THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

PROSE BY ALEX SHROCK

The moon shone high above, stars speckling the night sky like the freckles across the traveler’s face. He stood at a fork in the road. Concentration knitted his eyebrows together, and he ran a hand through his long hair. The two paths looked fairly similar; greenery and life covered the road, trampled just enough for the route to be seen. The moon illuminated the spark in the traveler’s eyes, telling him to take the smaller, muddier, less traveled one. The stars above pushed him towards the wider, well-known one, telling him to be reasonable. He shuffled to the side, looking down one as far as he could, only to see it turn into the foliage. Stretching his neck to see the other, he only saw the same. How could he decide? He had no goal in mind, no destination to reach. How could he possibly choose which mystery to follow? The traveler let out an exasperated sigh, trudging back to view both paths.

“Wouldn’t it be fun?” the moon whispered to him, “Wouldn’t you like to know what so many people don’t?”

“Don’t be stupid,” the stars scolded, “Be safe. Maybe no one knows what lies down that path because nobody wants to know. It could be dangerous.”

“We look the same,” the paths hissed, “There can’t be a difference. Perhaps we even merge a couple steps ahead.”

“Yeah, merge into danger,” the stars laughed.

“Well, people must have gone down that trail before,” the traveler reasoned, “So it can’t be that treacherous. You know how tales spread. One misfortune and no one would travel here again.”

“Go on,” the moon encouraged.

“Don’t you dare,” the stars warned.

“Hurry up,” the paths complained.

The traveler’s feet carried him long and far down the small path, the smaller, muddier, less-traveled path. “Perhaps I will end up here again someday,” he grinned, knowing it was not the truth. The smaller, muddier, less- traveled path led him to unimaginable things, at least unimaginable to you or I. It led that young traveler to adventures of his wildest dreams and people he would spend the rest of his time on this here earth with. But what lay down the other path? He never returned.

Bunny Scout

SCULPTURE BY XOCHITL SUH