In this forest that I currently walk, it is always autumn. There is a narrow path I follow, though I cannot tell where it will lead me. The only thing I know is that it leads deeper into this forest. This path is only one of many that intersect each other, and on occasion, do so multiple times. I'm not the only one in this forest. In fact, everyone is here. I remember starting out in this forest at the beginning, where the trees were farther apart, and there was less brush. The path also seemed a bit wider.
I started on this path with a group of friends from my early years in school. We would walk the path together, and on occasion one or more of us would choose to be more adventurous and stray from the path, off into the forest, if only for a few moments. They would run off the path, stomp in the leaves, climb the trees, then swiftly run back when they had finished their fun. Not really knowing what to do, I would follow along, allowing them to lead me. After a few years of walking, most of my friends decided to leave and form their own groups and go down other intersecting paths, while others from other paths came to join ours. But after a while though, most of my friends had decided to go and leave on other paths, leaving me and only a handful of friends. But they too, soon leave, leaving me alone on this path, with no one to lead me. So, I just kept walking, keeping my eyes on the path, brushing the leaves off the path when the wind would blow them on, covering it entirely. On occasion I would run into old friends when their paths crossed mine. We would stop for a minute or so to say our hellos, but then we would go off again, on our own paths.
A couple of years ago, I ran into a group of people following along a cleared path. I talked with them and befriended them and joined on their path. This new path looked nice. It was clear of leaves and debris, it seemed easy enough to follow, but there was one issue. Everyone else seemed to walk a little to quickly on the path. They never seemed strayed from the path very often, nor did they often get too close to the edge of the path when they were walking. If they did go off the path, they still followed along, parallel to the path.
Without having ever gone this long walking along the path without a break, I grew tired and weak. And, without being able to take a break, my pace grew slower and slower. However, they kept their pace, and just kept going. I, not wanting to be a burden, never asked for a break, nor did I ask for help to keep moving. And in doing so, they kept along, gaining more and more distance ahead of me. And now I feel as if I've been lost behind. They have moved too far ahead, and the wind has started to blow the leaves onto the path in front of me until I can no longer see the path.
I still, to this day, try to follow along the path. However, I sometimes cannot tell, with so many leaves, where this path truly goes. I fear I have at times wondered down the wrong path, if only to struggle to back track and find the real path again. And out of fear of ridicule and of being a burden, I keep my cries for help to myself. I again feel I'm left alone, on this path, covered in leaves. I still struggle to clear the leaves to try and find the right path, back to where they were, because I know, for some reason I just know, that they have to be on the right path, but with the distance between them and me being so great, and the darkness closing in, I wonder if they'd still hear my screams if I ever got the courage to do so.
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