Perception

"I write th□ following not in an attemp◻ to inspire sympat◻□, for I know I shall get none; nor as an apology for my actions, which I feel to be the best possible, give□ the circu□□◻ances I experienced and the state of mind in w◻□ch I exp□r□□□ced them; but rather as an expla□ation, s◻ould anyone care to know why an old m□n has done what he has done. To thos□ of you who h□□□ never he□□d of me, this may seem unnec□□sary; to those of you who kn□□ me, this □s lik□ly bey□□d ina◻□q□ate. ..."

An Autobi□□□aphical Ac□ount of my Life, Disc□veries, and the Misfortu□es that Foll□□ed Them, J.W. Ma□□◻□□□ (Preface)

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Jasper surveyed the trees around him with mounting anxiety.

How he managed to get so lost in the familiar network of forest roads and shortcuts was beyond him. It was a semi-regular route, and he had memorized each stone and stray branch over the hours he spent on the path every month, trudging along drearily to deliver some inconsequential letter to the insufferable farmers and loggers who lived out of town. Or, at least he thought he had.

Did he take a wrong turn at the crooked boulder with the sapling growing out of it? Or was it the always-risky shortcut by the berry bushes? No, there would be more maple trees nearby if that was it. Why couldn't he remember? Was it the -- no, no, no, it was the godda -- er, blasted -- manor house down the eastern road! But if he left in the early morning and was going east, then why was the sun behind him? It was either almost sundown (somehow!) or he was completely turned around!

He kicked a tree in frustration, and it stared back at him menacingly, reproachfully. Its gargantuan friends crowded around it, looming miles above his head, bending over him, glaring through strands of moss.

Pine branches rustled angrily in the wind, and Jasper became aware of how intensely and deafeningly quiet the forest was. Suddenly, he felt very, very small.

He clutched his mailbag to his hip and his tweed cap to his head, and slowly began walking what he thought was east, his shoulders hunched and his head to the ground. He had to get somewhere.

Where does Jasper find himself next? What does he find there that might be of use?