lost in woods · vulnerable · scared · barefoot · nature setting · survival · innocent · distressed · fantasy · exploration
The ancient forest is a cathedral of deep emerald and wet soil, columns of gold slicing through the high leaves. A boy, maybe fifteen, picks a careful path over gnarled roots, his feet bare and tender on the earth. He pushes a dark lock from his forehead, his gaze snagged by a meadow of luminous blossoms glowing under a sudden beam of sun. He is utterly absorbed. He does not see the long shadow that falls across the moss behind him. 'Stars above,' he whispers, unaware of you standing there, your patience worn thin.