LXIX: The Road Between Roots
From the âThreads of Shadow and Magicâ poem series
Morning lingered beneath the old oaks. The tea had long since grown cold. No one seemed eager to leave. Yet everyone knew they couldnât stay forever. ⸝ Aurora stood at the edge of the clearing. Beyond the trees, an old dirt road disappeared into the forest. For the first time since her journey had begunâŚ. she didnât know where it led. And strangelyâŚ. that no longer frightened her. ⸝ The grandmother joined her. âYouâve been looking at that road for quite a while.â Aurora smiled. âIâve been wondering which way to go.â ⸝ The older woman chuckled. âMy grandmother used to sayâŚ.â She looked toward the winding path. âthat the right road rarely introduces itself.â âIt simply waits until youâre ready to walk it.â ⸝ Nearby, Thomas was carefully repacking everyoneâs supplies. Nebula peeked into one of the bags. âIs this all snacks?â Thomas looked offended. âNo.â A pause. âmostly.â ⸝ Auren wandered back to the great oak. The blue flowers around its roots had begun to bloom in greater numbers. Not wildly. Quietly. As though the forest itself was taking a slow, steady breath. ⸝ Bramblekind knelt once more beside the roots. This time they smiled immediately. âTheyâre peaceful.â Aurora looked over. âThe roots?â Bramblekind nodded. âThey know weâre going.â ⸝ âHow?â ⸝ âTheyâre already reaching ahead of us.â ⸝ Kael had remained unusually quiet all morning. He stood near the edge of the clearing, studying something in his hand. Aurora walked over. âWhat is it?â He opened his palm. A single blue flower rested there. âI found it growing beside the path.â Aurora frowned. âThere werenât any flowers there yesterday.â âI know.â ⸝ Mystique appeared beside them. She looked at the blossom for a long moment. Then quietly said, âItâs pointing.â ⸝ Everyone gathered around. Nebula leaned closer. âItâsâŚ. pointing?â ⸝ The flowerâs stem slowly turned. Not toward the sun. Toward the road disappearing into the trees. ⸝ No one spoke. ⸝ Corinâs Echo Journal slipped from Auroraâs satchel. It opened on its own. Ink slowly spread across the page. Every thread begins with a single step. Then another line appeared. Do not search for the path. Walk it. ⸝ Aurora closed the journal gently. She looked at each member of the group. Thomas. Lyra. Nebula. Bramblekind. Mystique. Auren. Kael. Then back toward the waiting road. ⸝ âI donât think weâre being sent somewhere.â She smiled. âI think weâre being invited.â ⸝ The grandmother embraced Ivy. The little girl ran over and hugged Mystique one last time. The silver-eyed cat pretended to dislike every second of it. She failed completely. ⸝ As the group stepped onto the old road⌠the blue flower in Kaelâs hand glowed softly. One by oneâŚ. new blossoms appeared along the roadside. Not enough to form a trail. Just enough to sayâŚ. keep going. ⸝ Far beyond EarthâŚ. Aethan stood upon the balcony of the Sanctuary. Beside him, Orion rested his lantern against the ancient stone. Neither spoke. Below them, the Fracture remained restless. But neither of them watched it. They watched Earth. ⸝ Orion smiled. âTheyâve started walking.â Aethan nodded. âThey always had to.â ⸝ Vaelor stood a little farther back. For the first time in agesâŚ. he allowed himself to hope. Not because the Fracture had weakened. It hadnât. But because those carrying the Thread were no longer searching for answers. They were becoming the answer. ⸝ The road curved gently beneath the trees. None of them knew where it would lead. Yet somehowâŚ. every step felt familiar. As though the world itself remembered the way home.
I would love for you to check out my recently published book, âBetween Then and Nowâ, a collection of 60 poems written between the ages of 15 and 39, itâs currently being sold at Amazon. Itâs also available on kindle unlimited.
Stay tuned for my book âBetween Now and Hope.â It will be released sometime in 2026. Itâs a collection of poems that focus on making this world a better place.
Thank you for taking the time to read my words.
This chapter left me with a deep, quiet sense of peace, especially that shift from fearing the unknown to feeling entirely ready for it â¨
April, the blue flowers changing from rooted blooms to roadside markers gives this installment such a quiet sense of movement. Auroraâs line that they are being invited gives the road a different kind of meaning: the next step becomes part of the healing, with the roots already reaching ahead before anyone understands the way. I also loved the small humor of Thomas and the snacks beside the larger mystery, since it keeps the group human while the story widens around them. Grateful for the way you let hope appear here as a path that opens one blossom at a time.