Dreams of Hidden Forest

By Ronald Strahl

"Dreams of Hidden Forest" is an engaging, light hearted story about a year in the lives of two partners who share a love of the out of doors. They purchase what they believe to be prime hunting land, only to discover that their property contains much more than hunting opportunities. The excitement of stalking wild game quickly pales in favor of emersion in the many mysteries that surround them. From clues about a buried treasure to heartwarming encounters with other species, they find themselves becoming a part of the forest and the harmony it represents. Just when they think they are beginning to understand their function in the harmony of the wild, they are approached by a wise spirit that inhabits the forest. The spirit offers them answers for their nagging questions and teaches them what it takes to possess wisdom. When they agree to accept wisdom, their lives are changed forever. The spirit finally teaches them that humankind's greatest treasure is to have a satisfied mind, and it sets about teaching them how to claim ultimate satisfaction. The partners pursue an understanding of the uncomplicated nature of the wild, and in the process reconnect with their own higher nature. A bear and her cubs befriend the partners and through a series of innocent misadventures they learn how important it is for humans and animals to respectfully coexist.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 20, 2017
• ISBN: 9781640795723

Book preview

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to extend his sincere appreciation to the following people for their counsel and involvement during the completing of Dreams of Hidden Forest.

To Ted Lindman, who was the first to suggest that it be written, for his encouragement, and for his frequent reminders to finish the story.

To Andy Opgenorth, Susan Portschy, Linda Sielaff, and Pamela TeGrotenhuis for lending their editorial expertise, without which the story could not have been completed.

To Shep’s wife for her patience and willingness to let him spend many hours in the forest. Further, for her extended patience with him while he spent countless hours at a computer keyboard.

To Troy, whose gentle demeanor and intelligence helped to flesh out the character of Gus Brown.

Lastly, a special acknowledgement is extended to Justin, who has lived, and continues to live, the character of Chase Baer, and does so with dignity.

Ronald R. Strahl

Introduction

The only certainty in life is death. It can also be said that painful challenges are certain to be present during the time between birth and death, with death being the ultimate release from misery. Humankind resists dealing with misery, and most humans work to avoid experiencing pain or to moderate the circumstances surrounding hardship. When pain is unavoidable, humankind seeks to understand the reasons for the discomfort and to gain insight regarding justification for its existence.

The question asked most often in the human experience is, Why? This manuscript is one author’s attempt to answer that question and to shed some light upon the role that challenges play in the human experience.

For millennia, those who were wise enough to understand that all enduring hardships become spiritual over time have sought out the kind of environment that would allow them to strip their spirits of distractions and help them reconnect with the ancient wisdom that resides deeply within every human. In order to transcend the cares of the immediate, a baring of the spirit is required before honest introspection can result in an understanding of the origin of pain. When the source of human misery is understood, knowledge of its origin leads to insight, and insight bolsters hope.

Religions and belief systems designed to offer insight into human misery have come and gone since humans began their journey. Regardless of what was accepted as truth, the human spirit’s thirst for answers has remained unquenched. The human spirit seeks out the presence of meaning and hope in order to embolden its journey through the unknown. When armed with hope, the spirit has faith that the uncertainties of the future can be overcome.

Although human beings believe that they have subdued the earth and that they have emerged as apex predators, the human spirit remains needy and fearful. People hunger for security, and they fear facing anything that they do not understand well enough to be able to predict a positive outcome from an encounter. Fear of the unknown haunts them, and they squander their resources on anything that they hope will help them find predictability and comfort. The irony of the human condition is that most of the very things that humans hoard in the hope of finding security smother their ability to find the security that they seek.

Although enduring, the spirit has few reserves and needs frequent nourishment in order for it to thrive. For this reason, people often seek out respected environments where they either feel confident that they can voluntarily shed defenses, or where, more commonly, the respected environment forces them to drop defenses. Nourishment and spiritual satisfaction is available to a seeker when they find themselves in such an environment. Many such environments exist, and Hidden Forest is an environment where a spirit that loves and respects nature can find nourishment, encouragement, and hope.

Located in the northern wilderness between Lakes Superior and Michigan, Hidden Forest is composed of timberland that was once thought to be sacred by the local Native Americans who revered it as mystical. The area was believed to have housed conditions that would assist anyone with a humble heart to find peace of mind and wisdom. Young people who sought visions to guide their paths into adulthood often found their vocations by sequestering themselves on the sacred land, enduring hardship, and surrendering to its calling. Adults who faced spiritual struggles would often enter the forest and remain there for extended periods of time in search of visions that might guide them toward wisdom.

A seeker would enter the sacred land without weapons, food, or water in the belief that the forest would provide for them. Many entered the forest naked and made crude articles of clothing from whatever materials they could find. A leader, or other learned individual contemplating a crisis, might enter while wearing ceremonial robes or clothing made from the skins of their spirit animal. In any case, the hardships and seclusion of their experience often resulted in an altered state that allowed them to experience spiritual revelations that were not available to them during times of distraction and relative comfort.

In the centuries before the forest was claimed by the people who saw profit in logging, Native Americans shared the forest for the purpose of seeking spiritual guidance. All forms of rivalry were forbidden on the sacred land since the concept that land could be owned was not entertained by the first Americans. Land could be occupied, but never owned. Numerous footpaths could be found leading into the heart of Hidden Forest, each representing a particular group’s journey.

It was known as the Place of Black Water by the Native Americans who entered in the hope of experiencing visions or guidance, and it is often referenced in Native American tales about the wisdom of the elders. It has been renamed Hidden Forest for the purpose of this accounting since the lessons once freely available to those with discerning hearts are now hidden under layers of human arrogance, greed, and pride. The forest hasn’t changed, however, the hearts and minds of the people who claim its use have diverted from seeking spiritual guidance to the pursuit of personal pleasures and wealth.

It has been decades since all the forested land in the north was claimed by lumber barons who forced the indigenous tribes to stop entering it for ceremonial purposes, but disuse hasn’t diminished this special place’s influence on the human spirit. Whether it’s the forest, the seeker, or their interaction, anyone with a discerning heart will benefit from their experiences in the forest.

When human and environment relate symbiotically, the mutual caring becomes powerful and spiritually productive. When an individual seeks to return gifts to the environment, the human becomes a caretaker.

The Caretakers

There have been various caretakers of Hidden Forest over many years, progressing from the first, who needed to do very little to protect what was natural, to the present, with the caretakers taking a very aggressive stand toward protecting the forest and its residents. Not every owner of the parcel of land called Hidden Forest has been a caretaker since they didn’t choose to deeply understand the delicate beauty of the forest or to make what the forest taught them, a part of their hearts. Some past owners had taken the generic human attitude that anything the human chooses to do must be accepted and embraced by the world of the wild things. Those people accepted very little of the wisdom offered them, and they left the forest without making many personal changes. The caretakers of the present chose to take the time to learn from Hidden Forest and to live in harmony with the wild. They rejected the notion that everything humans decide to do to the wild things is acceptable.

For those who love it and desire to understand how all life in the forest influences every other living thing, Hidden Forest is alive with beauty. It is a singularity that is composed of many parts. It calls out to the hearts of those who seek understanding, and it invites them to become a caretaker. When a caretaker agrees to become a part of the process, Hidden Forest begins their training. This is a story about a small group of caretakers and their adventures in Hidden Forest as it prepared them to face their futures.

Caretakers possess a deep appreciation and respect for all life, and a caretaker hesitates to place the life of one creature above that of another. Any life is seen as a delicate part of all other living things, and they understand that the loss of one life affects every other. Lives come and go, and the world that all living things share is in a constant state of change because of this fact. Known as the ripple effect to some, or the butterfly effect to others, the gain or loss of any creature has consequences to others. Sometimes it takes years for the effect to reach another life, but it does, invariably.

An example of the ripple effect might be the trophy hunter’s killing of an unusually magnificent male deer. Had the deer not been killed, he would have mated with several females, and his genetic material would have survived in offspring that would also have likely grown to be large and beautiful. In the absence of the superior male, the females are forced to bear young through the blood of lesser bucks that would have had little chance of mating had the stronger one been present to drive them away. The consequence (butterfly effect) is that the genetic pool is altered.

Caretakers understand that there is a wise, primitive, and instinctual nature deep within wild things. If not for centuries of denial and suppression, the human being would recognize that, although hidden deeply under layers of intellectual posturing, it also exists within them. The very intellect that humans believe elevates them above the rest of the animal kingdom serves to deny them access to the simple wisdom shared by the wild ones. It could be said that intellect has little to do with wisdom.

The current caretakers of Hidden Forest began their tour of duty after having purchased it from people who regarded it to be little more than an ordinary plot of timberland. It had been used primarily for deer hunting and hiking with no thought given to a deeper appreciation of what the forest was offering. The former owners did what many people do when they consider ownership to be the highest form of enterprise: spikes were driven into mature trees for the purpose of erecting elevated hunting stands, and strips of vegetation were leveled so hiking could be made more convenient. Earthmoving equipment had been used in order to cut smooth trails that enabled the operator of an ATV to attain high speeds.

As is the case with any healthy forest, the wounds inflicted by man heal quickly, and Hidden Forest is not an exception to this rule. Still evident because of the absence of trees, the trails and paths have grown over with new plants and flowers.

The New Caretakers

Early in the twenty-first century, Chase Baer and Shepard Rivers discovered that their search for forest land had reached its conclusion. The previous owners of Hidden Forest had become disenchanted with their four-hour drive to visit and, for all intents and purposes, had abandoned it in favor of hunting land closer to their homes. After some years of disuse, they listed it as hunting land with a real estate broker, and it was sold to Chase and Shep.

By the time Chase and Shep saw the forest for the first time, most of the wounds and scars imposed upon the natural beauty of the place had begun to heal, and it was looking natural and virgin again. Both men knew that it called to them as soon as they saw it. Secluded, wild, and located miles from the nearest settlement, the sights, sounds, and aromas of life in the forest called them to become a part of what it might represent.

Adventurers at heart, both Chase and Shep mused about the fun they would have while exploring the forest and learning to understand the ways of nature when it is truly wild. They didn’t expect that their experiences in Hidden Forest would take them far beyond anything they could have anticipated.

Both men had been hunters and sportsmen for most of their lives, and after having shared many years together in the woods and field, they agreed that deer hunting is always a wonderful adventure regardless of the number of deer in an area. When the deer population grows to the point that almost any small woods or fence line holds deer, the area is near saturation, and this was the case with the area in which Shep and Chase already owned a large tract of farmland.

The production of corn and other grains provides the forage needed for wildlife, and during the winter, deer have learned to find food around farmsteads and in groves of cedars. Deer willingly adapt to a changing environment and will even live in suburbs when they can find enough food to support themselves by raiding gardens and by browsing on decorative landscaping.

Chase and Shep had taken a large number of deer over their many years of hunting and eventually found themselves questioning the honesty of hunting where the deer population was extremely high. A further complication was that the human population had grown to the extent that they were beginning to feel crowded. With their land located very close to a city, they also began to feel uneasy about discharging firearms in an area where they could never be sure that people would not be present.

When a deer would be taken, the partners would take some time to contemplate the animal and to show respect for the life that no longer existed. One or both of the men would often kneel beside the animal and touch it as if to caress it. When the time came that they began to feel guilt over having slain the animal, they decided to devote their land to habitat restoration and to take their adventures to someplace where things were truly wild, not half-domesticated through frequent interaction with humans. It was at this time that they discovered Hidden Forest, purchased it, and listened as it called to them.

Chase and Shep had begun discussing the possibility of purchasing timberland almost as soon as they finished the habitat restoration of their agricultural property. When the restoration had been completed, they realized that they had more spare time on their hands than either of them was used to enjoying. The hours that had been spent tilling and planting were now available for other pursuits, and both men grew more and more excited about the prospect of owning a piece of northern timber wilderness.

They still spent multiple hours together, but instead of working shoulder to shoulder with hoes or shovels in their hands, they sat together at a computer while they searched for northern timberland for sale. When they could find a listing that seemed promising, they would often carefully read the description and fantasize about the wonderful adventures they might have should they become the new owners.

The men visited their land frequently to monitor the growth of the prairie grasses and shrubs, and they hoped to begin seeing new wild residents taking up habitation on land that now resembled the prairie of long ago. There were times when Chase would point toward a level field of wildflowers and remark to Shep, Can you begin to imagine what might be living there if that field were to be covered with mature trees in addition to grass and flowers?

Both men could conjure images of herds of deer and numerous other creatures moving around as they went about the business of being wild. They would often imagine themselves cunningly stalking their prey and ending the pursuit with the taking of an especially magnificent prize. After having expended many hours romanticizing about wilderness and timberland, they decided that it would not remain just a dream. They decided to satisfy their dream by making a purchase and diving in.

Hidden Forest was not the first property that they investigated, although it was to be the last. Numerous realtors showed them dozens of properties, and there always seemed to be something held in reserve for one or both of the partners that caused them to back away and continue the search. Most of the properties that they investigated showed evidence of hard use or neglect and didn’t resemble the majestic and peaceful picture they had imagined.

Some properties had been zoned recreational, and the yearly property taxes exceeded an amount that either man could tolerate. Both Shep and Chase were becoming discouraged by the time they discovered a small advertisement in a real estate booklet that showed a picture of a small cabin along with Hunting Land for Sale with Reasonable Property Taxes.

The broker was called, and an appointment was made to visit the land. When the day of the showing appointment arrived, the realtor’s directions brought Chase and Shep directly to the location of the logging trail that would lead them into Hidden Forest. They stopped at the entrance and Shep turned the engine off so they could exit the vehicle and investigate the sounds and aromas of the area.

It was early spring, and the men could detect the gentle presence of wildflowers as a soft breeze moved from the forest and toward their faces. Chase walked away from the Jeep and farther along the trail before he turned and waved for Shep to join him. As his friend closed on his location, Chase pointed ahead of him and asked, What do you think about that?

The trail resembled a dark tunnel winding into the dense forest, and Shep smiled at Chase. I might just like this one!

They returned to the vehicle and began their trek toward the cabin. The slow drive seemed to take longer than they expected, but they found themselves smiling as they enjoyed the unspoiled beauty of the kind of forest that they had hoped to find. As the minutes ticked by, Chase and Shep could sense that civilization was fading into the distance. The logging trail hadn’t been used for a number of years, and had it not been for the fresh tire tracks that they were following, they might have feared that the wrong trail had been taken. They came across numerous places where there was fresh evidence of someone having cleared brush or debris from the trail in anticipation of their arrival, and they were confident that the realtor was making an effort to please them.

Both men felt their hearts beating faster as they passed through the green tunnel and toward the cabin where they would meet the real estate agent. When the cedar swamp came into view, Shep stopped the Jeep and remarked to Chase, Have you ever seen cedars like those? They are huge and healthy! I am getting a good feeling about this.

Chase was about to add his comments about the cedars when he caught movement from the corner of his eye. It was the realtor standing near his car and waving the men in.

Shep restarted the vehicle and proceeded toward the waving agent as he questioned, Isn’t there supposed to be a cabin here? All I see is a man, a car, and thousands of trees.

He heard Chase chuckle as he pointed toward an area near the realtor’s car. Is that what you had in mind?

A small cabin was nestled behind a grove of pine trees, and its dark color seemed meant to camouflage it from the rest of the world.

Chase and Shep exited the Jeep, and the realtor met them with a handshake and a can of insect repellant. Spray a good dose of that stuff on your legs and arms, fellows. This whole north woods is full of some nasty things during this time of year. I am used to dealing with ticks and mosquitoes, but I don’t suppose you have as many in your part of the state. He winked and smiled. And I want you to like this property. He added, Once the weather gets warmer, July or so, the ticks seem to disappear anyway.

After a short tour of the primitive cabin and a hasty glance inside the outhouse, the three began a slow walk along the trail leading away from the cabin and toward the swamp. Chase and Shep were becoming giddy with anticipation as they began the exploration, and both began to feel a deep sense of calm finding a place within them. As they strolled along the trail, the realtor explained the various forms of vegetation that they encountered, but Chase and Shep heard little of what he was telling them.

An unexpected sense of belonging began to fill each of them, and they could think of little more than how to explain what they were feeling. As the three explored every trail they could find, Chase and Shep began to develop an unexplainable sense of familiarity with everything they saw, as though they had been there before. The three followed the main trail toward the north and through a dark bog where the trail became very narrow, and Shep began to feel overwhelming déjà vu. He glanced at Chase, who was staring intently into the dense growth toward the east, but neither man stopped to discuss what they were experiencing. The showing lasted more than an hour, and when the three men returned to the vehicles parked near the cabin, the realtor asked what they thought.

Chase and Shep turned to face each other, and it was clear from the expressions they wore that further discussion would be unnecessary. Shep simply nodded toward the realtor, and the deal was made. It would be some weeks before they could occupy their new purchase since real estate transfers had become complicated and time-consuming, but the thought of facing fewer numbers of ticks and insects at a later date had its appeal.

The partners signed the initial offer to purchase and returned home with renewed satisfaction and anticipation. During the following weeks, they could think of little more than the excitement of returning to that forest and exploring the familiar beauty that they encountered there. Their anticipation grew to the point that the usual complications and frustrations encountered at home and at work paled in favor of the pleasure they felt at becoming involved in their forest.

The excitement and anticipation that they felt grew as the days and weeks slowly drifted past, and each time that they would visit together, they would speak of little more than how eager they were to get started. Chase and Shep read everything they could find about the history of the area and often found themselves reading about the first inhabitants and their beliefs. Aerial photographs were studied, and Shep bought a current book of plat maps of the county in order to learn the names of their new neighbors.

Thoughts of the forest filled their minds when they would lie down for sleep each night, and they would wake with the realization that thoughts and vivid dreams about the forest had filled their minds during the night.

Chase once smiled at Shep and asked, Is this what an obsession is like? If it is, I think I understand more about some of the people I work with every day.

On their official first visit as new owners, their hearts beat faster as they felt the paved highway give way to the gravel as the road narrowed. They could hardly wait to begin exploring and learning about the new things they would encounter. A few miles of gravel, two sharp curves of the road, and the logging trail to Hidden Forest came into view. They drew the Jeep off the road and began the slow crawl down the trail. It was darker and narrower than they remembered from their first visit as prospective buyers, but they knew that they would soon pull up to their new little cabin. With eyes straining for movement ahead of them, they rolled the vehicle forward without speaking. Neither of them had ever seen a black bear in the wild, and they hoped that they would be honored with a sighting. As they passed through especially dark areas, they realized that a black could be standing within twenty feet of them and still remain unseen.

When their new domain finally came into view, they began to realize how alone and separated from the world they were going to be. They stopped the Jeep at the front door of the little cabin that would be their shelter and safety for many years and stepped out of the vehicle. Save the rustle of leaves dancing in the breeze, there wasn’t a sound. Their approach had warned the forest creatures that danger was present, and every living thing with the ability to recluse itself was silent.

Without speaking, Chase slowly slid the key into the lock, turned it, and opened the cabin door. It looks like we’re home, partner.

Shep nodded his agreement and followed Chase into the building. Consisting of a single room, the twenty-by-twenty-eight-foot cabin was dark and unfinished. An unframed door on each end, two unframed windows on the south wall, a large unframed window on the west wall, a single countertop with a sink and drain, and loose cabinets stacked on rough subflooring greeted the men. The roof was solid with good shingles, and the builders had insulated it well, including six inches of insulation in the walls behind the unfinished and yellowing sheetrock.

A scar in the center of the ceiling marked where the pipe from a woodburning stove had once spewed smoke. A propane space heater now stood in the center of the room, and a tank of fuel outside the cabin fed it. A single gaslight was situated high on the wall over the counter, and it would be their source of light on dark nights. An ancient four-burner kitchen stove stood in one dark corner of the room, and a few pots and frying pans hung on nails that had been driven into the wall near the stove. The previous owners had been thoughtful enough to leave a coffeepot atop the stove, and that pot would eventually produce many quality cups of coffee for the men.

Nestled into the trees at the base of the ridge, the little abode appeared well-built and nicely sheltered from the elements. The entire structure was built a few inches off the floor of the forest to allow air to circulate, preventing rot in the wooden structure. A wire-screen mesh had been installed as a skirting around the open area under the cabin, and its purpose was to keep forest residents from living under the building. Shep was the first to notice that one corner was open, thus rendering the skirting useless. He wondered how many guests would be living with them since the opened area seemed large enough to let animals as large as an adult raccoon to easily pass through. As he inspected the screen skirting, he failed to notice the four-foot-long snake watching him from its lair only a few inches back under the cabin. They would later meet but would never become fast friends.

The two men spent every daylight hour of their first days exploring as much of the forest that they could while enjoying the aromas and sights to be found only there. They often stopped at the edge of the swamp to peer into the darkness and ponder what might await them should they enter.

When a patch of wild berries would be discovered, they would stop and enjoy a snack. Every time the opportunity presented itself, the men would eat and remark about the brilliant flavor of whatever berry it might be. As the days passed, they began to feel more and more at peace with the world and with themselves. The conveniences of the outside world were absent, but also absent seemed to be the cares of the outside world. The robust taste of a wild berry would forever remind them of the peace that they felt in Hidden Forest.

Their first night in the forest surprised them. They fully expected to be cloaked in darkness, but the total absence of light in the cabin seemed palpable. Expecting to sleep restfully in a place devoid of sight and sound, the men slipped into their sleeping bags early. To their surprise, both had difficulty falling asleep due to the total quiet; their ears began ringing in the silence. Neither had experienced the absence of sound before, and they learned a new meaning for the phrase the silence was deafening. The slightest movement in the next bunk produced enough sound to drown out the sound of their hearts beating in their ears.

Terror on the First Night

After finally managing to fall asleep, they abruptly woke to the distinctive sound of an animal’s teeth or claws tearing into what they assumed to be the wooden casing outside the front door. It began with a distinctive scraping sound and quickly escalated into gnawing and crunching as the unknown creature set about the work of removing shards of wood. The silence in the little cabin was gone; it was now filled with something that sounded like a scene from a horror movie involving monstrous beasts with long gnashing teeth. Was their first night in the cabin going to be their last? With his hair standing on end, Shep reached for his .357 Magnum and pulled it onto the cot with him. He knew that discharging a firearm in a closed structure would likely make both of them deaf for a while, but he felt that their safety would be worth the price.

Shep whispered, Chase, what do you think that is? A bear?

He heard the distinctive sound of a round being chambered into Chase’s handgun as he announced, Whatever is going on, I don’t like it. Are you loaded? Flashlight ready? Let’s go!

Both men’s feet hit the floor at the same time with a thump, pistols at the ready. Since the door swung inward, they expected it to fly open at any instant. They trained their lights on the door and waited for the beast to tear its way into the room.

The disturbance stopped as quickly as it started, and the intruder departed without making another sound. After waiting an hour for the dreaded creature to return, the nervous men returned to their sleeping bags and slowly began to return to their slumber. Both slept with loaded handguns within easy reach, and if the old saying Slept with one eye open had any merit, they learned what it was.

Morning comes late in Hidden Forest, and the gaslight was pressed into duty long before the light of dawn began to fill the cabin. A pot of coffee was boiled atop the old cookstove while the men discussed what damage they might find outside the door and how they would handle repairs.

Shep had experience with boiled coffee, and when the smell of the coffee seemed right, he turned the burner off and waited for the loose grounds to settle to the bottom of the pot. He eventually poured two cups of the questionable brew, and as they sipped, they began to contemplate what could have been trying to chew its way in during the night.

Chase raised his cup to examine its contents and spoke first, Ya think it was a bear?

Don’t know, Chase. I kinda doubt it, though. If a bear had wanted to get in, it would have come right through the door. Notice how it swings inward? Never a good idea to have your front door swing inward when you are in bear territory. As soon as it’s light, we’ll have to take a look.

By the time their second cup of coffee was finished, the light of a new day had begun to fill the cabin, and they knew that it was time to begin the investigation. With hands wrapped around the grips of their sidearms, they moved toward the door.

Taking a quick peek through the window in the front door in the event that the predator might still be lurking, Shep opened it and stepped out. The air was crisp and sweet, filled with the heady aroma of morning in the forest. He slipped out of the cabin with his eyes darting side to side for any movement. Chase followed, and as he reached behind to close the door, he noticed fresh tooth marks on the front step. He chuckled and pointed at the damage. Hey, Shep, how big do you think that bear must have been?

As the men examined the gnaw marks, they realized that the noise they associated with the slashing teeth of a hungry monster had been produced by a resident porcupine that had come to the cabin for a little snack of wood from the front step. They both knew that a porcupine finds wood that has been handled by humans to be a special treat since the salt and oil from human skin is hard for them to resist. They never repaired the step, and each time they look at it, they are reminded of how imaginations can run amok and wild stories about savage creatures can start.

The men busied themselves all morning by walking the trails and inspecting any darkened corner they could find. They would often find themselves at the edge of the dark swamp, and they would pause to stare into the unknown expanse, wondering what might await them should they enter. Each time they stopped to regard the darkness of the cedar swamp, they would feel anxiety building to the point that they would make an excuse to move on.

They eventually agreed that they would erect portable elevated platforms from which they would hunt deer. Elevated stands are preferred by most hunters since the hunter sits above the usual field of vision for most animals. Wild residents of the forest are constantly scanning the horizon for signs of movement and are continually testing the air for the slightest hint of human scent but seldom watch the canopy for predators. When suspicious movement or scent invades the senses of a wild thing, they exit the area or find a place to hide. Elevated platforms are effective in making hunters invisible since the hunter’s scent is carried away by the breeze and remains several feet off the ground for a long distance. Deer and other forest residents have been known to walk beneath the elevated feet of a waiting hunter, completely unaware of their presence.

Chase was the first to select a spot for his stand, and the two men quickly erected the platform. He decided to hunt where he thought stealthy deer might feel safe passing from the cedar swamp to the acorn-laden forest floor. His spot was bordered on one side by the dark swamp and on the other side by the fallen root systems of trees blown over by winds of long ago. A dark and foreboding place in the forest, it made sense to Chase that any place that humans might avoid would be a good location to find deer.

Chase climbed the ten-foot ladder and sat down on the seat of the platform while Shep waited on the ground for the thumbs-up sign that Chase was happy with the view. Both men waited in silence as Chase enjoyed thoughts of what he might see from his elevated advantage. As he waited for Chase’s signal that he was either satisfied with or unhappy with his view, a sound caught Shep’s attention. He turned toward the swamp to listen for a few seconds, and when he glanced up at Chase, he realized that he too was staring into the dark cedars.

In the relative silence of the forest, the men could hear the sound of footfalls in the swamp as something stalked toward them. The occasional twig could be heard to break as the creature moved closer to them, and Shep thought he could hear the faint sucking sound of feet being pulled from the mud on the swamp floor.

The sound of the approaching animal stopped abruptly, and the swamp fell silent. Chase tried peering into the darkness in order to catch a glimpse of what could have been walking, but he was unable to see movement. Both men realized that although they couldn’t see what had been walking toward them, the creature was likely watching them from its position safely within the darkness of the swamp. Whatever it was, it didn’t panic and run from them because they would have heard anything making a hasty retreat in the tangled, watery terrain; there was no sound of feet retreating into the distance. They had heard animals making their escape into the swamp before, and the episode had always been accompanied by the sounds of branches breaking and water splashing as the animal, usually a deer, would run to safety.

Both men glanced at each other with concern on their faces, wondering why whatever was there was not showing fear by running from them. Even powerful bears usually avoid getting close to humans. In the deer camp stories they had heard in the past, they had been tutored to fear the wolf pack and the cougar, with the cougar taking top billing as one who will attack people. During a mule-deer-hunting excursion in the West, Shep had heard that the Pima Indians call cougars puma, meaning cat who likes people. According to what he learned from the other hunters, like meant likes to eat.

At that moment, with their imaginations beginning to go into overdrive, they were thankful that the two were together—safety in numbers. Chase spoke first, A cat wouldn’t make that much noise. It has to be a deer or a bear. I don’t know why it didn’t run, but maybe it feels safe, wherever it is right now. Let’s make a move toward the swamp and see if it runs.

Chase climbed down from his perch, and with hands on their sidearms, the men began to walk toward the darkness of the cedars. They were almost to take their first nervous steps into the swamp when a thunderous crashing of limbs breaking began, not more than twenty feet in front of them. The noise startled them enough that neither man thought to draw his gun. As they stood there, hearts in their throats, they got a fleeting glimpse of something extremely agile making a hasty retreat. As the sound of the fleeing animal faded into the distance, the men agreed that it must be a bear from the thunderous sound of its retreat. One disconcerting thing seemed certain. Whatever this animal was, it wasn’t showing what they thought should have been the level of respect that they had hoped for, especially on their property, where they thought they should have special privileges.

Still want to hunt here, Chase? That thing could be on top of you before you would ever see it coming. Maybe a different spot would be better, one where you can see what is approaching you. You realize that whatever that was, it was probably twenty feet from us, and we couldn’t see it.

Yeah, Shep, it was close, but I still think this location is a good one, if I want to see deer. I think I’ll stay in this spot. If I’m gonna be a hunter, I can’t be afraid of the wild things. If I chicken out, I’ll always wonder what would have happened if I had hunted here. Besides, it ran away when we started walking into the swamp.

Shep rubbed his bearded chin and returned, Oh, sure, it ran, but you will be alone here most of the time. You never know whether it took off because there were two of us. What would have happened if there had been only one of us?

Point well taken, Shep. I’ll keep my eyes open. Shall we head back to the cabin and think this through?

The trail back to the cabin bordered the edge of the swamp, and as the men walked, they nervously glanced into the darkness of the cedars, wondering how many pair of eyes might be trained on them. When they would turn to speak to each other, they would take the opportunity to glance back down the trail from whence they had come. Although nothing was seen following, neither of the fearful men would have been surprised to have seen a shadowy form stalking them. When the cabin came within view, it was a welcome sight. They didn’t hasten the pace, but the closer they got to the safety of the building, the better they felt.

They opened the door and stepped in, feeling relieved to be home. The intellectual part of them was telling them that they were being a little childish to be spooked by something they had heard in the woods, especially when the sound was moving away from them. The ancient, natural part of them was telling them that when on a level playing field with wild things, the human is a weakling.

They dug into the cooler they had brought from home and began making a sandwich. Shep turned on a portable battery-operated radio and tuned it to the single station powerful enough to penetrate the thick forest canopy. It wasn’t much, but they could get weather reports and the occasional newscast. The men ate in silence as the radio entertained them with something regarded as music in certain circles.

Chase finished the last of his lunch and turned to Shep. Where you want your stand? We saw a lot of good places out there with a fair amount of deer sign. I think we have time to put it up before sundown.

Yep, Chase, I’ve been thinking about it, and I think I would like to hunt on the side of the ridge so I can see anything coming out of the swamp and onto the trail. We wouldn’t be all that far apart in case of trouble, and also, we’d be protected from any wild shots because there would be a lot of big timber between us.

When they finished their food, the men carried another portable tree stand down the trail to a large maple tree growing on the side of the ridge and began setting it up. The swamp was fifty yards in front of them, and they kept a close watch on it as they worked. The stand was composed of a ladder bolted to the front of a seat that rested against the tree. A strap secures the platform to the tree, and when the strap is tightened, the entire structure becomes secure and safe to use. It was their custom to use extra straps, one on either side of the ladder, to make sure that the stand was especially safe. It took time to get it all done to their satisfaction, but there was never any question that their stands were safe to use. Safety first was their mantra in everything they did together.

By the time they were satisfied that the stand was safe and solid, dusk was approaching. Shep tested the ladder and climbed into the stand. After a long look around him in order to memorize the features of his chosen spot, he suggested that they return to the cabin for the night. One more nervous glance into the swamp, and they began the hike back to the cabin. It wasn’t as far to the cabin from Shep’s stand as it had been from Chase’s, and they walked without speaking. They soon rounded the last curve to the cabin, and the welcoming little structure came into view.

Chase opened the cabin door, and as Shep followed him into the room, he turned the dead bolt, securing the door. Again, the gas lamp was lighted, and the little cabin was bathed in the orange glow that would quickly become their symbol of warmth and safety. After raiding the cooler for another meal of cold cuts and candy bars, the men broke out a deck of playing cards and began their usual cribbage game. They were able to settle in close enough to the dim gaslight that they could make out the numbers on the cards and could retrieve the often dropped pegs as they fumbled to keep score.

Both men had been thinking about how mysterious that dark swamp seemed, but neither wanted to admit to the other that they felt intimidated by it. They could walk anywhere they chose on the highland acres without a thought of danger or fear, but something about the swamp was just unnerving for them. Perhaps it was the sheer size of the swamp, the forbidding darkness, or it could have been the product of deer camp stories over the years when people would talk about the terror of being lost in such a place.

Shep thought about reading the story of Tom Sawyer when he was in grammar school. He could recall how Injun Joe got lost in a cave when he sought to avoid being tried for his crimes. Old Joe died while lost in the cave, and Shep remembered being frightened by the prospect of being trapped in a dark place with no means of escape. Thinking about what might be in the swamp resurrected some of the feelings he had about being trapped when he read the story.

Chase’s cards hit the table with a snap. Another nineteen hand! How am I supposed to whip your miserable carcass if I can’t even get a hand?

When a cribbage player has zero points in a hand, they often call it a nineteen since it is impossible to score nineteen in a cribbage hand. Chase had been the recipient of three such hands in the current game, and he was well behind Shep in the scoring. Shep took the time to gloat and to announce that he had another sixteen as he moved his peg forward. When he finished pegging, he spoke, Y’ know, I think you are a little distracted by something tonight. You could have made different choices when you threw into the crib, and you usually do a better job of figuring the odds when you build a hand. What’s on your mind?

Well, Shep, I don’t know whether I’m distracted by it, but I have been thinking about exploring the rest of the property. There is one place neither of us has really inspected yet, and I think that you know what I’m talking about.

It was time to begin facing the inevitable and to open an honest discussion about exploring the cedar swamp. Not wishing to appear squeamish, Shep nodded his agreement. I guess we should get around to that. Next time we come, or do it tomorrow?

Chase pushed his chair back from the table and opened a bottle of water. After taking a long drink, he slowly returned the cap to the bottle and began to speak, I don’t know how you feel about that place, but it has been giving me the creeps since we took possession. I didn’t feel it when we came to look at this property for the first time, but the sound of whatever it was that ran deeper into the swamp is still in my head. I find my eyes searching into the darkness every time I walk the trail. If I don’t face my fears, they will take me over. I think I have to get in there so it will no longer be such a mystery for me. I suppose you think I am being foolish, right?

Shep began to chuckle and looked deeply into Chase’s eyes. Smiling through his words, he said, "Chase, I have been thinking the same thing. That place has me spooked, and I get the feeling that if I were to wander in there, I might not make it back out. How big can it be? We own thirty acres of it, and it wanders onto other properties. How big? Maybe one hundred acres? Big enough to get lost in, and if you’d get stuck or break a leg, how would you get help? I think that if we go in there, we go together and that we carry whistles and compasses.

If we take a bearing as we enter, we should be able to get out by returning at 180 degrees. Should take a rope along, I suppose, in case I have to pull your sorry bum out of a hole. We don’t have to explore the whole thing at once, maybe just start with a small part of it and get to know it. I’m a little uncertain of what to expect in there too. We should take a pair of two-way radios along, just in case.

It was agreed; the two would make their first trek into the darkness the next day, and they would hope for the best. As Shep prepared his cot for sleep that night, he secretly hoped that it would be raining the next morning so the hike into the swamp could be postponed.

As usual, the complete silence in the cabin during the night contributed to the sound of ringing in their ears, and there was also the unsettling sound of their own hearts beating. Sleep came begrudgingly as they slowly drifted away into the slumber they valued so much.

Chase fell into a deep sleep, the kind that can produce some of the most vivid dreams, and as he slept, he found himself walking through the forest and standing at the edge of the swamp. His walk had been effortless, and he seemed to float above the forest floor. The sweet fragrance of the autumn forest was filling his nostrils, and he paused at the swamp’s edge to bask in the pleasant experience.

As he moved toward the tangled roots and dark water, he was aware that no sound was present, save the sound of his own thoughts. He felt no fear or hesitation as his foot touched the black water, and he took his first step into the darkness. The water didn’t feel cold to his feet as he moved farther into the swamp, and he continued onward, passing easily through the tangled mass of fallen trees and roots. He looked down at his feet and realized that he seemed to be walking above the water rather than wading through it. Elation began to fill him as it had on other occasions when he might have a flying dream, a feeling of complete freedom and exhilaration as he would freely soar. This time, he didn’t fly but, rather, was floating. He could move anywhere he chose, and he could do so with no exertion.

Chase floated past a tree with bear marking high on the trunk and felt some curiosity about the animal, but no impression of danger came to him. In his dream, he suddenly became aware of another presence in his midst but was unable to turn and face whatever was there. Try though he might, he was unable to discern the face or form of what was there with him. Fear began to grip him, and darkness closed in around him as he turned and made a dash for the cabin. Virtually ripping through the brush and cedar trees, he was back at the edge of the swamp in a flash, his heart pounding. He was floating high above the ground as he turned to stare back into the darkness and, hopefully, face whatever had been following him. He saw nothing, but he heard what could only be described as a hoarse whisper telling him, "If you want to belong, you need to surrender."

Chase’s eyes flew open. Wide awake and staring into the darkness of the cabin, the words were running through his mind. What in the world was that dream about? When still a child, he would have the occasional nightmare, but this one was different. He no longer felt the fear that he experienced in the dream, but If you want to belong, you need to surrender was being repeated over and over in his mind. As the volume of the voice subsided, he was able to return to his slumber after several minutes, but those words remained clear in his memory. What did surrender mean, and where could it be that he didn’t already belong? Thankful to be in the safety of the cabin, he dismissed the experience as another weird dream, and he drifted back into slumber.

Both men began to stir in their beds as the dawn of a new day began to fill the cabin with light. It was Shep who was usually first to rise since they had an unspoken agreement that it would be he who would make the morning coffee each day. As he put his clothes on, Shep glanced at Chase, who lay watching him.

Chase, you were restless last night. You were flipping and flopping so much that I was afraid you were having a heart attack or something. I was worried about who I would find to give you mouth to mouth if you were going to need it. Have trouble sleeping?

With belong and surrender still ringing in his ears, he admitted to Shep that he thought he had experienced a nightmare. I think I was having a bad dream, Shep. It must have been that we were talking about going into the swamp today, and my imagination was getting away with me. I was in there, in my dream, and it was pretty dark and spooky. I hope we get in there today since that should take away some of the mystery about that place.

No hurry, Chase, we have all day. Let’s have some coffee. Y’ know, we don’t have to do anything we don’t please to do. I remember my dreams sometimes, and I am curious about where dreams come from. I think about it now and then and it makes me wonder whether there is a higher part in each of us that comes out when we’re sleeping to either teach or warn us about things. I wonder if our dreams are just pictures of those things.

Shep’s dream theory seemed reasonable to Chase, but it still didn’t explain why he would have that particular dream. The dream’s meaning, if there was one, remained a mystery. As the customary pot of coffee was consumed and the men busied themselves around the cabin, Chase’s memory of the dream faded away into the activity of another busy day.

Neither of them had ever been able to sit still for very long, and after they finished their final cup of coffee, both men began organizing the contents of the cabin. Shep found a broom and began sweeping small pebbles and other debris into a pile in the middle of the rough particleboard floor. After numerous attempts at getting the last bit of an unwelcome pile of grit into a dustpan, he stopped and turned toward Chase.

This floor is going to give me fits if we ever hope to keep it clean. I can hardly pull a broom across it. Can you imagine how much dirt we must be walking on in here? I tried stocking feet last night, and my socks actually wanted to stick to the little slivers of wood that this floor is made from. What would you think of putting in a decent floor, one we could at least sweep when we wanted to?

Chase nodded his agreement and added, I have been thinking about this building too. There is already someone’s attempt at sheetrocking. Maybe some tape and mud would finish it off better, and some paint would make this cabin a lot brighter. The window frames and doorframes too could be finished. I’ll bet we could make this a pleasant little place.

The two sat down across the table from each other and hatched a plan to cut pine boards into the correct lengths and widths to finish off the windows and doors, to finish and paint the walls and ceiling, install a laminate floor, and to run electrical wires in the walls to feed lights and wall plugs. Electric service wasn’t available this deep into the forest, but Chase already owned a gasoline-powered generator that he would provide for power. They were well on the way toward civilizing the cabin by the time they looked at the midmorning light in the forest and decided that it was time to make a decision about whether this would be their day to begin exploring the swamp. Each man admitted only to himself that their discussion of renovations to the cabin had been partly a stalling tactic to avoid an earlier trek into the unknown. Both held the theory that a midday visit would allow the maximum sunlight to enter through the canopy, thus making the experience less threatening.

Chase began sorting through the box of equipment they had brought along, searching for whistles and compasses. After searching for the better part of five minutes, he produced a pair of each from the jumbled array in the box. Shep dug in his duffle bag for a pair of two-way radios and laid them on the table.

That is almost it, Chase. I still think we should take a rope along just in case we need one. If one of us were to fall into a hole in there, it would be a good thing if the other guy could throw him a line.

The previous owners had left a pile of cast-off gear in a burlap sack that had been stashed in a corner of the outhouse, and Shep suggested they take a look at it in the hope of finding a piece of rope. He ambled out to the little building and returned with the sack, dumping its contents on the ground outside the front door. He decided to empty the sack outside, just in case there might be a critter hiding among the questionable contents. The old owners had left two devices called deer drags in the sack, and Shep took them in to show Chase.

If one of these will drag a deer, I’ll bet I could drag you out of a hole with it.

A deer drag is a length of rope about ten feet long with a large loop of strap material attached to one end. The rope is meant to be tied around the antlers or neck of a fallen deer, and the loop is slipped around the shoulder of the hunter, who then manually drags the animal through whatever terrain they must exit.

In silence, the men divided the supply of emergency equipment, left the cabin, and began walking toward the swamp. It lay just one hundred yards from the front door, and they walked toward it as the noon sun warmed them. The ground under their feet softened as they neared the swamp’s edge, and it began to slope steeply downward into the thick cedars. The sharpness of the descent put the thought in Shep’s mind that it could have been a lake during some ancient, prehistoric era. Perhaps the glacier that deposited the ridge had once filled a lake here. He wondered what it might have looked like all those thousands of years ago.

They stopped