Our Secret Haven

It was a clear and starry night; wispy clouds floating about the sky like wisps of cotton candy in a child's hand. The moon was slowly reaching its apex when we came across the small, hidden glen. Surrounded by a small forest, it would be easy to miss this little clearing of nature, except for the moonbeams dancing down on it. "Perfect," we both thought in unison, unsaid, but felt nonetheless. I went to the back of the car to retrieve a blanket while you danced around in the clear, nighttime air.

On the opposite side of the forest was a cliff, precariously overlooking the valley below. It was a contrast of worlds, the valley, and its village below, the heavens and nature above. Finding this exact spot, we thought, we had to have been guided by the hand of God himself. Not a single soul would ever think to look here - for anything. From below, it seemed that the only thing this hilltop would be good for is for curious little girls and boys to get lost in - the stuff parents use to keep their children from wandering too far away from home. Here, on our little journey, we found paradise.

A hush befell our little patch of heaven, and immediately the senses became very cognizant. The stars multiplied. The breeze was evident. The air had a hint of dew in its scent. And off in the distance - flowing water. It was that which piqued our curiosity. We collected our blanket and walked in the direction we heard the rush of water. Mindless to the fact we were walking deeper into the forest.

For a fleeting moment, we both thought we should turn back. The land around us became darker for a moment. The air was stifling. If we hadn't known better, we would have sworn there was a daunting feeling enveloping us - something distressing. We took each other's hand and took two steps, and voila! What we saw had to be a ruse, a trick of light. For out in the clearing was a sight only the imagination could conjure up, a waterfall, complete with a wading pool and a surrounding grass embankment. The silver moonlight shone above the pool, transfixed as if it were to shine on it, on us, eternally.

Completely taken by the sweeping emotion of the place, you run to the pool, forgetting we are not quite prepared with swimming attire. You turn to me, give me a sly grin, and tell me to look into the forest. I comply, and while I turn, you undress yourself. The sound of a splash is my cue to turn back around. At first, I cannot see you; the shimmering moonlight on the water surface offers you a cloak of light. I do, however, see your clothes on the ground. I smile and walk over to where you had undressed, and start to undress myself.

I walk to the edge of the mystical tarn, dipping my toe in its magical elixir, expecting to be frozen by its cooling touch. To my surprise, it's delightfully comfortable, and a shadow in the distance starts to beckon to me. I realize it is you, and I enter. Ever so slowly, you make your way to the waterfall, with me in eager pursuit. I see you dive under and you disappear. I call to you. I hear you calling my name, and it sounds as if you're in a cave. I realize you've reappeared behind the waterfall. I, too, submerge then surface behind the falling crystal curtain.

.... There is more of this story ...