SOMNIA FOREST
 
 
 


Finding our way in a whole new place

Darla sat up in her bed. It was dark outside already. She had no night-light in her room. The only ounce of light she received illuminated from the moon, which she could clearly see from her bedroom window. It gave off a fluorescent image that injected a series of blues and greens into the night sky and shot through the window, reflecting off the walls of her dimly-litted room. It was a bright array of shines rivaled only by the Aurora Borealis. She enjoyed watching these colors dance, and because of that, she would never feel tired.

However, the only thing that has bothered her is the fact that this place was still entirely foreign to her. She was a new resident to the area and has moved recently from a town far away. It was one of the reasons why she stayed up late at night, watching her vibrant friends, the colors, dance outside.

This was the first time Darla moved. While trying to stay warm, her mother walked in and turned on the lights. "Why aren't you asleep yet? Not tired? It's already very late," she said.

Darla paused and looked at her. "I know, you're still not used to being in our new home, but you'll adapt," her mother said with a hopeful smile. However, Darla didn't respond.

Sighing, her mother walked over and sat down next to her. "I remember my first time moving," she said. At that moment, Darla sat up straight and edged closer to her. "Every time I look back upon it, I recall not liking it at first but then, I slowly started to grow accustomed to my once-new surroundings. There was an old story my mother told me that very day we just moved in."

At that moment, Darla got up from her bed and sat on the carpet floor, which was brightened by the moon's light. "Are you ready?" her mother asked. Darla nodded. Her mother continued happily, "The story went something like this:

There was once an old shepherd who always tended to his flock of sheep. The sheep were always obedient to him. Every morning, they would wake up around the same time and the sheep would graze in the meadows. He always lead them to the waterhole to drink and since the rains came about once a month, he made sure they didn't consume all the water. The shepherd took walks with his sheep daily before heading back to the spot they usually slept. Sometimes, they'd sleep wherever was comfortable, but preferably in grassy plains where the rising and setting of the sun could be fully appreciated.

The shepherd and his flock were wonderful companions, never leaving each other's side. This solitary man never felt lonely because of that. His relationships with the human race was cut off because of the responsibility of taking care of the sheep. He was truly devoted, never thinking twice about his job. Nobody knows how he came to be a sheep herder, or the circumstances surrounding of what urged him to take up such a task. No one ever questioned the shepherd, who was quite possibly the most compassionate individual there ever was.

Years went by, and the shepherd grew wiser and more aware of his flock. However, he was also getting old. He watched generations of sheep families live and pass away, and he wouldn't have missed any of that for the world. This was a responsibility he could not keep forever. He knew his time would be up someday, but what worried him more was who would look after his flock after he's gone. Could they be off on their own? Would they still be able to live peacefully without his aid? These were questions that pondered in the shepherd's head for a very long time.

Since the beginning, he had never broken his promise to look after them, but he also understood that nothing lasts as long as everybody wishes. It bothered him so much that he hardly got any sleep. At some points, he wouldn't sleep for days at a time. The sheep turned to him, very worried about the shepherd's condition. The sheep remembered that they used to jump over fences for the shepherd to count to help him sleep. They all decided to do this again and the shepherd started to grow sleepy as he counted them off. He smiled because his sheep were always good to him. He then closed his eyes. A few days later, the shepherd finally passed away in eternal sleep.

"It's a sad story," said Darla.

"Yes, it is," her mother said, "but whenever I had trouble sleeping, I am always reminded of it."

Darla looked outside her window and imagined the sheep jumping over the fence.

"So that explains why counting sheep helps you fall asleep," observed Darla.

"Yes Darla," said her mother, "that's exactly right."

The mother and daughter sat in the bedroom for a little while. As the two looked outside, they realized that the sun was already beginning to rise.

"Well, if you look at that," observed Darla's mother, "I'm sorry that you didn't get to sleep tonight."

Darla quickly got up from her spot and tucked herself in her bed. "It's alright," said Darla, "I think I can now."