Uncertainty

With every step farther into the woods, the forest grew denser and more impenetrable, as if the gnarled and twisted trees knitted themselves together, a thick canopy overhead, blocking out the last remaining vestiges of sunlight filtering through. The shadows around me reached longer and deepened in colour, making the winding trail ahead something that was barely discernible and hard to negotiate. Each small rustle of leaves beneath my feet or some faraway, haunting cry of an unseen bird echoing through the trees felt unnaturally loud and emphasized in the oppressive, suffocating silence surrounding me.