Legend of Mystic Forest

I have been reading the stories of Mystic forest and the legend of the lost princess. It is rumored that she appears during the times of full moons and some have been trying to prove that it is just an old folk tale that started back in the 1800's. I have been retired for about 7 years and decided that I needed a change in my life. I have always loved mountains and the forests and the beautiful rivers, streams, and lakes. I also have a thing for taking pictures of nature in the wild. So after reading these stories I had hired a realtor to find me a special place, I planned on moving to the area. I was looking for an A-frame style log cabin; and when the realtor called me back with the perfect house; I bought it. After selling my home, I packed everything and off I went not even sure what I would find there. I just felt I had to move there. After moving in I set up my dark room then went about getting the house settled. Later I went into town and started to introduce myself around. In the small library in town I found an article about Mystic forest.

It's been five years since I moved to the small town in Connecticut. It was a beautiful little place close to the forest and a wonderful little river. The A-frame house I bought had a huge bedroom loft including a balcony with a hot tub and the most beautiful view. As the sun was setting there was a magnifcent view of the forest from my balcony. The golden glow from the sun made the changing colors more majestic while the seasons changed from summer to fall. After getting everything unpacked and somewhat settled I knew I had to get out and get some fresh air. I decided to take a hike into the forest. In the quiet countryside there was an undisturbed tranquil paradise where the floor is mossy green. The sky was a wonderful pale blue, and the sun's rays filtered through the trees like a shining halo. There was that wonderful aroma of pine and oak as it drifted like perfume over the earth.

As I stood there I got a feeling for the mystery that lingers in the air, in this beautiful garden called nature. During autumn the great forest's leaves start shedding their majestic summer green for the vibrant hues of yellows, oranges, rusts, and reds. Their fiery boldness a breathtaking view against the wonderful blue of the sky, all the magnificent hues look like a painters palette of beauty. I slowly turned to see the most magnificent buck standing in a small clearing. He was truly the prince of the forest, he held his crown of antlers high and proud. The multitude of points on his rack indicated to me that his strength and wisdom must be great to have enabled him to have seen so many of these beautiful autumns and to have also grown such a crown.

As I walk through the patches of sunlight, there are no sounds or any sight of the little creatures that roam the forest. Sitting down on an old tree stump, I stay quiet as I can. The creatures that dwell the land start to come out and scurry about. Some playing, while others just coming out to enjoy the beautiful warm day. The birds start to sing sweetly; love songs to their mates; as others start to chirp what seems to be a warning. The butterflies waltz around the trees and flowers and glide on the soft breeze that flows through the forest floor.

I notice the buck again but this time he has a few little does and they begin to prance in the open fields of the glen running and jumping. Suddenly, I think I see something strange. There's a woman out in the field also and the little does walk up to her without any worries. The majestic buck walks over to her and bends his head down like he is bowing to her. All of a sudden I sneeze and when I look back up they are all gone. How did they all get away so fast?

As I start to walk back I look at all the blossoming flowers as they are creating a beautiful rainbow of vibrant colors in the grass. It's a heart warming scene and it made me feel at peace, like everything good was there. There was not a hint of the ugliness of man or of the industrial world. The beauty of the forest flourishes with all it's glory like one gorgeous painting but it's beauty is not seen; but felt in your heart and soul. As the sun is setting I make it back to the road to the little village where I now live. The darkness moves slowly over the forest like a curtain closing out the window's view. The mystery is even more prevalent then during the daylight.

While I walk back to my new home with the sunset at my back, I could feel the warmth of the golden rays of the sun. In the graying of the night before me is a crescent moon, its lustrous beams just start covering the meandering river, as birds songs fall silent in the cover of darkness. At the foot of the steps of my house I stop to inhale nocturnal forest scents, aroma's like that of lilacs and wild flowers, or of fresh fallen rain or the aroma of freshly cut fields of grain. The air this night is cool, crisp, and fresh making me drowsy like the open air did when I was a child.

Up in the I loft stripped off my clothing then went out and sat in the hot tub watching the night sky and listening to the quiet that surrounds me with such peace and tranquility. All of a sudden I hear a faint sound almost as if an angel or maybe a fairy princess is singing softly into the delicate breeze flowing onto my balcony. It's as if its trying to comfort the meek animals of the forest. It's at this time I decide I have to take a stroll through the forest one night during a time when the moon is full and bright. As I look out into the forest I see the mist drifting unhurried from the river around the umbrella-like willow tree.

While I am there drifting off to sleep I realize that I didn't just decide that I wanted to stroll through the forest on a night during a full moon. No it was more like having or needing to be in this forest at night in the glow of the full moon. It was as if this song I heard was calling me to the glen by the willow tree. I got out of the hot tub and crawl into bed and my dreams seem to be exotic tonight; first of that magnificent buck; then of this mysterious woman in the glen. Finally of the beautiful song I heard just before drifting off to sleep.

When I awake in the morning I pull out my cameras and load one with infrared film to take photos of the forest at night under the full moon. Hopefully I will be able to capture this beautiful mysterious woman of the forest. The Princess of the Mystic forest. As I start my afternoon stroll into the forest; I know that this night is the first night of three; what the farmers call a harvest moon. It is this night that I plan to stay out late to see what happens in the mystical forest. I slowly and quietly walk into this nature preserve that's alive with some of nature's beautiful wild life. I start by taking a few pictures of bumble bees and butterflies and sweet little hummingbirds. They flutter and bounce from flower to flower, collecting the sweet nectar of the fresh blooms flowering in the wake of the early hours before nightfall.

The incandescent blossoms with an aroma so sweet that their fragrance can be enjoyed miles away as the wind carries it swiftly around the countryside. As the sun was setting there was a magnificent view of the forest from my balcony. The golden glow from the sun made the changing colors more majestic while the seasons changed from summer to fall. In the cool evening shadows, I make my way to the open glen and down to the river by the willow tree. Before long the moonlight will start to caress the soft white breast of the mountain tops. Through the thick brier patches and other thickets I have finally found the glen; and as I enter the opening in the middle of this vast forest; the evening florets are just opening as if to greet me. Their velvety petals enfolded in dew moistened valley of paradise. Near the willow tree there's what look like a wooden bench carved into the giant tree. As I sit there I take more pictures, once again the buck is by the stream standing proudly. Across from him is a raccoon washing his front paws, then reaching down and picking up a fish of some sort and eating it. A black bear as it waddles down to the stream and all the while my camera is clicking away until that roll of film is empty.

Sitting there quietly I get my other camera out and prepare to shoot some night pictures. I watch silently as the twilight sky slowly takes it's place silently on the tails of the beautiful golden sunset, filling the sky with a relaxing tranquil darkness. The sweet aroma surrounding me is enticing my senses. The blossoms of the twilight evening; each single bloom; brings a soft fragrance to the isolated darkness of this forest.

As the night brings outs the full moon, its lustrous beams cover the meandering stream. The birds songs fall silent as the sky turns a dark satin blue and the stars slowly light. Here in the glen I sit, watching the trees uncover the hidden trail that is only seen in the moonlight's glows. I light a small campfire by the stream and wait, not sure if anyone or anything will appear. The stream's water rippling moonlit trails, as the mist slowly lifts off the surface. I hear soft singing coming from upstream and from the mist she appears, slowly coming to where my fire is blazing. As her canoe lands on shore near the campfire she emerges out of the mist, clothed in a hooded cloak covering her face. But even in the moonlight I can see her soft alabaster skin as it fills my eyes with her soft, tender beauty.

I take a couple more pictures of her; then lower my camera because all of a sudden that magnificent buck is behind me; huffing onto my neck with each click of film I take. Slowly setting the camera behind the stump I turn back to this beauty of a woman walking towards me. I wonder if any man's eyes has ever known or seen such beauty as her on this starlit night. Slowly she drifted across the space of the glen, like the moon drifts across the dark void of sky and as she came closer to me she lowered the hood. She stood in front of me looking into my eyes, then with one swift motion she waved her hand and the buck gave one more huff of air on the back of my neck before turning and leaving. I knew he wasn't going to be far away, her origin was obvious. She was created by a god who gave her such beauty that she was perfection. Never before in all eternity, had the heavens found the mold of the perfect woman. Her features are soft and tanned; her long blonde hair flowing in the gentle breeze; like amber waves of wheat swaying in the fields of golden grain. Her eyes like that of the crystal blue of the Topaz gem and holds the beautiful constellations of the universe. As she stares into my eyes it feels as if her look flows down the path right into the heart. Her smile is beyond beauty; warm, caring, and loving, I believe that she would be able to thaw the streams of winter's ice, and to rekindle the flames of a lover's heart. She speaks with soft-spoken words, which seem to make her whispers sail lightly in the wind.

She takes my hands in hers, and slowly starts to walk backwards towards the campfire. She softly whispers to come sit with her by the fire, and I follow. I try to tell her my name but she puts one of her soft fingers to my lips, not yet she whispers again. She slowly unties her cloak and starts to take it off. I reach around to take the cloak and fold it, setting it down where she will be sitting. I look at her, she is wearing a sea foam colored lace dress that enhances her neck and face. It covers her breasts but there is an oblong cut-out that exposes some of her cleavage and her alabaster skin. It tapers down to show her hour glass figure, then flows softly down her legs to the ground. We sit by the fire facing each other, just looking into each others eyes. She reaches forward and touches my face letting her hands cover it and feel it as if she were blind. She runs her hands through my hair, then back to my face touching every inch.

In this forest of mystical starlight and magic, we sit silently looking and touching each other. Every time I try to say something she hushes me, asking me not to speak. I look around and see all the baby animals coming and sitting next to her. She whispers to me that as long as I am quiet they well stay here with us. I nod my head and she talks to them, telling them a sweet little story. The fire has died down and I start to get up. She tells me to stay there and I sit back while she gets wood. Coming back, she puts a couple of fallen tree limbs on the flames kicking up some of the embers and it looked my tiny fireflies as the flew up and went out in the cool breeze.

She started telling her story again and as I listened I thought of the dreams and fantasies I used to have as a child. The wind rustled through the grass and the wildflower that surrounded us. I inhaled deeply, smelling the wildflower and a hint of lavender. I looked over at my princess and she just smiled, took my hand in hers and pulled me closer to her. I got up slowly so I didn't frighten her little guests and sat next to her as she spoke to her furry little friends. She laid her head on my shoulder and her soft blonde hair felt like silk against my face. I thought to myself, Heaven above could only be as bright as our night in this forest of wonder. This lady who touched my heart with her magical touch. My princess a guardian angel who protects her beloved animals with her love. And if there's a heaven then it is here in her forest, in her magical realm of passion.

As the moon slowly starts to fall behind the mountain tops and the start of the dawning of a new day she begins to sing. I was tired and seeing this she softly laid my head onto her lap. As her soft, sweet voice hypnotizes me, I fall asleep in her lap. I awake in the morning and she's gone. I start to wonder if maybe this wasn't a dream, there's no sign of anyone one else being here with me. How could she get away without waking me? Was she really there? Why wouldn't she let me speak or introduce myself to her?'

Shaking the cob webs out of my head I picked up my cameras and smile, I will know if she was here. Hurrying back to my house I go into the dark room to develop the pictures. As the film develops I can see the vibrant colors of the flowers, the magnificent buck, and the fox puppies. I see the beautiful colors of the changing of the seasons in the leaves of the trees. I start to smile as the last pictures start to develop and I can see the canoe coming through the mist. Then a shadow as she walks from the shoreline towards the campfire and to my surprise I actually have a picture of her face and those beautiful topaz eyes. I take the negative and make a larger copy of her face so that I will be able to look at it. Next time I will give her a copy of her magnificent buck and the picture of her.