The forest was thick with crows and leafy green trees. I was on a run, currently 2 miles south of Bruges, Belgium. Leaving the asphalt road in favor of the softer ground meant for horses, I conveniently ignored all signs marking private property as they were in Dutch. I trotted through horse-trampled dirt for just over a mile. Then the stifling heat of the forest in the midmorning sun caused me to turn towards the road so I could head back to my hostel.
Just then, I saw a flicker of light different from that of the sun glistening through the leaves. The orange glow made it seem that the woods were on fire, and I took a few steps forward.
Hidden from the trail was a hut made of stone and mud, and dripping with ivy. What I had taken to be a fire was actually the light of hundreds of candles illuminating the small structure.
I approached with hesitation, stuffing my headphones into my pocket. I walked up the stone stairs, my heart racing with a mix of excitement and fear. Standing at the doorway but still safely outside, I peered in the flickering interior. The circular room had a radius of no more than 5 feet, but my eyes had not adjusted from the forest glow so I could not see much besides the candles.
I called out "Hallo" (the universal European way of saying "hello"). There was no response. Without waiting for my eyes to adjust, I took a silent step into the structure. Looking with both my eyes and my hands, I found a small wooden chair on the left side of the hut. All around me were lit wax candles, neatly arranged on wooden shelves covered in dried wax.
It was the smell of the place, the cornucopia of burning scented candle, that brought to mind a distant memory: Celebrating Diwali, the Festival of Lights, with my family. We carried around a thali of lit candles and holy water. My sister and I fought over who could sprinkle the water that would bless each room of our home.
My fear had disappeared, but was replaced by a feeling of intrusion. This temple, or whatever it was, was extremely important to someone. Who lit all of the candles that morning?
I left quickly, my eyes burning in the sunlight that intruded into a brief moment of peace and nostalgia. I don't know what this place was, but feel honored to have stumbled across it.