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A Chance

It was morning, when Robert set off. He left the hut and stood under a grey and unwelcoming sky, humidity filling the air. His path was about to lead him straight through the forest - a really inhospitable region at this time of the year. His hooded cloak tightly wrapped around him he was wandering on a partially muddy and wet path - where it will lead him, he did not know. There was an idea where he wanted to be at the end of his way, but uncertainty if he can reach it safely was with him all the time.

The soggy forest seemed without life. Right when Robert began to believe that nothing lived here, he heard the ugly call of a crow echoing far away, from ahead of his path. Then again: An eerie silence. Listening carefully, standing still on his path, but - nothing.

Slowly fog began to gather, accompanied by an unpleasant cold. Robert sped up a bit. His breath going faster, feeling increasingly uneasy, since the fog got thicker and thicker and began to swallow the path in front of him, his fast pace became running. Step after step he ran on his way, panic of being late slowly creeping up inside him, Robert's breathing fast and heavy, sweat on his forehead.

Then - idleness. The area was completely swallowed by fog. Eaten alive you could say - when something would have lived here. Robert was not able to see his path anymore. Panicking and looking around wildly, no sound reached his ear. The silence felt as if slowly reaching for his throat to strangle him.

He cringed. Again the shriek of the crow, closer this time and creepier, followed once more by this relentless silence surrounding him, sight was gone complete. All that was left was this moist grey surrounding everything.

What should he do? Fear gripped him to the marrow and he lost his path. Robert was standing in the middle of nothing, right inside the silent fog. The only sound was his pounding heartbeat in his ears now. Unsure himself from where this panic emerged.

Suddenly there was something. He turned his head slowly to the right. He could not see anything, but something was pulling him in this direction, away from his path, right into the forest. A cold chill went down his spine as he dared a step in this direction. Carefully one-step after another.

There was no path anymore. All that was left was his decision to where to go. Slowly advancing, but full of fear, not being able to see far ahead he began to think: "Wasn't this a typical fright that emerges when nobody tells you where to go?"

The ground was springy and at times muddy. Instead of just walking along a fixed road Robert had to choose more carefully, circumventing minor obstacles and watching each step. The terrain slowly became steeper, moss covered tress and roots everywhere now, his walking a bit easier. The fog retreated a hint, allowing him to see a few more meters ahead - what had a calming effect - fear not being that strong anymore.

The strange feeling of being pulled somewhere not only remained, but also became stronger. He was walking uphill, but strangely, the fog did not vanish as he had expected. Walking continuously into the unknown, he got more comfortable with having left his path, but the same time grew more anxious about where it leads him. "Wasn't that ironic?" He still thought in terms of "being lead", like somebody else making the decision for him. "That's the point" he thought. Decisions are not only made for us every day, we also allow decisions to be made for us gladly. It is so comforting to be able to blame somebody else for our decisions.

The rustling of wet leaves under his feet he continued, went up minute after minute. Suddenly there was a sound above him in the trees. He stopped and listened carefully, fog creeping closer again. He was sure he heard something. The crow's call right above his head nearly scared him to death.

"What do you want?" he yelled. "I won't follow you anymore! Go away and leave me alone!"

The angry shrieking of the crow above him, circling for a while, scaring Robert, but then unexpectedly vanishing into the distance, to where the place must have been, his path would have led him. The crow's calls echoing more and more into the distance until they faded away.

Robert sat down on a mossy trunk, lying there maybe since many years. Resting for now, he began to calm down. Looking around and wondering how far he walked already, he realised that he lost all sense for time and distance a while ago. It is not as if he could see much anyway. There was nothing to estimate the distance with. Nothing was revealed to him by the dense fog. The only beacon to rely upon: This feeling of being pulled somewhere.

When your sight is of no use, all you have left are your ears, nose and tactile sense. He carefully stroked with his fingertips over the moss on the trunk, realising he never was so aware of touching something. He felt very hungry, so he ate a good amount of what he had taken with him, then stood up and leaned against a nearby tree. It was a good, calming feeling to have something in your back for a while, instead of nothingness around you, where whatever could sneak up onto you easily.

Robert would get nowhere, even when he would not know where he was actually going, when he stopped. He set off again walking steadily. It was strange, he must have been walking for hours now, but the light had not changed. Not a slightest bit. He could not even make out the position of the sun in this haze. "But I ate before leaving. How could I have been that hungry already, when so little time would have vanished?", he thought while walking.

The moist air was somewhat refreshing, but heavy as well. Robert took care to keep himself warm, otherwise he would catch a cold quickly out here. Steadily setting one foot before the other he went higher and higher. The longer he walked, the more he wondered why the fog did not vanish.

All of a sudden, he stood before a steep face. It was unthinkable to climb this rock, covered in good parts by moss. His feelings still pulled him onwards, so he carefully searched for a way up, guiding himself along the wall with his hands.

Stairs? He expected much, but ... stairs? They seemed old, like being carved into the stone and used a lot once, but slippery now being covered with moss as well. "Expectations" he whispered with kind of a disgusted feeling now. "Only ever disappointed me in my life", he thought. The fog retreated once more a bit, allowing him to see a few more meters ahead again. He must be close to something. Very carefully he went up the stairs, taking care of not to slip now.

The old stairway went upwards in a spiral way, for how long he did not know. The monotonous way round and round left him time to think. Robert was a pretty much ordinary man of the 21st century, always having followed the paths beaten by thousands before him already. His life held no surprises. Everything was planned, secured and made sure. Yes, it was a safe way, but in no way satisfying. Being in this strange situation now, he noticed that he never felt himself. Wondering if there was ever a time he felt different, he stumbled across childhood memories. Yes, there was such a time, when he used to read books full of fantasy and magic. "Today we know how the world works.", he thought "There is no more room for magic, fairies and dragons. ... But I miss them". He sat down, thinking about the contradicting feelings inside him now, he shed a tear. Leaning against the stone he allowed himself to come to a rest for a while, letting this eerie place appeal to him. Without the sounds of the city, it was surprisingly relaxing and peaceful. May it have felt scary at first, now it felt kind of right to hear nothing around himself - to be alone - the fog his only companion out here, but a stubborn one.

He ate a bit more and then was walking again. The steps continued round and round, going in one direction for a while, then to the other. Robert noticed that it could not only go upward, the way the stairs turned at times.

Out of the blue the stairs ended. He stepped onto solid rock, covered by soft moss, giving it a feeling like walking on a comfortable carpet. Then he was confused. The feeling that he was pulled somewhere was gone - completely gone. The fog growing thicker again it made him feel like losing sanity. Questioning what this all was about he turned around, but could not see anything anymore. Breathing heavily he tried to calm himself down. There was something. Yes, a sound - just a short sound of dripping water. He tried to turn into the direction from where it came, but it was silent. There it was again! Robert slowly moved towards the sound he occasionally heard. There was kind of a basin carved into the stone, water dribbling into it slowly and drop after drop. He looked inside to take a look at himself. It sure was some time ago when he was without folds; most of them because of fears and sorrow. A bitter smirk manifesting on his face he said: "We live safe and secure lives one may think, but still we look like death is always just a step behind us, trying to catch up and take us". He touched the water carefully, distorting the reflection. He watched the water dance, deforming his face in all directions.

As the water calmed down again he was scared to death. He turned over and tripped, lying flat on his back he watched what he saw in the water already. Two gleaming eyes appeared behind him in the reflection. And now he could still see them. Only the eyes, nothing else and they watched him carefully. They looked like hovering over the ground, maybe three meters above ground. If they belonged to somebody, he could not say because of the fog. He gasped as they moved closer, instinct urging him to retreat until he felt solid rock at his back.

"Calm down! Your heart led you here, so why are you scared now?"

The voice was deep and clean like the sound of a huge bell, but much lower. Strangely, it had a calming effect on him, the fog retreating some and revealing the owner of these expression rich eyes.

"A dragon!", Robert half whispered in awe.

"Indeed!" , the dragon replied with a deep and calm voice. He seemed not hostile, but nevertheless Robert felt like losing sanity more than ever. Such a being should not exist, but the same time: This place already should not be. All the strange things that happened denied to some extend what he learned so far. Robert took a deep sigh and calmed down. He thought that he was at least not alone anymore. The initial shock faded. Has he not said before, that he missed these beings that were so real for him like everybody else in his childhood? Strangely, the fog retreated more, revealing the dragon fully. A beautiful creature, a very dark green in colour, with a brighter underside. Strong wings and silver eyes with slit pupils. As he watched the dragon's expression rich face, he could not help to smile a bit. Indeed, he looked not hostile, but - friendly. The dragon slowly approached him and the fog drew nearer again. Robert's heart was pounding a bit, not knowing what was to come. The dragon lay down beside him and watched Robert with a calm expression. After a few minutes of being silent and the fog retreating more and more again, Robert got too curious about this strange fog.

"What is this fog about? I don't understand it. It comes and goes and even exists at such a high place"

"There is no fog!" the dragon replied.

Robert was confused. Was the dragon making fun of him? He could see the fog, so it was there!

"But I can see it clearly! It blocked all my view on my way up here!", he said with a bit of an unbelieving tone.

The dragon chuckled deeply, "That is not fog, my dear Robert. It is your fear! Did you not notice how it blocks more of your view the more you are afraid? This fog only exists in you. It is typical for your kind that you are blinded by fear. Interesting that you say "on my way up here"." , the dragon replied calmly and without haste. "Was not that path you were on before your fright blinded you, what you used to call "your path"?"

Robert was surprised. When he thought about how this journey went, the dragon was right. However, when the fog was only inside him, what was this place? Was it even on his outside? Maybe he was finally becoming insane, he thought. "His Path" - such a strange term. As if he could walk anything else than his own path.

"That is right, you can only walk your path, but you can choose to deny it by trying to walk the paths of others."

Robert winced, "I thought this, but did not say it! Can you read my thoughts? Also, what is this place? Does it even exist, or is it only "inside me", like the fog?"

The dragon smiled gently and with patience "Yes, I can hear your thoughts. Moreover, this place does indeed exist, but the same time, it does not. Nevertheless, it is not inside you. You want to know what it is? It is a chance!"

The answers of the dragon confused him. He leaned against the rock and rubbed his face, closing his eyes for a moment. When reason cannot help him here, maybe his feelings could. He tried to listen carefully into himself, paying attention instead of thinking. There was this feeling again, that pulled him here. To some extend he was surprised, but the same time, he was not. This feeling pointed towards the dragon. He felt the warmth the dragon's body radiated, but had not noticed it until now. It was a very peaceful and calming warmth. He opened his eyes and looked at the dragon again.

"A chance? You are confusing in your answers!"

The dragon laughed a bit "Guess that is typical for my kind then. Your kind seems to have chosen to no longer walk this path, which led you here."

Robert was a bit afraid now. He feared that this moment could end rather soon. Without noticing it, he had begun to like the dragon and this place. It felt like he did not want to go back. He was no longer afraid of his presence or this place, but to have to leave now.

"Can't I make a different choice then?", he asked with noticeable anxiousy.

The dragon smiled gently "You got a chance by following your heart. It led you here. This is what this place is: Your chance you chose! If you want to make a choice then, continue to follow your heart and do what feels right to you."

Robert hesitated, trying to decide what he wanted. Thinking for minutes panic tried to creep up his spine again. What if he made the wrong choice? Would he suddenly be his old self again then? "His old self" ... he just understood how different he felt already, compared to how it was when he began his journey. He thought minute after minute about what to do. Then he realised: It was not his reason that led him here. It was his heart. So maybe he just should listen instead of thinking. Not thinking, but acting was what would lead him to a decision. Robert slowly stood up and looked at the dragon. He just listened now to what he wanted instead of thinking about what he should do. He approached the dragon and carefully hugged him. The dragon replied his hug tenderly and suddenly all the fog was gone. Robert felt so light, as if a heavy weight was taken from his shoulders. It felt wonderful to him to hug the dragon. He has been a bit anxious if the dragon would vanish when he touched him, but this had not happened. All he was feeling now was gentle warmth, like a caring being close to him.

"Congratulations, Robert. You accepted the unknown in your life and learned to listen to yourself. I was always with you. In addition, from now on, you will be able to hear and see me. Yes, I exist, like you exist. Nevertheless, most of humankind never learned to hear us. You can see far now, because you do not fear anymore what will come. You see what you look at and what you do not look at, you cannot see. This applies literal and metaphorical. You had a desire, because you knew somewhere deep within you, that there is more. There cannot be a wrong decision, but for you, this decision was right. You will be able to see all the small wonders in the world from now on. Listen carefully and you shall never be alone. But now, fall asleep, Robert. It is time for you to continue your path."

"Will you answer me one last question before I have to go? What was up with that crow, who called me?"

"Death, Robert. The crow's name is death."

With the calming words of the dragon, Robert fell asleep. He was no longer afraid and fell asleep in the arms of the dragon, whispering a slow "thank you", while he slumbered away.

As Robert opened his eyes again, they hurt. He was lying in a hospital bed, the constant beeping of some machines close to him. He looked around carefully and his muscles hurt at once. A nurse rushed to him to check his life signs.

"Thank god you are alive, we almost lost hope to get you through. You were involved in an accident, but you should be able to make a full recovery. We did not know why, but for some reason, you just would not wake up."

Robert tried to nod slightly and succeeded. He remembered now. He had an accident with his car. He was driving too fast between two appointments...

With a fright he wondered if everything was just a dream and he would not see the dragon again, as he suddenly felt the gently stroking of the dragon's hand over his head, whispering inside him. "Don't worry, you are not alone. I am with you."

He shed a few tears of happiness, having no doubt anymore. He not only decided to live, he also decided to live the life, he always wanted to live.

-- The end