The forest (edited by Linda)

He knew his legs only had so much before they would stumble on the rocks that bit through the earth beneath his bare feet blood and mud splashed the back of his legs he pushed himself deeper out of the forest the trees before him like charred bones avoiding each one just barely his arms searching for the spaces between where light filtered through slits light from another world the world beyond and how beautifully that light punctured the space and how it opened arms to him so beautiful his frantic breath shortened in the air before him escaping collapsing lungs and chafing mouth slipping behind him into the forest he might never escape