Feu De Joie.

 

Stuffed in a four-wheel drive car in one breath, side by side with my friends, we all expressed our excitements in unison. After one time-consuming yet worthy journey far away from the sophisticated city, we were almost there - to the place we dreamt to squander some of the time left in our temporal life. The vehicle unavoidably reached the nonsymmetrical, bumpy path that was varnished with multivarious flora, blended clays and loam, and basically anything found in woodland. As we felt the wheels going over the fluctuating thoroughfare, our thrill blasted and walloped high. We, then, patiently waited to reach the perfect terra firma.

As my comrades and I arrived in the sector we desired to camp at, we all enthusiastically jumped off the car, grabbed out all the items carried along and eagerly began to assemble the huge tents. Once our tents were fabricated up, our chivalrous male buddies willingly took a flight to the inner, deep forest to hunt for large wooden logs for us to take a seat on. Then us, lasses, mustered up clusters and heaps of broken twigs and motley, autumn-hued crisp leaves that were distinctly found and distributed on the uneven grounds. 

About twenty minutes later after our laborious efforts, we sat on the logs placed together in a semi-circular or horseshoe shape. Our experienced camper friends set up the blazing flames over the logs and twigs. Embers and the flare were perfectly tangible. The bonfire was finally made. We, at last, had a sufficient amount of time to sidestep from our backbreaking and tiring contemporary life dilemmas and just relax ourselves.

Then, there. Pure blithesome laughs, humorous jokes and even heartwarming talks escaped from each of our lips, humble smiles hitched up and remained and each of us were absorbed in pleasurable glee in our high spirits. Few of us even turned like folly youngsters, technically just demonstrating how glad we all felt like how kids typically could do. More chortles and snorts were heard and the smiles plastered to our faces still didn't fade.

We pushed in each of our marshmallows into its skewers, mixed our hot chocolate drinks then began taking out and munching the available foods- both nutritious and junk foods- stored in the baskets and knapsacks we brought all the way here. Bite, chew, munch, and swallow. Our bellies were finally pleased and charmed by the foods we consumed.

The glistening vivid sun, then, gradually dimmed until it finally cascaded down to its opposite horizon. The night sky, stars and the crescent moon befell all together up in the zephyr. The hue of the troposphere altered from pastel blue to azure, mixed with grayish tinges. The glosses and luminosity of the sun was replaced by the chatoyant stars and the orb of the night.

Right after noticing the lustrous illumination vanish then get lacquered by the nightfall, us allies, suddenly started feeling quite slumbered. After all, we sort of believe that once a human finishes partaking a bounteous amount of food, their physical body would languidly turn lethargic. And, it did happen to us.

"Let's hit the sacks?" A friend snickered then jabbed her fingers in the air, pointing our large tents. We all bobbed our heads then sluggishly walked towards the area of the tents.

"Drinking after we take the catnap, 'right?" Another friend spoke up and more chuckles were heard until we all entered our tents.

I crawled into a tent with a pal of mine then rested my body down over the blankets and pillows. I wiggled up, down, left, and right until I ended up nestling beneath the think quills then hugged the fluffy pillows beside me. Feeling quite unable to take my siestsa and grab some sleep, I tried counting some sheep. I've almost reached the thousands so I just decided to remain on guard.

Staying observant, I sprawled my legs and wriggled myself up. As I sat down beside, feeling the thin material of the tent touch my exposed skin, something unfathomable was suddenly felt. I knew I saw and felt something, but I can't say what it precisely was. 

I didn't care or worry, until I intermittently experienced it once, twice and even thrice more.

Aghast, was I. My wisp body hairs erected high in one go after a sensation coursed through my entity. I quivered as I saw an evident, pellucid yet enigmatic moving matter. That opaque tangible figure fled to and fro around the tent I was in.

Shadow. That was the best word to construe what my naked eyes perceived. Scientifically speaking, a shadow was produced because there was a source of light - the bonfire. That singleton started growing much smaller and pitch-black, indicating that it was approaching.

As it drew nearer and nearer, cold gushes of wind accessed into the tent's tiny meshes. As the chilly air went against my skin, my unveiled skin felt the frigid-like wind, penetrating the coldness down into its layers.

I jolted and waggled, crawling backwards, going away from the tent's thin material to the center. Feeling undoubtedly convulsed, my brain was racked with different thoughts. I wondered if I should alarm my fellows, or pretend to be asleep, or get out and try warring back, and so on.

As I was trembling and trying to chase my breaths, I suddenly heard an abrupt yet restrained pop. I still kept myself heeding then spanned and observed the tent. A dime-sized transpicuous hole was made at the left side of the tent. 

I shivered more and more and thought that the tent might be torn and shredded into millions of pieces, but then, my heart sort of returned back to its proper rhythm and the cool air was gone. I felt more mollified and calm. I looked around once again and noticed that the shadow drifted towards the bonfire.

After gladly feeling much more placid and unencumbered, I deliberately crept to proceed to the tent's threshold. I pulled the zipper all the way down then stepped out and cautiously ambled at a snail's pace.

My innervations were fifty percent brave and fifty percent watchful. I took a couple of steps to the bonfire to stay beside a well-lit source of brightness so I could have a clear vision. I, then, took a seat on the log then unexpectedly discerned the cold air once again.

Its profound coldness still didn't leave. I mused, thinking if that could be the shadow. I absolutely wasn't able to comprehend that immeasurable thing now. What in the world is it?

"Can you hear me?" A mellow lady-like voice startlingly whispered. 

I smacked my hands over my mouth so I won't screech out. My shock mixed with a bit of fear was just bottled up. I looked around, and everything was still the same. Nothing new and nothing different.

I chose to respond, so I said, stammering under my breath, "Y-yes." 

"I now bestow my gratitude to you and your comrades for stopping by and lighting up a new bonfire. This derelict forest has never been lit up with another Feu De Joie for about more than a century. Thank you, thank you." 

My ears lucidly perceived those clearly enunciated words and right after hearing the last 'thank you', then breezy air went past against my skin once again. 

After a second or two, I just remained perching on the wooden log, and then put on a thinking cap. I was absolutely sure that the clock's hand spun around for a while but I still couldn't figure what or whom I've seen and heard. After woolgathering tons of possible thoughts during the meantime, I decided to give up and take a break. Besides, the purpose of this trip was to step aside from, maybe, everything.

I couldn't guarantee what I've encountered in that incident but I could ensure myself that I'm safeguarded, unharmed and even gratified. I may have not seen its façade but I've felt its uttermost sincerity.

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