Thick green canopy that stretches away, an endless carpet folded over the slump and rise of mountains. Underneath, we trudge through sinewy grasses. They slap and swoosh, fondling our legs and leaving seeds as mementos.

Down now, the air earthy, ground beneath sinking under the pressure of our feet. Fingers of sunlight tease their way between the leaves. Splashes of blue and yellow flutter in from sporadic butterflies, tiny frogs leap away from our disturbance.

Solace and peace. My body is all muscles. It leaves my mind to roam. A thousand future possibilities flit past, as fleeting as the occasional cool breeze that dries the sweat onto my skin.

Stumble across stumps of trees, people baked brown with honey eyes and outstretched hands.

Sitting in a calm clearing, a golden cow lumbers into view. It searches me for signs of familiarity. Grass proves more important. A soft plop as a grasshopper lands on the plastic of my shoe.

I feel alien and manufactured in these surroundings.

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