herself again she tried to concentrate on the flickering computer screen in front of her, but she could not think straight. She was dog tired, and for some reason her thoughts were constantly returning to her brother. A twinge of guilt was niggling at her. Maybe she had been a bit harsh on him. But then she always had to be the responsible one, something for which she never received any recognition or thanks, and this just irritated her.
The phone rang making her jump.
She answered. It was one of the company lawyers, and Alex gave him a quick update on the documentation for the project they were working on. Replacing the receiver, she found herself staring back at the trees outside. She felt sleepy, tiredness pushing her eyelids down. She squeezed her eyes shut and then blinked hard trying to shake it off. As her eyes came back into focus she gasped in shock for she was not in her office anymore but standing in woodland, the air pervaded with a soft music that she could barely hear, and wondered if she was imagining, and all around her the trees swayed and creaked in the wind. She looked around in disbelief. She was in some kind of clearing, the short grass littered with leaves from the fall, and all around her the soft autumn sun colored everything with gold.
Alex pinched herself, but it made no difference for everything remained the same. She tried to rationalize what she was seeing. Was she hallucinating? Had she gone mad, a switch just flicking off in her mind? Before she could think any more, movement on the far side of the clearing caught her eye.
Suddenly, a group of people appeared as if from within the trees, walking towards her. At the head was a tall woman dressed in flowing white and behind her marched several men and women. Some were carrying banners and some swords. Then sword-armed archers on horseback appeared riding behind them and fanning out slowly to encompass the clearing with an exciting energy of barely controlled power and violence. All were dressed in clothes of light browns, faded yellows and deep gold which merged with the autumn color behind them to give an almost perfect camouflage.
Alex stared incredulously around her and then fixed her gaze on the woman as she approached, and it was only when the woman was in front of her that she realized it was Aunt Gwen, but it was Aunt Gwen as she must have been when she was twenty, for the woman was young, her face fresh and her eyes radiating a powerful beauty.
As Gwen reached Alex, she stopped and studied her with an intense look in her eyes, and then she met Alex’s gaze and smiled in greeting.
“Welcome to our wood, Alex.”
Alex found a sense of reality pervading through her consciousness, as if everything that was happening was perfectly normal and that there was nothing to worry about. Her disbelief melted away and she calmly gathered her wits and spoke.
“Thank you, Gwen,” she said and then asked. “You are Gwen aren’t you?”
Gwen smiled again, an act that sent a sense of well-being and goodness flowing through Alex.
“You must have many questions,” said Gwen. “For which I do not have the answers.”
Gwen moved forward, putting her hands on Alex’s shoulders. The touch was electric.
“Gwen is one of my names.”
“So this is the wood Paul always spoke about,” said Alex looking all around.
“Yes,” replied Gwen simply. “I wish there had been a reason to show you before.”
Alex bit down on her tongue, suppressing the sudden flash of anger.
“So where exactly am I?” she asked.
Gwen gripped Alex’s shoulders firmly, sending more comfort and normality through her consciousness.
“Let me speak, Alex. Time is short here and we are not the only ones who can sense you.” Gwen took Alex’s hand. “Come, walk with me.”
Alex followed trancelike, letting herself be led by the woman into the wood. The armed men and women followed them but as they moved deeper into the trees they melted away until Alex was sure she was alone with Gwen.
“Our wood is a mirror of your world Alex. What happens there happens here also.”
Alex remained silent as she tried to take it all in and to accept that perhaps Paul had been right.
“I can no longer see your brother,” said Gwen. “I fear something is happening that I cannot control.”
The two stopped walking and Gwen turned to face Alex.