The air was light and humid as I stepped out of the car with three friends, anxious to head across the street and embark on my journey to The Forest as they titled it, allowing for my mind to fill in the creative details of what this “sacred” place might possibly look like. I took a long look around, absorbing the details of my surroundings, noting the houses and the park next to the school where my car was parked. Psh…nothing special here, I obnoxiously thought to myself as we crossed the street and began the journey on the walking trail to this mysterious spot. As we ventured further down the trail, it seemed to me as though the urban reality of my previous surroundings began to dissipate, allowing only for a concentration on the natural state of my newfound setting. “Right up ahead here, check it….” was all I heard as I turned the corner and was introduced for the first time to the oasis that was The Forest, a picture perfect piece of serenity surrounded by trees with a small, quiet stream running through it. I zoned out, instantly infatuated with the peaceful aura of the place that I had naively misjudged earlier. “Pretty chill, huh?” was the question that broke my trance, prying my attention from nature’s grasp. “Definitely!!” was my embarrassingly enthusiastic response, for I had just discovered a relief I never knew I needed, right there, in The Forest.
Jason Steib is a 23-year-old student in the SJSU Communication Studies Department, who enjoys writing in his free time. Although capable of producing works for all styles of writing, he mostly enjoys constructing works of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. “The Forest” is his first published work, and demonstrates a style developed from past experiences in writing for Journalism, Creative Writing, Philosophy, Communications, and English courses. Jason is currently working on creating a blog dedicated to sharing more of his work as he prepares for graduation.
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