Magical Encounters
Short Fiction by Caro Henry
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Zora had always been a restless soul, always searching for something, but what that something was, she hadn’t quite figured out. She tried everything from religion to meditation to therapy, but nothing worked. She was always searching for answers, but the more she searched, the more lost she felt.
It was only when she hit rock bottom that peace found her. After a painful breakup shattered her world, she spent days crying in her room, trying to make sense of it all. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake off the feeling of emptiness.
One day, she decided to walk in the woods behind her house. The air was crisp, and the leaves were beginning to change colors. As Zora walked, her thoughts roamed as she tried to clear her mind of all the negativity weighing her down.
Suddenly, a rustling in the bushes caught her by surprise. Her heart rate quickened as she prepared herself for the worst. But then, a deer emerged from the woods with its brown eyes staring at her intently, without fear. Zora froze, not wanting to scare it away.
For a moment, they just stood there, watching each other. And then, the deer took a step forward, and Zora thought: It either has poor eyesight or isn’t afraid of me.
It walked past her, close enough that its soft fur brushed against her arm, making the hair all over her body rise in goosebumps and tingle at the contact. It was magical.
From that day on, Zora spent more time in nature, taking long walks and immersing herself in the beauty around her. She started noticing things she had never seen before—the leaves whooshing in the wind, the birds singing in the trees, the squirrels gathering and burying their nuts, the sun setting over the horizon, and the stars twinkling in the night sky.
As Zora became more in tune with her surroundings, she felt more in tune with herself. She began to understand the interconnectedness of all things and realized she was just a tiny part of a much larger universe.
One autumn day, Zora climbed to the top of the hill that overlooked her town. She reached the summit and saw breathtaking views of the world below. As the sun set over the horizon, it cast a warm golden glow over the buildings and streets. The sky adorned itself in shades of pink and orange as the clouds looked ablaze. The world appeared as if it were on fire, and for a moment, Zora felt like the only living person.
But then she heard a voice behind her. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”
Zora turned around and saw an old man standing a few feet away. He wore what looked like a navy blue tracksuit and white sneakers, with his long grey-streaked dreadlocks pulled back from his face into a ponytail and his eyes as blue as a clear sky after a rain.
“Yes, it is,” Zora replied.
The man smiled. “You know, when I was your age, I used to come up here all the time. It’s a good place to clear your mind.”
Zora nodded, not sure what to say.
The man stared at her, smiled again, and said, “You seem lost. Are you?”
She hesitated for a moment before speaking. “I was. But not anymore.”
The man nodded as his dreadlocks bounced in agreement.
“Nature has a way of healing us. It reminds us we are all connected and part of something bigger than ourselves.”
Zora looked at him, feeling the air vibrate around them.
“And when we realize that,” he continued, “we can see the world in all its wonder. We can appreciate the beauty of life and find the meaning in even the smallest details.”
Zora nodded as she felt goosebumps all over her body. For the first time in her life, she felt everything made sense. It was magical.
As the man walked away, Zora sat on the grass and closed her eyes, facing the setting sun as it slid below the horizon. Taking a deep breath, she felt the cool breeze on her face and the warming rays of the setting sun on her skin. At that moment, she knew she was where she needed to be.
She was unaware of the man with the dreadlocks standing ten feet behind her, his dreadlocks floating free, his skin glowing, and his eyes shining. She also didn’t see a white owl glide down to perch on the man’s left shoulder as a deer joined him, nudging his right hand so he could rest it on its head. She didn’t see the man extend his left arm as if trying to touch her.
“Zora,” he called softly.
Zora opened her eyes, stood slowly, and turned around, surprised to see the man with the dreadlocks standing behind her with an owl and deer by his side.
The man smiled at her reassuringly and said, “It’s time to come home, Zora. The universe has been waiting for you.”
Zora felt a rush of emotions as she realized that this was it, the moment she had been waiting for. Without hesitation, she took the man’s extended hand and walked into the forest, the owl and deer leading the way.
The sun had set completely, and the sky filled with stars as a waxing nail tip of a moon lit their way. When they stopped, they stood before a large tree with roots stretching forever. The man with the dreadlocks placed his hand on the tree, and suddenly a door appeared in the trunk and opened, showing a brightly lit interior.
Zora looked at the man, unsure of what to do. He nodded at her encouragingly, and Zora stepped through the door into a world of endless possibilities.
Caro Henry, in a previous life, worked as a skilled web designer and data analyst (creative endeavors, to be sure). Nowadays, she spends her time writing stories, poetry, and essays, tending to her beautiful garden, and creating a welcoming environment for all the critters (domesticated and wild) that call her yard home.
Visit her on substack to read more of her amazing tales.