Julian was taking a walk in the woods with his dog, Spike. Spike suddenly stopped and started to bark at something. Julian prepared himself in case it was a wild animal nearby but when he caught up with his dog, he saw something unexpected.
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It was a huge plant. Julian was about to take a closer look at it when a forest ranger suddenly ran towards them. “Watch out! Stay back!” he shouted. Julian froze in his tracks. What was this giant plant and why was the ranger so scared of it?
An ordinary day
Julian woke up to an ordinary day. He got up from bed, got ready, and headed downstairs. He expected to be greeted by Spike who usually would wait for him by the door every morning, waiting to be let out.
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But that morning, Spike was nowhere to be found. That was strange. Julian walked around the house calling for Spike and started to worry. Where could his dog be? This was so unlike him.
A good day for a hike
When Julian opened the backdoor to their yard, Spike suddenly came running in. Julian thought it was weird since he swore Spike was inside the house last night. He shrugged and thought that the important thing was that Spike seemed safe.
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Julian started to prepare breakfast for him and filled Spike’s bowl with dog food. He looked outside the window and saw clear blue skies. It looked like it was a good day to be outdoors. So, Julian decided to take a hike.
An avid hiker
Julian lived in a small town that was situated between two mountains. It was a great place for nature lovers to settle down because there were a lot of spots to explore. Julian had made it a habit to hike in the mountains during his free time.
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After clearing the table, Julian took out his map and looked for a part of the woods that he has not discovered yet. He sees a spot in the woods nearby that he has not marked yet and decides to head there for the day.
Getting ready
Julian starts to pack up his gear and prepare Spike for the hike. He usually does not bring much on his hikes but he hauls a huge backpack in case something happened to Spike during the hike and he’d have to carry his dog.
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Julian placed all their stuff in the car and puts Spike in the backseat. Spike was excited, knowing that he would be able to run free in the woods again. Julian always takes his dog with him when he goes for a hike but today, he was soon going to regret this decision.
Something was off
During the drive towards the mountain, Julian noticed that the area looked different from what the map illustrated. There was supposed to be a nice open spot on the way where he can let Spike run around but it seemed to be gone.
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Julian thought to himself that he must have had an outdated map. But something at the back of his head warned him that something about it was not right. There was something off. He shook his head and told himself he was just overthinking things.
A beautiful and scenic drive
But during the drive, Julian also passed by several beautiful spots that made him forget about how the woods did not match his map. He could not believe he never had heard of this place before. He belonged to a local hiker’s group chat and nobody brought this up.
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The woods were beautiful. It looked very raw and untouched by man. Julian could not wait to start exploring the area. Julian found a spot where he could park his car. He put on his backpack, made sure he had everything he needed, and let Spike out of the car.
Taking a break
Julian and Spike had walked a significant distance when Julian decided to take a break in a nice spot. Almost half an hour had passed when he noticed that Spike was nowhere near him. Spike must have ran off somewhere.
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Usually, Julian would not mind since Spike would always find his way back. But this time, when he called for Spike, his dog did not come running. It has been turning out to be a strange day when it came to Spike.
A clearing in the woods
Julian decided to head back to the same route towards his car. He called for Spike on the way down the road but his dog never responded and never showed up. Julian decided to hike his way back to the spot where he took a break but he could not find it anymore.
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Julian walked around for 10 minutes before he started to admit that he might be lost. It was then that Julian stumbled into a small clearing in the woods. It looked perfect – he had to blink his eyes a couple of times to make sure he was not just seeing things.
Enchanting field
The clearing was very wide and there were a lot of different flowers in the field. It looked like something out of a fairytale. But Julian could smell the scent of flowers so it must be real. The place looked so much different that it looked like it belonged to another forest.
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Julian could not believe that nobody had discovered this place yet. But in the same way, he was glad because if hikers came often it probably would not be this beautiful. Julian walked into the clearing and felt giddy at the smell of the flowers.
His dog was behaving strangely
A movement somewhere near the trees suddenly caught Julian’s attention. It was hard to see what it was because of the shadows. He wondered what creature it could be – he was deep in the woods now and he would not be surprised if it was a wild animal.
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But Spike was the creature that jumped up from behind the huge tree. Julian was very relieved to see his dog. But Spike was behaving strangely. When Julian called for him, the dog stayed back as if not recognizing his owner.
He does not want to leave
Julian noticed that Spike had an unusual look in his eyes and he was acting as if he was very nervous. It was as if something had spooked the dog. Julian never saw Spike behave this way. He called him over so that they could leave the forest and rest.
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But Spike stayed by the tree for some reason. Julian called the dog again, even taking out a treat to lure him closer but Spike stayed put by the tree. He was making it clear to Julian that he does not want to leave yet.
Exploring a little
Julian found it all strange but for some reason, he too wanted to stay a little bit longer. So he decided to explore the area a little longer. Seeing that Julian was not leaving, Spike happily tagged along by his side.
Later, Julian found a little path made out of gravel. The path was surrounded by a trail of white flowers. Julian never saw this type of flower before and the flowers had a strong fragrant scent. Walking on the trail, he got a little lightheaded at the scent.
Losing track of time
The scent of the flowers seemed to have affected Spike as well. He ran ahead, rolling around the flowers and it looked like he was really happy. Julian never saw his dog enjoy a hike so much. But then again, even he felt that this hike was going to be a memorable one.
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Suddenly, it was time for the sun to set. The sky had beautiful shades of orange making the place look more magical. Julian could not believe that he lost track of time. He could not remember what he did in the place.
He thought he was dreaming
Then, Spike ran past him and he lost sight of his dog again. It was as if his dog disappeared right before his eyes. But Julian was not thinking of it. All he could think of were the sounds and the colors of the forest around him.
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Everything looks vibrant and intense. The trees started to sway with the wind and somehow, it reminded him of the waves in the sea. Even the chirping of the birds sounded like one beautiful melody. He felt like he was in a dream.
Waking up in the clearing
Julian woke up the next day in the clearing in the woods. He was confused. He was sure he and Spike had walked away from the clearing yesterday. Had he been going around in circles? Julian grabbed his phone and found that he had no service.
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When Julian got up from the ground, he felt a little drowsy. He tried to walk but found that he had a hard time walking straight. Spike ran to him, barking and running away repeatedly. It was clear that his dog wanted to lead him somewhere.
A close call
Spike led Julian to the gravel path that they found the day before. While following his dog, Julian tried to recall what happened yesterday but he could not remember a thing. How could he just black out all of a sudden and wind up in a different place?
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It was a windy morning and pollen was flying all around. Julian covered his face from it. He was not allergic but he knew that it was bad to inhale so much pollen. When he looked up, his eyes widened in panic. “Spike! Get away from there!” He shouted.
His phone was out
Julian grabbed Spike, picked him up, and carried his dog in his backpack. He could not believe Spike almost walked into such a dangerous situation. Julian took out his phone and started recording. He needed to get proof, otherwise, nobody would believe him.
But when Julian tried to open his phone, the screen was just pitch black. That was weird, his phone was on when he woke up. And he did not use it at all during the hike so there should still be a lot of battery left.
A monstrous plant
Julian had an uneasy feeling about this. There was something wrong with this forest. And he had a feeling that what was in front of him was causing all these strange things. Julian took a few more steps forward.
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He was looking at something that was almost as tall as him. It had big white spots and some spikes that looked like teeth. He’s never seen a plant like this. Could it be possible that he discovered a new species?
A restricted area
It was then that a forest ranger appeared out of nowhere, screaming for him to stand back from the plant. It turned out that the forest Julian found was a government-restricted area. The plant was a very rare and exotic specie.
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The clearing was filled with different types of psychedelic flowers and the government was doing experiments on these flowers to make a powerful drug. Julian and Spike had to be taken in for testing just in case. When all was good, they were allowed to go home. Julian had to sign a statement swearing that he would never tell anyone about the clearing in the woods.