A Better Place

He strode, purposefully and steadily, but not speedily, towards the flaring sunlight that seemed to emit from the middle of the wood. As always, there was no change in the seemingly serene forest from the last time he'd been here. The tall, skinny trees, all identical, stood in symmetrical rows, stretching on endlessly around him, making it too easy for him to lose himself in there.
But this man didn't seem afraid. A bead of sweat soaked his brow, but he made no move to wipe it off, keeping up his energetic pace.
As he neared the source of the light, it became evident that it really wasn't from the sun at all. The blinding brightness emanated from the very heart of the wood, the only spot in the almost eerily still forest that seemed alive.
The man halted several meters away from the dazzling light and took in his surroundings. Here, in the centre of the wood, you could hear the noises that you should hear in a wood that he hadn't heard on the way here, like birds chittering and leaves rustling and wind combing through the tree branches. You could also hear things you didn't often hear in other woods--the still and quiet, almost imperceptible, growth of the young trees, the communication between animals and even plants. It was as if somebody had put not a forest, but the sounds of a forest, under a magnifying glass.
If you stayed there long enough, which was what the man did, you could even hear things you frankly aren't supposed to hear in woods or anywhere else, such as the sound of the warm golden light, comforting and peaceful, and the whispered melody of life, which radiated from the very roots of the trees and the fluttering heartbeat of the small critters. The very air was alive. You would feel as if you could walk in here blindfolded, never having seen the place before, and still be able to describe every detail of it. After basking in the pleasant light and enjoying the beauty of nature for a while, one never wanted to leave this place.
Maybe that was why the man proceeded to take five long strides straight into the light, plunging himself into the very source of this rich life.
Surprisingly, in the couple seconds before the light completely swallowed him up, he did not show any sign of pain or discomfort from the heat that should have been there, considering the brilliance of the light.
If you were there with him, you could have waited all you wanted and he would never return. Nobody ever saw this man again, alive or dead. All I can tell you is that he indubitably left for a better place--a place you yourself might even see someday.
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