Blogging through Middlesex 4 (5.10.15)

Personal Experience: Night walk in the Woods

During the 6th Grade, we had an overnight class field trip to PEEC. I don't remember what PEEC stood for, but PEEC was a camping site my middle school decided to take us to. Throughout the day, we, the students, did a lot of trust games and ice breakers. Then night fell. For the first time, star shines made their way to my corneas.

A camp guide came forward and told us our last event for the day. We were to hike in the dark woods together for ten minutes. Almost everyone became hesitant about entering the dark forest. The guide's dim light did not protect us from surrounding shadows.

We heard silence noises of unknown howls and chirps bouncing against trees as if pin balls were pinging in from every direction. The terrain was the worst of it all. Logs and bumps became obstacles. If we didn't watch where we stepped, we'd trip. Beside our trail, a steep cliff was accompanying us, and so we kept ourselves to the left.

In Middlesex, before going into the woods, Callie clearly showed she wanted no part of the activity. Since the Object was willing to follow the boys, Callie did as well. In other words, Callie follows her desires even if they go against her conscience. During her walk, Callie described her night wood walking experience with the phrase, "graveyard feeling" (369) with an "ancient" (369) swamp. Fallen trees surround her. The moon in Callie's experience shone on puddles, spiderwebs, and the Object's red hair, which gives off a creepy vibe.

If I remembered correctly, I didn't really want to venture out into a void. Honestly, I don't think anyone wanted to. We all took a step back when we heard that we would enter the woods. We hunched close together like penguins facing the cold. However, we still entered the unknown. I wonder even today if it was peer pressure or simply an opportunity to seem better than the rest. We were all in this together because no one wanted to be the oddball; No one wanted to seem weak.

Although, for my experience, the moon didn't shine onto objects well enough, I still felt an uncomfortable vibe. The darkness seemed to keep us tamed as it kept us surrounded. Just like the swamp, we sank into the darkness. Unable to see our own hands, we latched onto one another for safety; for reassurance. Even then, however, I felt alone. I felt empty and fear because of the void; because of the darkness. Something was hiding deep within the woods and the scary part was that I couldn't see it.




Works Cited

Eugenides, Jeffrey. "Book Three: Flesh and Blood" Middlesex. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux,                           2002. 369. Print.