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At the edge of the dark forest path, dusk light fades over distant village houses. Nikola stands gripping his backpack straps, wide-eyed but determined, staring into the trees.
Nikola eyed the shortcut into the dark forest. Dinner was soon. The long road would take forever. He gripped his backpack straps. "I can do this," he whispered.
Under dense forest canopy at night, cold shadows stretch across the leaf-littered ground. Nikola holds a small flashlight before him, mouth set and brows furrowed, its beam cutting a narrow glowing tunnel ahead.
Nikola stepped beneath the trees. Shadows stretched like long fingers. He clicked on his small flashlight. Leaves whispered secrets above him. "Keep moving, brave feet," he said.
In the moon-dappled forest clearing, a shaking bush rustles beside the narrow trail. Nikola stands frozen mid-step, eyes wide and lips pressed tight, one hand hovering above his chest.
A rustle rattled the bushes. Nikola froze, heart thumping. He named his feeling: fear. "Being scared is okay," he whispered. "Step forward anyway." Nikola inched past the sound.
Along a winding forest path under faint starlight, leaves arch overhead like a tunnel. Nikola walks with measured strides, humming softly, fingers tapping the backpack rhythmically, relaxed eyebrows replacing earlier tension.
He remembered Mom's advice about breathing. In for four, out for four. He counted steps while humming a tune. The path felt friendlier. "You're doing great," he told himself.
At a tight bend inside the dark forest, Nikola's flashlight reveals a large bush whose leafy branches rise like antlers. Realizing the illusion, he laughs aloud, shoulders loosening and mouth open in amusement.
A huge shadow loomed ahead. Nikola lifted his light. It was only a bush wearing leaves like antlers. He laughed, cheeks relaxing. "Not a monster, just a plant," he said.
Moonlit water glistens through trees as a shallow forest stream winds over smooth rocks. Nikola balances mid-stream on a flat stone, arms outstretched, grin bright, backpack swaying behind him.
Water murmured somewhere nearby. He followed the sound to a stream. Flat stones dotted the water. "One careful step at a time," Nikola said. He balanced across, wobbling, then grinned.
Deeper in the wood, hundreds of fireflies blink above ferns like drifting stars. Nikola walks along the mossy trail gazing upward, eyes sparkling in the warm green glow surrounding his face.
Tiny lights blinked between branches. Fireflies drifted like floating stars. Nikola felt braver with their gentle glow. "Thanks, night helpers," he whispered. He walked on, shoulders taller.
A fallen tree lies across the narrow night trail, bark rough and slick with dew. Nikola kneels, peering under the gap, sleeve snagged on wood, determined eyes focused as he prepares to slide through.
A fallen log blocked the path. Nikola knelt and peered underneath. He slid through, snagging his sleeve. "Little scrape, still okay," he said. He dusted off and kept going.
At a small clearing lit by scattered starlight, a flat boulder sits beside the path. Nikola rests on the rock, uncapped water bottle in one hand and unfolded map on his knees, expression thoughtful yet steady.
Tired legs begged for a pause. Nikola sat on a rock. He sipped water and checked his map. The trail curled like a question mark. "Forward," he decided, standing up.
Beneath towering trunks, a forked forest path diverges around a moss-covered stump. Nikola crouches, fingertips brushing the thick moss on the right trail, brow furrowed in concentration before he rises toward that direction.
The path split into two. Nikola studied the ground carefully. Moss grew thicker on the right. "East is that way," he remembered. He chose the right fork and marched.
Near the forest edge, pale moonlight silhouettes trunks while a patch of open sky glows ahead. Nikola moves carefully over exposed roots, face bright with anticipation as distant house lights twinkle through the trees.
Moonlight silvered the leaves ahead. Between trunks, he spotted open sky. Neighborhood sounds drifted closer: a bike bell, laughter. "Almost there," Nikola breathed. He trotted carefully, watching the roots.
Outside the treeline at night, grassy backyard lights catch gentle starlight under an open sky. Nikola stands on the lawn, palm pressed over his chest, smiling upward with relieved eyes toward the sparkling constellations.
Nikola stepped out of the forest. Stars sprinkled the darkening sky. He touched his thumping chest and smiled. "I was scared, but I kept going." That, he realized, was bravery.