N. Erebus

The Woodsman

The woodsman stood by a large tree, holding his axe, ready to chop the tree in front of him. The tree shook with every strike despite its huge size. He did it with such mastery that even the animals of the forest stood to watch him work. When the tree was near ready to fall, he raised his axe one last time. Then he stopped. He heard the laughter of a child. His child. And he recognized it instantly.

He walked around the place, looking for the source of the sound. No one was there. The animals scattered when he shouted his daughter’s name. He was confused, but relieved. “Must be the lack of sleep” he thought. “That or age catching up to me.” He went back to the tree and struck it one last time. The tree made a crackling noise, and the man froze in place. As the tree fell, he realized that he was standing on the wrong side. There was no time to dodge.

The forest and his pain faded away. A wooden door stood in the darkness. The door led to a white room with a female angel standing to the left and a male demon sitting on a stool. They both looked straight at the woodsman.

“We have been expecting you for quite some time.” The angel slowly raised her hand, pointing at the woodsman. “You are not yet ready. When the time comes, and it ought to come, one of us will fly into your life to take you away by the hand.”

The words struck like a sharp knife. He wanted to respond, but couldn’t. The strange world faded away before he could react.

The woodsman stood by a large tree, holding his axe, ready to chop the tree in front of him. He looked at his axe, somewhat lost. For the first time in many years, he was reluctant. The cause or reason, he would never know. He decided to go back home that day, and enjoy the rest of his life with his family.