Dead Poets Society - Imagines and preferences

Guardian Angel - Neil Perry

This happens before the beginning of the Dead Poets Society meetings.

The forest has always been your favorite place to go to. There is never anyone here, as the boys and girls your age much prefer hanging out in town rather than going into the woods, and for some reason a magical atmosphere emanates from the place. The dark tree barks constrasting with the bright green spring leaves, the chirping of the birds, the buzzing of the insects, the croaking of toads, the rays of sunlight filtered by the thousands of branches hovering above you, the sound of wings flapping, the smell of pure air and damp moss - it almost feels like it had been pulled out of a fairytale.

You'd come here whenever you have free time, or when you need some time for yourself. Being here makes you feel safe, at peace.

But today is kind of different. Today, you want something new, something exciting. Something adventurous. So you decide to go explore a part of the forest that you've never been to before - it's about three miles away from the border of the woods next to Ridgeway.

You trek for a little over an hour, until you arrive at the end of the perimeter you know. A bubble of excitement and anticipation begins growing inside you - it really feels like an adventure! You're like an explorer going into the unknown, awaiting to chart undiscovered territory.

As you stray farther and farther from the place you're comfortable with, the forest itself seems to be shifting. It's still the same type of trees and all, but the whole picture feels strangely foreign. Suddenly, you feel as if you're not even in Vermont anymore.

After another hour of exploring, you decide to go back. The sun is setting in a few hours, so you still have time, but you'd rather make sure to get back in time and not spend the night with the wolves.

But the forest now feels too unfamiliar, and as you make your way towards where you thought you came from, you don't recognize anything. You stop, unsettled, trying to locate yourself - but nothing strikes you, so you go back to where you started, trying to find your path.

Time passes, and you're still trying to figure your way out. Now a wave of panic is gradually growing inside you - the little voice inside your head keeps repeating, What if you're stuck here for the night? You push it away, telling yourself that it's all good, that you're going to find your way, and you'll be back before sunset. But each time the voice keeps coming back, louder and louder.

And that's when it strikes you: you're lost in the forest.

But that's also when you notice that it's getting darker.

The rays of sunlight filtering through the branches are getting closer and closer to the ground. Somewhere in the distance, an owl hoots, marking the beginning of the night.

Full panic hits you - not only do you not have anything to keep yourself warm, you did not take a lamptorch with you, and there could be wild animals roaming around - didn't your friends tell you that wolves have been seen in this forest?

Your breathe quickens, your heart is drumming inside your ears and you drop to your knees. Tears begin spilling from your eyes as you desperately attempt to calm down. What where you thinking, going out here alone? Why didn't you bring a compass, or mark the trees with chalk to find your way back? Why did you not bring a stupid lamptorch, just in case? And why did you not tell anyone where you were going?

As the light gets dimmer and dimmer, you realize that you're going to need to find a shelter before the forest turns pitch black. C'mon, Y/N! Don't let yourself down this easily. Angrily wiping off tears from your face, you stand and begin walking towards the light, hoping to cling on to every last bit of sunrays.