The Whispering Woods By Xavier

The Whispering Woods By Xavier

Snap, a twig broke as I tiptoed through the bluebells swinging my head from side to side scanning the woods for a deer in the early morning. Unexpectedly I found what I was looking for, a beautiful fallow deer grazing in a clearing. I raised my camera to my eye and looked through the lens, the deer was still there grazing on the luscious grass. 

Click, I took the photo, I had a look back at the picture, there in the middle of the shot was an old gnarled branch blocking the whole deer. I wanted another shot without that branch. Looking through the lens again the deer is there in full view. Just ready to click the button once more, then I realised there was a whole cluster of trees in the way even though the deer had not moved at all. 

I took the camera away from my eye to get a better view the what I saw was astonishing. No clearing was there anymore, nothing seemed to be the same as a minute ago, there were only trees there now. I became aware that the wind had picked up and the branches were swaying and creaking around me, almost like the trees were chattering. The sky had darkened. I felt cold. A storm was brewing. Then the rain came down. The wind whipped the rain into my face like stinging nettles. 

I ran to shelter under an old knobbly tree and sat on an enormous root to shelter from the driving rain. A second later, a deep but gentle voice said “Well, well what have we here....umm”, I turned around quickly following the sound of the voice, there was an old wrinkly gentle looking face peering down at me. “Who ..who..who are you”, I stammered in a shaky voice. The tree answered “my name is Quickfeet, and before we go on what was that thing you were pointing at that deer?”. “It,.it, it was a a camera, “, I replied. “What is a camera”, said Quickfeet. “it is something you to take pictures with”, I answered confidently. “ Oh ” said Quickfeet. “I can take you to a special place full of beautiful things but if I am not sure if I can trust a hum‐man and it may not be wise either, I had better confirm it with another of my friends” Replied Quickfeet. 

There was a great creaking of the trees I was sitting under and the branches moved and rustled their leaves, the effect was immediate, the whole of the woods seems to start swaying and creaking sort of like they were whispering to one another. Minutes went by that seemed like hours and another grand antiquated tree came shuffling over moving its roots in a wriggling motion. A husky voice came from the tree “If I am not mistaken I believe we can trust this hum‐man, I think I am a good judge of character. I believe he has an honest heart”. “Oh..umm “ said Quickfeet to me “Oh this is my friend Russel‐leaf he is one of the wisest trees in these woods”. Russel‐leaf asked “Who is this hum‐man and whats your name if it is not too much to ask? WE must find out a bit more about you.” “My name is Scott and I come from the village called Bramberly over there”, I said pointing in the direction of my village. “ “Well,” saidQuickfeet, “ we planted a garden, a special garden a long, long time ago that has been a refuge from hum‐mans during times of danger

and a refuge for all the wild animals too. Yet perhaps, we feel it is time to share this secret garden with someone special and innocent like yourself Scott. Umm, Would that be of interest to you?” “Of course, I would love to see this garden, if I may, if its not too much to ask,” I answered. “Ah, well better get on our way then,” Quickfeet replied “Want a lift young ‘un?” Russel‐leaf stretched out an gnarled branch and gently liftedme on to Quickfeets ‘shoulders’. “All settled then, off we go”, rejoined Quickfeet. We departed at a tremendous speed passing bramble bushes and younger trees up and down hills, over a bubbling beck by a rocky sort of cliff passing things in a blur until. I heard a great deal of rustling of leaves and branches of the surrounding trees as if all the trees around me were whispering to one another. We were in a very ancient part of the woods that seemed very untouched by humans as it was very overgrown but very peaceful. There was ivy draped over branches, coiled up the tree trunks and masses of undergrowth all very untouched and secretive. We came to an abrupt halt infront of two fir trees arching together at the tops. A gentle hush descended all around us, then the fir trees infront of us moved gradually, arching outwards displaying a winding crevice between two rocks with greenery and a splash of colour beyond. This must be the garden, the secret garden.