Chapter: Preface

Jereth sits listening to the cracking of the frozen branches above him. He can hear birds in the distance and water gurgling under the ice in a nearby brook. He only liked the woods in the winter, being slightly phobic of bugs and spiders.

Eyes closed, he takes a deep cold breath and feels his chest tighten and his ears tingle from the breeze. His legs now completely numb from the snow cross under him as he imagines the world around him. His eyes still closed he sees a puff of snow drift off a branch high above from the wind. He sees the sunlight shimmer off a mound of snow so brightly, he unconsciously winces from the light.

This daily routine of his was tough on the skin, but great for his mind. His was a rage full soul, and until he began this method of relaxation, there was little to soften his heart. A vagabond, Jereth traveled an endless path. He was unsure if he was running from something or toward something. All he understood was he must continue.

A small twig above him snaps from the weight of the snow, and Jereth is sprinkled with it. The snowflakes seem as cold pin pricks that shatter his concentration. He opens his eyes and peers around. There is alarmingly little to see as one of his visions is proven true. He is blinded by the sunlight glistening off the snow, and he stumbles to his feet. Both legs asleep, it takes longer than he would like to stabilize, and he falls backward into the cold snow. Up on his feet once again, he shuffles forward into the dusk, wondering where he would bed down for the night.

The small wooded area was very nice, but surrounded by loud and intruding city. Sirens wailed from seemingly every direction, and the sound attacked his senses. Normally, he loved the stark emotion and grime of the inner city, but, after a session it seemed that much more dismal. Jereth walked passed a couple leaning against one another and smiled. Seeing this was worth it. Still a bit numb from the cold, his feet clumsily clomped underneath him as he shuffled along the sidewalk looking for a nice dark alley to sleep. He found one.

Water dripped on him from the building above, and he hoped it was melted snow but decided to shift a few feet to the left just in case. Not your average hobo, Jereth opened his bag and brought out a very nice sleeping bag. He laid to rest in the corner of a building and a large fence that seemed to flex with the slight weight of his torso. He felt the wire of the fence pushing into his head, but was rather used to it, and it barely registered.

The minutes flew by as he drifted into his slumber. He listened to the dripping of what he hoped was melting snow. He listened to papers and an empty bag of chips wrestle in the wind. In the distance he heard a couple arguing, but by the time they were near enough to hear clearly, he was asleep. His last thought was the crackling of the ice in that nice wooded area. He hoped his dreams would be as pleasant.