Warning(s): None
Word count: 738
Synopsis: The strong pull of your curiosity fueled you to start looking for the green man's whereabouts.
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Weeks went by since your encounter with the stranger, life went on as normal. Except that in the back of your mind his image was engraved into your memory. You were constantly thinking about him even when you were trying to push the image of him aside only for it to come up later on in the day.
A strong pull was guiding you to the woodlands where he may or may not reside. Initially hesitant and unsure if you should even follow the pull because of some stranger. His intimidating presence would cause any rational human being to run in the opposite direction because of how alien he looked.
Sure, you were scared at first but it was more out of caution than anything else. It was a defense mechanism that you'd conditioned yourself to do; a front to mask the fear from showing. Your interaction with him was so brief that you couldn't get a proper read on him, if he did want to cause harm he would have done so the moment he was behind you, but didn't.
He intrigued you.
The curiosity combined with the pull that was beckoning you to go to the woodlands couldn't be ignored any longer. Thus, you gathered the supplies and went on a camping trip to the woodland where you had met him. Not only were you on a quest to find him, it was also the perfect opportunity to hone your skills, exposed by the elements and also to get some much needed downtime from the Internet as well.
From there you begin the arguably long process of trying to search for him throughout the vast, dense vegetation. For days you would solely visit these woods to try and at least catch a glimpse of his silhouette only to turn up with nothing but the wildlife that roamed the grounds.
Admittedly, it was beginning to take a toll on you.
You couldn't keep this up for long, even convincing yourself that he wasn't worth searching for. It made you feel foolish as a result. You kept thinking back on your students who were waiting for you to return from your trip. Their hunger to learn from you and in turn you provide them with the knowledge and skill, but also welcoming them as being a part of your family. These were the thoughts you had before returning to camp that night to get some shut eye.
Ultimately you decided to end your search. Gathering all your belongings and putting them away in capsules before heading out the woods.
Except this time you got completely lost.
You swore you left orange ribbons along the shrubs and tree barks the previous days to avoid this from happening, and yet it still happened. Whatever the case you kept on through the woods, cursing under your breath for not bringing the compass along to save you from this predicament.
It felt like you were wandering around for hours right up until you stumbled upon an untouched cascade. For the situation that you were in this was a wonderful find to calm yourself and get some clarity.
Your eyes wandered around the breathtaking scenery and noticed a silhouette floating above the body of water. A normal person would have been losing their minds at the sight of someone hovering in thin air without a plausible explanation, that's not what you were focused on. What caught your immediate attention was the striking familiarity of a purple turban and white cape; it was him.
It wasn't hard to distinguish that he was in a meditative state, eyes closed with his legs crossed and arms folded in front of him. The gentle sway of his cape and the soft lighting accentuating his toned physique. He blended in with the environment seamlessly in which people could easily mistake him as being part of the greenery around him by how perfectly still he is.
You just stood there admiring his otherworldly appearance, taking in his calm features until suddenly his eyes opened where he met your gaze. You never meant to disturb him intentionally but somehow it's as if he knew you were there the entire time.
Whether he knew or not, you found him by sheer luck. Perhaps it was fate that guided you towards him. Whatever it was, you were grateful that it gave you a chance to try and get to know him better.