My throat felt like I had swallowed a sheet of sandpaper. Every wheezing breath was a painful reminder of how long it had been since I’d had water. My lips cracked, my tongue heavy in my mouth. The system’s incessant notifications weren’t helping my mood.
Condition: Dehydration (-2 Physical, -2 Mental).
Recommendation: Locate a water source immediately.
“Yup, sounds about right,” I croaked, swiping the message away. “If you’re so smart, why don’t you tell me where to find it?”
Glowbug, perched on my shoulder, hummed softly, its glow dimmed as if conserving energy. I staggered forward, one hand brushing the rough bark of a tree to keep myself steady. Every step felt heavier than the last, my legs wobbling under my weight. The surrounding forest seemed to stretch endlessly, the towering trees blending into one another in a dizzying haze.
My vision blurred, and I stumbled over an exposed root, landing hard on my hands and knees. A sharp pain shot up my arms, and I bit back a curse.
Glowbug chirped, nuzzling closer to my neck. Its hum shifted to a low, rhythmic tone, and I felt a faint warmth spread through my chest. The sensation wasn’t much, but it helped dull the edges of my panic.
“Thanks, buddy,” I muttered, brushing off my scraped hands. “I’m fine. Just clumsy.”
Sighing, I forced myself to my feet. “Okay. Think. Survival basics. Water flows downhill, right? Find a slope, find water. Or… follow animals? They have to drink too,” I said, scanning my surroundings. My eyes landed on a faint trail of disturbed underbrush, a small pathway weaving through the dense foliage. It wasn’t much, but it was something.
With Glowbug lighting the way, I followed the trail, my steps slow and unsteady. The air grew cooler as I descended a gentle slope, the sound of my own labored breathing filling the empty silence. The trees began to thin, their roots tangled and exposed in the soft earth.
A faint sound reached my ears—soft, rhythmic, almost musical. It wasn’t Glowbug. It was something else. My heart skipped a beat. Water.
Forgetting my aching feet and dry throat, I staggered toward the sound. The trees thinned as the noise grew louder, the gentle trickle of a stream guiding my steps. Finally, I saw it: a narrow thread of water winding through the forest floor, its surface glinting faintly in the filtered light.
“Oh, thank God,” I said, dropping to my knees at the stream’s edge. My hands reached out instinctively, but before I could scoop up the water, a notification blinked into view.
Water: Likely contaminants present
Recommendation: Purify water before consumption.
I groaned, my thirst clawing at my throat. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Purify it how? I don’t exactly have a water filter on me.” Glowbug chirped and darted to the edge of the stream, its tail glowing brighter. I watched as the little creature dipped its tail into the water. The glow intensified, spreading through the stream like ripples of light.
“Did you just magic the water so it would be safe?” I said, my voice hoarse. I cupped my hands and drank deeply, the cool water soothing my parched throat. With each sip, life poured back into my body, the fog in my mind clearing with every gulp. “Okay, Glowbug, you’re officially my favorite. Who knew water could be so good?”
When I’d drunk my fill, I sat back, my legs sprawled in the damp grass. Perched on a nearby rock, Glowbug’s light pulsed softly, almost as if pleased with itself.
“Thanks, buddy,” I said, wiping my mouth. “I’m seriously glad I found you!”
For the first time since waking in this strange world, I allowed myself a small smile. The stream wasn’t much, but it was a start. With water secured, I could focus on my next goal: food. And maybe if I was lucky, some shelter. The forest, for all its dangers, suddenly seemed a little less daunting.
The cool water rejuvenated me just enough to push forward. Glowbug flitted beside me, its tail casting a soft, comforting glow as I trudged along the stream. I kept my eyes pointed toward the distant lights I’d seen from the outcrop earlier, using the flow of the water as my guide.
“Okay, little buddy,” I muttered, my voice hoarse but steady. “We’ve got water. Next on the survival checklist: food and shelter.”
The forest was quieter now, the chilling silence broken only by the gentle gurgling of the stream and the occasional rustle of leaves. My stomach growled, and I pressed a hand against it as if that might silence its protests. Glowbug chirped, darting ahead and pausing at a nearby bush. I squinted in the dim light, a blue box hovered over the fruit-laden bush, my Identify talent activating once again.
Forest Berries: Edible. Provides minimal nutrition.
Taste: Tart.
“Not exactly a Sunday roast, but it’ll do.” I crouched and plucked a handful of berries, popping one into my mouth. The tartness made my cheeks pucker, but I forced myself to chew and swallow. Glowbug watched me intently, its tail flicking as though urging me to eat more. The berries didn’t fill the gnawing emptiness in my stomach, but they were better than nothing. After eating a handful, I stuffed a few more into the pocket of my pyjamas for later before getting to my feet.
The sun dipped low; the shadows were stretching longer across the forest floor, as though reaching for my aching feet. I glanced at Glowbug, who sat on my shoulder with its tail wrapped around me like a scarf, its warmth a reassuring comfort.
Stolen story; please report.
“We need somewhere to stop for the night,” I said. “Someplace that doesn’t scream ‘easy prey.’ Got any ideas?”
Glowbug chirped and yawned, its light flickering as it snuggled in closer to my neck. “I guess you must be tired. You were a trooper, keeping guard while I slept. I guess I’ll look for somewhere safe for us to stay.” I continued, my body screaming for rest. As I rounded a bend in the stream, my heart leapt at the sight before me: a natural overhang of rock jutting out from a small cliff, forming a shallow cave.
“Well, that’s convenient,” I said, a tired grin spreading across my face. I approached cautiously, peering into the shadows beneath the overhang. It wasn’t deep, but it was enough to provide shelter from the wind and cold.
“It’ll be a bit drafty though, it’s basically just a roof and a couple of walls… Should we try and build some extra shelter to block the entrance?”
Glowbug trilled and hovered over to a pile of fallen branches. I followed its gaze, my exhaustion momentarily forgotten. The branches were thick and sturdy, and I quickly gathered them to create a makeshift barricade at the cave’s entrance. It wasn’t perfect, but it would have to do. By the time I finished, the light had faded almost completely, leaving only the faint glow of Glowbug’s tail glowing like a nightlight in the cave’s gloom. I slumped against the rocky wall of the cave, my body heavy with exhaustion. Glowbug nestled beside me, its vibrating purr lulling me into a restless but much-needed sleep.
I was sitting in the back of the lecture hall, my notebook open but empty. The professor's words blurred together, like the sound of static. Around me, students murmured and passed notes. A sharp laugh cut through the hum, and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck prickle. I knew it was about me. It was always about me.
"Hey, Harriet," a girl whispered, leaning over from the row in front. Her voice was sweet, her smile easy. "You dropped this." She held out a crumpled piece of paper.
I hadn’t dropped anything, but I reached for it anyway, hesitant. The moment I touched it, she pulled it back and flicked it toward the ground. "Oops. Guess you’ll have to pick it up."
Laughter rippled through the rows around her. My cheeks burned, and I slid lower in my seat, pretending I hadn’t heard. My hands clutched the edge of my desk until my knuckles ached. When I glanced up, my breath caught. Her smile hadn’t faded—in fact, it had grown wider, stretched too far across her face. Her teeth looked sharper, gleaming unnaturally in the fluorescent light.
When I met her eyes, my stomach dropped. They glinted faintly, as if catching some unseen fire. I shook my head, but the eerie glow remained, flickering at the edges of her pupils. The laughter around me grew louder, echoing in my head like a swarm of wasps. I gripped the desk tighter, praying for the bell to ring.
The scene shifted. I was outside the student center, clutching my bag as I weaved through the crowd. A boy with messy hair and an easy smile stepped into my path. His demeanor was friendly, his gaze warm.
"Hey, its Harriet, right?" he said casually.
I froze, startled that someone knew my name. He was looking at me like I was the only person there. My throat felt dry, and I could barely manage a nod.
"I’ve seen you in class," he continued, scratching the back of his neck. His smile faltered slightly, then returned. There was something off about it this time—his teeth seemed unnaturally white, too perfectly aligned. His words were kind, but they felt practiced, like lines from a script.
"Listen," he said, his tone softening. "I was wondering if you’d want to grab coffee or something? Just the two of us?"
I blinked, stunned. "You mean, like… a date?"
"Yeah," he said, and his smile cracked like broken glass through his handsome face.
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. My heart fluttered wildly, but something in my gut churned uneasily. His teeth seemed longer now, glinting faintly as his smile stretched unnaturally. His gaze, once warm, had taken on a strange intensity—his pupils seemed darker, almost bottomless.
"I can’t— I can’t keep a straight face anymore," he suddenly burst out, his laughter sharp and cutting. His mouth opened wider, exposing teeth that looked too jagged, too numerous. He waved toward his friends, who were watching from a distance. "Guys, she actually fell for it!"
Their laughter joined his, swelling into a grotesque cacophony. As they stepped closer, their features warped—their smiles stretched unnaturally wide, their eyes glinting faintly red in the fading light. My pulse pounded in my ears as I stumbled back, their laughter chasing me.
I was in the cafeteria now, sitting alone with my tray. The air smelled like reheated pizza and burnt coffee. My head was down, focused on the sandwich I was picking apart, when cold liquid drenched me from above.
The shock stole my breath. I looked up, sputtering, to see a girl holding an empty cup. Her smile was all teeth—at first, just a smirk, but then it stretched wider, the edges of her mouth curling upward like a predator’s.
"Oops," she said, her voice dripping with mock innocence. The cafeteria erupted into laughter. People were pointing, whispering, some even recording on their phones. The light flickered unnaturally, making their faces appear distorted, their features shifting. The girl’s laugh became a sharp, guttural sound that cut through the chaos.
I couldn’t move. My chest tightened, my vision blurred, and all I wanted was to disappear. But their laughter surrounded me, their glowing crimson eyes and too-wide grins closing in.
I woke with a gasp, my body trembling. I grasped at the darkness, until I remembered where I was. The damp stone of the cave pressed against my back, and the air smelled of earth and moss. Glowbug hovered nearby, its soft golden light pulsing in time with my ragged breaths. It hummed low and soothing, a lullaby sung just for me.
I curled into myself, wrapping my arms around my knees. My clothes were damp with sweat, and my chest ached from the rapid beating of my heart.
"Just a dream," I whispered, though the taste of humiliation lingers like bile. Glowbug drifted closer, nudging my shoulder with its tiny, warm body. I closed my eyes, focusing on its gentle hum, and let the forest’s silence drown out the past. Morning had broken, thankfully with no slathering and fanged monsters, though my dreams had been filled with the monsters from my past. I calmed my ragged breathing, and shook off the feelings of fear and shame those memories always gave me.
I stretched out my aching limbs, looking again at the countdown clock, it now seemed to have less than twenty two hours left before the “integration” would be complete, whatever that meant. My legs moved stiffly as I walked down to sit by the stream, and my torn pyjama pants did little to shield me from the sharp morning air. I rubbed my feet, wincing as my fingers traced over blisters and scratches. Every step I had taken since waking up in this strange world had felt like agony. I looked down at my swollen, raw soles and frowned.
“Alright, Glowbug,” I said, “Time to move. We’ve got a long way to go.”
I trudged along the stream, my makeshift sandals crunching against the gravel and damp earth. The flowing water provided a sense of direction, and I clung to it like a lifeline. Glowbug floated beside me, its gentle hum occasionally breaking the forest’s eerie silence.
Name: Harriet Price
Age: 24
Type: Human
Titles: None
Classes: None
Professions: None
Talents: Basic Identify, Basic Survival Instincts, Basic Crafting, Sense Magic
Condition: Cold (-1 Physical, -2 Mental), Poor nutrition (-2 Physical, -1 Mental), Low muscle density (-3 Physical, -2 Social)
Attributes:
Vitality: 40/50
Physical: 10(-6)
Mental: 14(-3)
Social: 7(-2)
Luck: 10
Experience: 0/100