As I took another step on the dirt road,
the smell of dust, manure, and nature polluted my nose,
my startled mind struggling to comprehend the images coming through my eyes.
The desolate road lay between the dried out rice fields,
the moonlight eerily mixing with the smoke rising from the dark trees.
Floating through the air,
the comforting chemical smoke settled on my tongue.
Entranced by the pull of the forest,
I furthered my progress and crossed the sturdy ground,
aiming to reach the coolness of the leaves,
but my foot slipped into a ditch just as I stepped off the road.

Suddenly, the sound of crunching dirt increased tenfold.
I frantically looked around, taking note of the sudden cease of smoke.
The moonlight became crisp and clear,
highlighting the empty surroundings,
but the smell of chemicals became prominent,
engulfing my senses in mesmerization.
The sound of thousands of footsteps overwhelmed
my remaining sanity.
The ground shook with the rhythm of an army,
trembling more and more with each step.
My conscience screamed to move,
the enticing scents and shudders urging me to remain in the shallow ditch.

I could hear commands being shouted and followed,
sword slicing through the air,
yet my friend, the full moon, assured me of my solidarity.
The noise increased in intensity until I felt the presence of an army on the road,
seeing nothing but a long-undisturbed path.
The army stopped behind me and swarmed around,
shocking my senses with excruciatingly hot breath smelling of chemicals.

Senses so clouded,
it took me 20 minutes after they had gone to register
my punctured torso.
The mellow dirt mingled with leaves flying from the trees,
growing a new layer of Earth over me.

My sanity welcomed it now as I gladly looked up to the moon.
The scent of chemicals left, the warm scents of dried grass filling the void.
The cool leaves formed a blanket over me,
accepting me as one of their fellow victims of legend.