There are woods behind our house. In the late afternoon, it is nice to sit on the deck and feel the shade from the trees. It is always relaxing to hear the leaves rustle in the breeze. Many times, animals such as rabbits and deer emerge from the woods and hang out in the yard. Having woods at the edge of the yard is a lot better than having someone looking back at us from their deck.
Sometimes, my imagination takes me to a darker place when I look at the woods behind the house. I wonder what is going on in there. What creatures are peering at us from the shadows? Was that sound of a branch breaking a deer or something more sinister? What was that snorting in the darkness?
Several years ago M. Night Shyamalan tried to capitalize on The Sixth Sense with a movie called The Village. The story follows a group of people who live in a village surrounded by woods. Apparently, monsters live in the woods and an understanding has been reached between the two groups. If the people will stay out of the woods, then the monsters will stay out of the village.
It is a mediocre movie with an ending that can be seen from a mile away, but I liked one scene. It is night and a guard stands in a tower watching the woods. Torches have been lit around the perimeter. Every sound the guard hears takes him closer to hysterics. He had no idea what was making the sound, and his imagination was taking him deeper in despair.
It is a great scene that I think about when I look into the woods behind the house.
I know what these woods are all about. It is the edge of a farm, and a huge house sits not too far away. However, I like to wonder what else might be happening, and I do not think that I am alone.
The woods have always been a dark and mysterious place. In fabled tales, it is the home of elves, evil witches, trolls, dwarves and other assorted creatures that people who wander into the woods may encounter. Do these tales have a basis in reality, or do they derive from other dangers?
Bands of thieves. Ferocious animals. The risk of injury. The risk of getting lost.
Perhaps, the dark forces of the woods comes from the Christian belief in Adam and Eve. Heck, if messing around with one tree can get you kicked out of paradise, then think about what messing around with a bunch of trees will do.
The woods have always been a place of wonder – a place we can see but not know what is happening within. Do we dare take a few steps in and explore?
That is what I think about when I look into the woods behind the house.
SBI: A Thinning Crowd 