The Wood Between the Worlds

The next thing Digory knew was that there was a soft green light coming down on him from above, and darkness below. He didn't seem to be standing on anything, or sitting, or lying. Nothing appeared to be touching him. "I believe I'm in water," said Digory. "Or under water." This frightened him for a second, but almost at once he could feel that he was rushing upwards. Then his head suddenly came out into the air and he found himself scrambling ashore, out on to smooth grassy ground at the edge of a pool.
As he rose to his feet he noticed that he was neither dripping nor panting for breath as anyone would expect after being under water. His clothes were perfectly dry. He was standing by the edge of a small pool—not more than ten feet from side to side—in a wood. The trees grew close together and were so leafy that he could get no glimpse of the sky. All the light was green light that came through the leaves: but there must have been a very strong sun overhead, for this green daylight was bright and warm. It was the quietest wood you could possibly imagine. There were no birds, no insects, no animals, and no wind. You could almost feel the trees growing.


from The Magician's Nephew, by C.S. Lewis


This little pond is actually just beside a busy road and wedged between an airport, motel, and other businesses. But there's something about it that catches my eye as I drive past each day, and when the water is smooth the reflection of the trees appears particularly crisp and inviting. For some reason it reminds me of the pools in the woods between the worlds. If you had wore a ring made of the right stuff and jumped in, who knows where you'd end up?