that other such great worlds did not exist? Ray was never interested in the supernatural but he was a history enthusiast. He knew a little about mythological tales and was aware of nymphs. They existed somewhere in Greek Mythology as mentions in other stories but not much was said about them. He'd read of their enchanting beauty but never had he imagined them as captivating as Thesipha nor as inhuman.

They had gotten a bit more familiar although they said little to each other. She would let him help out with chores after begging from him and his incessant complaints of boredom. She got frustrated he couldn't read her scrolls until it became clear Ancient Greek was not taught in schools. Finally Ray's leg turned a corned as if magic... The keyword was 'magic' and he would never forget hearing it. How she had managed to stay undetected all this time was proof enough that the supernatural did in fact exist. Pehaps God had to do with it? That there was still this unfathomable beauty and it was really his fault if his followers ignorance and bigotry that let them go rogue? But if he was such a powerful being as everyone else claimed, why couldn't he just stop all the killing? What kind of God stood by and watched his people slaughter each other? Maybe it was gods and a consensus? Maybe Thesipha had the answers; if only she could say something other than, 'How are you feeling?' and 'Thank you.'

Thesipha had made him a walking stick from the wood of a tree that worked as well as modern crutches would. He was impressed by her innovativeness, however ancient her methods were. He could tell she had not embraced the modern way of life. Whether intentionally or not, it was refreshing to know that she was keeping sacred what she probably valued the most. Ray had run out of clean clothes and decided to do some cleaning when he found a marijuana joint in one of his pockets. He must have left in there for a while because he had no clue it was there. He had a brilliant idea! If he convinced Thesipha to share it with him, maybe she would let loose. He carried on cleaning his belongings while Thesipha was out gathering fruits and vegetables. To avoid sharing the same bed, she had been sleeping on the floor even when Ray asked to switch places. He did not mean to intrude like he already was but those few weeks there had been more peaceful than anything he had experienced in his entire life.

Ray waited for his opportune moment when the fire was hot and the food was boiling to try his luck with Thesipha again.

"I have some weed if you'd like to smoke." He broke the silence. She had been sitting awkwardly facing the flames and had not said a word since she dressed his wound.

Ray knew that the closer he came to getting better, the less time he had there. He was going to try every trick in the book to get her to agree for him to stay.

"You smoke weeds? What kind of weeds and why?" she inquired cluelessly prompting him to burst into laughter. This was his chance.

"It's a drug...ummm... It makes you feel high, forget your woes. Many say it's not good for you- well only people who've never actually really tried it but I think that's only because it's illegal where I come from. We call it marijuana." He held it out to her.

Thesipha took the joint and put it under her nose to smell it.

"Is this Cannabis?" her eyes lit up. Ray nodded his head, impressed that she was aware of the herb.

"To be honest, I am not surprised that you people made this drug illegal. It was bound to happen at some point." She bent over into the fire and lit the joint. "This is not so bad either." Taking a huge puff she released it slowly and giggled when she noticed he was gazing at her in awe. To Ray she looked like the most beautiful woman ever. A Fallow Deer made into a woman with splash of a Tolkien Elf.

Just like that she would not stop talking. She was sure to let him know how much she enjoyed the plant's endless medicinal and recreational properties. However, she only knew it as cannabis, the best thing that ever happened to existence. Not just that but she knew of others with psychedelic properties. She told him how she had been growing cannabis and psychedelic mushrooms for a really long time, pulling out a jar from one of the shelves.

"You want to try them out?" she dared, passing the joint to him. Ray had never tried one of those before and he thought he was rebellious. Still, what did he have to lose?

Thesipha took out a calculated dose of the mushrooms for each of them. Handing Ray his portion, they swallowed them in unison and waited for what they both hoped would be the trip of a lifetime. They continued to talk over some weed until their vision began to take on the effects of the psychoactive mushrooms. It was the most they had ever said to each other and he was enjoying every minute of it. Ray felt as if he could feel her soul and emotions the way she hard described how she could feel. They jumped from topic to topic. She learned of Ray's abuse but his joy at being free of it gave her hope and warmed her heart. Ray learned of Thesipha's romps through ancient forests of Greece. How different nature used to be.

Then Ray asked no longer able to hide his curiosity, "So how old are you really? If you don't mind me asking." Ray loved watching her eyebrows contort snd reshape to his questions and answers.

She smiled look up at the stars then back to him playfully, "I am about 3,000 years old if I've been keeping count right.", a shocking revelation to Ray who thought she couldn't have been more than 25 years old. He should have known that appearances were quite deceiving especially from the stories she told. But he wasn't in the business of making assumptions about people, only knowing them for them and from their mouth.