CHAPTER TWO

I woke up lying on the ground feeling all the pain in my scars. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been out, but when I awoke, the sun was shining brightly. Raindrops began to fall from a murky sky, prickling my cheeks, which had been cracked by tears that had now dried out. A thin, clear mist floated weightlessly above the ground, caressing the tree trunks with its gentle caress. It was strangely hypnotic! The shivering cold that crept down my spine, however, made me shiver.

Help. Please help. I don’t know what to do. I am really not in a nightmare.

“𝐶𝑎𝑙𝑚 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓, 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒.” I whispered to my self.

I gently stood up and gazed at the vibrant yellow, crimson, and orange autumn leaves, some of which were still clinging to the last hope of another summer day. However, the most of them had already given up and were either dancing slowly in the breeze or resting on the ground.

Autumn ushers in sweater weather, stunning foliage displays, and harvest festivities. In these woods, the equinox heralds the start of a awesome season as I knew in my mind was called Autumn. Others, on the alternative hand, see this season as a miserable reminder of the cease of summer, with fewer cookouts and seaside reading.

Ohh.

“𝐷𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝐴𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑚𝑛..” I whispered.

Autumn had made me unhappy, but I couldn’t put my finger on why. Until now, that is. Despite the gorgeous colors and mysterious scenery, a sense of impending dread lingered in the back of my mind. I wasn’t intended to be here in the first place.

Looking around, I noticed a rather steep and rocky hill just behind me. It stood as big as an eight-story skyscraper and appeared to be a massive, sleeping monster, and it was a little terrifying, if a small mountain could make you feel that way. Perhaps that’s where I’d tripped? What if I’d tripped and fallen?

That’s probably why I got my head hurt. Maybe my solutions to how I got here had been hidden at the top?

Probably. I only needed to climb up, and I’d be right back where I started. I began climbing the first enormous rocks, full of newfound determination. But I soon felt dizzy enough that I had to sit down to avoid collapsing, and I tried my best to squeeze my palms over my forehead to relieve some of the splitting headache. It failed to assist much.

Regardless, I persisted going, climbing some feet, then sitting down. Then I climbed some more feet and I progressively ascended better and better, until I were given to the spot simply under a cliff with an overhanging ledge on the pinnacle then I could not move any further. “Haaa!!!” I yelled in echoe thinking it might help, however it didn’t. Instead, it prompted me to lose my balance and fall. And if it were not for a small bush that so I clinged to something that had with ease grown on the shelf. I would have collapsed if I had finished so. It was in all likelihood the second time.

I got back on my feet, shivering, and tried to find a route around the edge. I couldn’t discover any at first. But, after realizing how extremely far up I was, and also that attempting to climb back down would almost certainly result in a fall, I opted to try a narrow, and a little slick due to the rain, trail to the right. So I started slowly, crawling and climbing at times, while my head hurt.

In pure terror, I slipped a few times and dug my nails into the earth, but not long after, I grabbed a hold on the edge of a stone and lifted myself up, feeling more weary to the point of near collapse. But the sense of accomplishment I got when I finally made it to the summit was like winning the jackpot! But then I turned back and saw nothing but an even denser forest.

I was certain I’d come to a path. Just something that might help me figure out how I got here.

Where am I in the world?

I looked for traces of where I’d come from, but I couldn’t discover any. So I decided to just walk along the edge of the slope, at a safe distance to avoid falling. I was getting a gnawing feeling of hunger as well, and I pondered when I had last eaten. I wasn’t sure. And I had no idea how to locate meals in a place like this.

I went for another walk into the woods, looking for a water source. My throat became dry as a result of not drinking and eating. I looked for the most of the animals, but she couldn’t find much and instead stared around at the birds leaping from tree branches. Two birds, which I could tell were mates, appeared to be conversing. My rage and frustration gradually dissipated as I laughed at the charming scene of the bird. In the little nest, there were two eggs. I got closer to the tree, which was considerably smaller than the acorn tree. My face was on the same level as the nest and the two creatures. It has possessing feathered body, forelimbs transformed into wings, scaly legs, and a beak. I’m sure it’s called birds since that’s what my mind dictates.

To the bird, I extended my index finger. Instead of pecking at me, the bird massaged his head and closed his eyes on my finger, which surprised me.

“𝐴𝑤𝑤,” I said. The bird hopped into my palm after I extended my entire hand. I giggled and took the male bird in my arms. I decided to spend some time listening to the birds.

“𝐼 𝑚𝑎𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑦 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎 𝑛𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡.” I stated while feeling my empty stomach making a noise.

I’m awoke on the ground, in the vicinity of the bird’s tree. My waved curl hair messed-up hair was down. “𝐺𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑏𝑖𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑠.” I said as I rose up and smiled at the birds. I crossed the dirt path to reach the tree. I picked up a worm in the dirt near the tree’s roots and returned to the birds. The worm was given to the female bird, and the birds shared the small, but important, treat. Then I witnessed something remarkable. One of the eggs has a tiny beak protruding from it. A tenth beak protruded from the other one.

I gasped when the two adult birds peered at the two eggs. The female bird hopped over to the eggs and gave them a close inspection. I was perplexed when the male bird flew away. I stood there watching as the male flew to the ground and stabbed a worm. He drew it back to the rest of the birds.

The female bird appeared to “smile” at her husband and children. The male looked across at me as she hugged with her children. I could tell the bird was virtually thanking me. I researched birds, and one of the things she investigated was the bird’s facial expression.

“𝑌𝑜𝑢’𝑟𝑒 𝑊𝑒𝑙𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒.” I whispered and gently petted the bird with two fingers. “𝐺𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑏𝑦𝑒,” I said as I smiled and petted the babies. The birds were grouped together, staring at me. I walked away with a smile on my face, perhaps even a small giggle.

I walked through the dark forest. It was about the crack of the sunset and I was alone in the woods. I looked around, fear in my eyes and tried to think positive. I heard a twig crack and I jumped a bit. “Leave me alone.” I said quietly. Then I heard a rustle in the bush. My eyes watered up, because I knew this might be the end.

There was a shadow I saw in the ground. It looked like there was a monster behind me. I fell to my knees and started sobbing.

“𝐷𝑜𝑛’𝑡 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑡 𝑚𝑒 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒. 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑡, 𝐼 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑜 ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑒!” I pleaded and covered my eyes with my dirty bloody

Hands from my wounds. From the fall, my knees started to bleed.

“𝐻𝐸𝐿𝑃! 𝑆𝑂𝑀𝐸𝑂𝑁𝐸 𝐻𝐸𝐿𝑃!!” I yelled.

“𝐻𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑟, 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔?” I startled from the mousy, childlike voice.

I instantly turned around and noticed the diminutive form of a small child. The girl had blond, shoulder-length, tangled hair, with the most unusual eye color I’d ever seen, ranging from amber to pale yellow and even green. Her dress was blue, but it appeared to be an old item of clothing because the hue was more grey than blue where it was worn out. She has a companion, a lady. She is breathtakingly lovely and quite attractive. Her favorite colors are usually green and other forest tones. Her skin is similar to mine, but she’s tanned with green colors, has scout and vine-like sentinels’ camouflage patterns, and wears clothes patched up from their natural surroundings, such as leaves and twigs. She wears a silver crown with green diamond borders and three W-shaped points on her head. I was completely taken aback and surprised. When I blink, she vanishes from my field of vision. What happened to her? Where did she just go.

She shyly took a dry straw in her hands and spun it around her fingers, giving me a faint grin but not actually looking at me.

Oh! Hi. “𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑒,” I added, disarmingly laughing. “𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔?” she inquired once more. “𝑂ℎ, 𝑦𝑒𝑎ℎ..” I was simply terrified. Forget about what happened earlier. But… Have you been following me for a long time? I didn’t notice you.”

“Where’s the lady right behind you a while ago?” She just smiled and start taking a stroll and didn’t utter a word.

“Are you here by yourself?” She silently nodded.

“Where do you call home?” Where are your parents? I’m sorry if I’m being too loud.

But a tiny child like you shouldn’t be here by herself.”

“I’m not. You’ve arrived.”

“Me? I understand, but I don’t want to be here. Do you know how to get out of the woods? I have to get home…”

When it occurred to me that I didn’t know where I came from, I frowned.

“How did we get here?” When I eventually inquired, I observed that the child was finally looking at me. She didn’t just glance; she looked till her eyes glazed over into an empty stare. She didn’t even bat an eyelid. A shiver ran down my spine, and my mouth felt dry.

“Somewhere. Lost. Trust, 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑒.” She said groggily, her voice sounding ancient and distant.

“I’ll do it, but can you…”

When I witnessed the contours of the tiny girl progressively fade into a transparent grey fog, until she vanished in a cloud of dust, my words got lost in my tongue, and I coughed.

Right in front of my eyes!

That did not happen by chance! I’ve just gotten goosebumps.

I wiped my chin, turned away, and then returned my gaze to where she had been standing. Nothing. There was no trace of her anywhere. I must have had a hefty blow to the head earlier. There was no other way to explain it.

I saw a pome fruit in which the ripened ovary and surrounding tissue are both juicy and delicious, as well as having a red hue.

“Apple? Yes, that is an apple.”

I took a bite and was pleasantly surprised by the flavor. “Hmm, it’s a touch sour and bitter, but largely sweet, not at all salty, and overall extremely juicy.. Nice one apple..” I took a bite again and began walking in the same direction as when the girl appeared out of nowhere, and I tried to ignore the fact that I was clearly hallucinating. A tiny girl, all alone in the woods? And a lady in green? Or was just I mistaken of my sight? What are the chances of that?

Not at all likely. Furthermore, she vanished into thin air, indicating that it was all a figment of my imagination. Even if my mind tried to put everything on a horrible dream, I knew that wasn’t the case. I was truly lost, and all I could hope for was that I was heading in the right direction and not getting any more lost in the depths of the woods. What if I don’t make it?

To divert myself from this kind of thinking, I bit my tongue. Of path I’d make it!

My family had been possibly seeking out me right now, I hope so.

After that, I might… Wait. Didn’t I have friends? Or was it due to the fact there weren’t any that I couldn’t remember them? With each parents gone and no close friends who would miss me if I went missing, I could be a lonely youngster. Maybe I desired to vanish?

Gosh! What if I’d done something heinous and fled into the woods to hide? No way, no how! That is not correct, I can guarantee you! But the more I concept approximately it, the more confused and furious I became, to the point that I couldn’t even bear in mind my own mother and father. Or did I just woke up from that tree? Hmm that’s impossible.

A quick, harsh buzzing sound jolted me out of sleep, and my eyes scoured the area around me. I was still on my meandering walk up the hill, and there were fewer trees right here. But in between the stones, which varied in size and shape, grew plants and grass, which had begun to turn yellow due to the time of year. But I didn’t see anything, so I kept advancing slowly, looking for the source of the utterly terrifying sound.

Then, as I was going to lean on a rock to climb down a small hill, my body reflexively halted, as if stunned by an electric shock. It was a giant centipede, of course. And the sound was coming from its tail. A creature with one pair of legs per body segment that are elongated metameric centipede. It is dark blue-green-brown in color and orange-yellow in appearance. It has black bands running down its body, as well as yellow legs and antenna. “Creator, what on the world are you creating?! Ahhh”. And it was primed for an assault. Oh no.