Lee’s entire vision was blurry. She was tired before they snuck out of the prison, but now she was beyond that. She compared herself to that perverted talking corpse of a man she met in the prison.

My legs are going to fall off.

She had to forcibly tell each of her muscles to continue on, fighting against the will of her body.

The sun had come and gone, this dream seeming to last forever. She had been well over twenty-four hours without sleep and probably approaching forty eight. This wasn’t due to lack of effort on her part. She had tried numerous times to settle in a soft patch of grass and succumb to the will of her body. As soon as her eyes closed and the gentle embrace of rest had begun to coddle her, she was jolted awake by the sharp pain of a dog tugging on her hair. No matter what strategy she tried, ridding herself of this nuisant dog was impossible.

“I’m going to kill you, you damn mutt.” Lee swayed like a zombie behind the dog, “You’re… you’re the worst nightmare… The biggest…” she didn’t have the energy to complete her harassment of the dog.

Her fatigue had wiped much of the journey’s memories away, but she was able to make one noticeable observation. The foliage that surrounded her was much different. When she had first begun this trek, most of the trees and bushes they passed were dead, providing barely any cover. That’s why she had initially pushed on following the dog, but as she kept going, her fatigue kicked in leading to the cycle of trying to rest and then being interrupted by the dog. Now, the trees and bushes surrounding her were quite full. Even in the midst of night, she could tell they were green and healthy.

Have we really traveled that far?

She shook her head, and collapsed into the tall grass.

“This is dumb, this dream sucks. I’ve learned my lesson, I’m never having potassium again. Please let me wake up!” She assumed the fetal position, hugging her knees.

Without hesitation, as it had done so many times before, the dog came over and began tugging on her hair.

“Leave me alone!” Lee screamed and then threw her fist at the dog. Whether it was from her fatigue, or just her natural lack of strength, the dog didn’t budge and continued tugging on her hair.

“Aaaahh, rip my hair out for all I care! I’ll still fall asleep… and when I wake up,” she scrunched her eyes shut, “I’ll be home!”

“Is that a puppy?” A girl’s voice rang throughout the dark forest.

Lee and the dog both became alert, searching for the source.

Were they able to track us?

She thought they made a clean escape from the prison, but maybe they were followed.

“Oh, I’m up here.”

Approximately twenty feet out and up was a girl hanging upside down on a tree branch. Her brown hair and green cloak dangled below her, gently blowing with the midnight breeze. There was barely any moonlight breaking through the coverage of leaves, but Lee was able to make out two distinct details. The girl wore an eyepatch on her left eye as well as a smile that manifested a friendly charm.

“Hmph”

The girl flipped down off the branch, landing without a sound.

How is that possible?

The girl frowned then wiped some dirt off of her boots.

She doesn’t have pointed ears, and she seems super relaxed. We might be in the clear.

“Is he friendly?” The girl said approaching the dog.

Memories flashed back of the gruesome noises Lee heard when the dog attacked the elven guard down the stairs and out of her view.

“Uh-erm, probably no-.”

Before she could finish her sentence, the girl had already gotten down on one knee and began scratching the dog’s neck. It didn’t seem to mind. In fact, it even began licking the girl’s face.

“Oh, he’s just the sweetest thing!” She increased the intensity of her petting and scratches.

Lee frowned.

That dog is a demon incarnate, I will never forgive that nightmare, neither will my hair follicles.

Her vision focused on the girl. Now that she was closer, Lee noted that the girl was about her age, maybe a year or two older. Under her green cloak she wore a brown long sleeve shirt made of some tough looking fabric. It seemed to go all the way down her arms and even covered the palms of her hands with a thumbhole. The pants she wore looked just like jeans to Lee, but something looked a bit off, but it was hard to tell exactly what.

“What’s his name?”

“I don’t know, he’s just been following me.”

Well, I guess I’ve been following him.

The girl shook her head, “Oh, how rude of me,” she stood up, and then gave a courteous bow, holding out her cape to the side with one hand, “I am Shellorn Van-Drighten, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Oh,” Lee dipped her head slightly, “I’m, uh- Lee Johnson. Nice to meet you.”

“Hmm,” Shellorn put her index finger to her lips, “No offense, but you look a bit rougher for wear.”

“Yea, we’ve been traveling for some time now.”

During their long trek through the woods, her clothing had caught on plenty of branches and thorns, creating small rips all over her.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“My place isn’t too far from here, if you want a bit of shelter from the cold.”

“Really?”

“Of course!” Shellorn bent over once again to pet the dog some more, “I couldn’t let the owner of this puppy freeze to death out here.”

I’ll gladly relieve ownership to you if you want.

“Thank you so much.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m not doing that great of a favor. My place isn’t all that fancy, just a small step up from sleeping outside.”

###

The hike to Shellorn’s place was barely five minutes, but the whole time she talked with Lee, or maybe, more appropriately, at Lee. Along with her over enthusiastic personality, Shellorn seemed to have an odd quirk. Instead of walking on the ground, she jumped from branch to branch or rock to rock leading the way to her place. It seemed like she did everything in her power to avoid touching the ground. Of course there were places lacking either rocks or trees where she conceded and traversed on the ground. Lee thought it was a bit weird, but all her mind could think of was rest. Her body felt on the verge of self destruction. Luckily, talking to Shellorn didn’t require much thought, just the occasional “Yea,” or “Neat.” She was happy Shellorn stayed away from any conversation where she would actually have to participate.

Once they arrived at her place, Shellorn jumped down from a branch, landing once again without noise. Her residence was a shack that seemed to have sprouted out of the ground. The walls were slanted in, threatening to collapse at any moment with foliage growing up all sides.

Shellorn opened the door. The shack was a single ten foot by ten foot room. In one corner was a little table with a chair. Both roughly crafted by hand. On the table were parchments. In the other corner was a sheet laid out on the floor. It was stuffed with what Lee guessed to be dead grass or something similar used as padding.

“You can sleep on the bed.”

“Oh I couldn’t, it’s your place.”

“I’m going to be out late and I don’t mind.”

“But,” Lee looked down at her clothes, “I’m filthy, I don’t want to dirty your bed.”

“Don’t worry about it, we can wash up at the river tomorrow. First priority is getting you some rest.”

Lee’s face sank into what felt like heaven. The makeshift bed was surprisingly comfortable.

It’s been an eternity.

Her eyes closed and she grinned, snuggling into the soft sheet. Light scratches against the wooden floor made her eyes shoot open.

No! You damn mut! Stay away from me!

The dog entered the shack. Glaring intensely at it, Lee covered her hair in preparation. The dog sniffed around the shack a bit, then walked over to her. With a soft grunt it laid down adjacent to her.

“Oh, isn’t he just the cutest.” Shellorn said, “Alright, get some rest!” she exited the shack, closing the door behind her.

Can I really trust this stranger? What am I talking about? It doesn’t matter. I’m going to close my eyes and be done with this nightmare. I’ll be back home on my couch. I swear, I hope I never have a lucid dream again. Worst experience of my life.

A moment after she closed her eyes, sleep had taken her tightly in its grasp.

###

The next morning, Lee slowly awoke to a mouth watering smell. She clenched her stomach, it hurt.

Wow, I'm hungry.

Due to lack of saliva, her tongue rolled around the inside of her mouth like a snake in the desert. Rolling back in forth, procrastinating getting up for the day, she felt the couch below her crunch. It was quite an odd sound for couch cushions to make. Perhaps Paul left a bag of chips out and she accidentally fell asleep on it.

“Good morning! Hee-hee, you sure slept for a long time.”

Her ears were met by a cheery voice of a teenage girl. It sounded familiar, but Lee couldn’t place who it was. Besides that, why would there be a girl in their trailer? Paul didn’t have a girlfriend and she didn’t have any friends from school.

She finally opened her eyes. Rough wooden walls surrounded her with a girl sitting at a small table with two steaming bowls in front of her.

She looked back to Lee with a cheery expression.

“I made breakfast for you whenev-”

“No…”

Lee threw a blanket to the side that Shellorn must’ve covered her with last night. Her eyes darted to the door where a small black figure sat looking at her.

No!

She darted towards the exit, tripping over her feet. Her arms caught her upper body and she propelled herself forward with all four limbs, fleeing like a trapped animal.

Exiting the shack, tall trees surrounded her with sunlight seeping through the leaves and branches. She wasn’t in her trailer park, but in the middle of an unknown forest, alone. This dream had felt very real from the start, but this is too much. The dirt in her fingernails, the smell of dew, the sounds of forest critters, everything much too real. No dream could be this intricate and detailed.

Lee sprinted. It didn’t matter which direction, she just needed to escape. Escape from what? Well, that didn’t matter either. Anything and everything was overwhelming for her. Her senses and brain were completely overloaded with the epiphany that this was no longer just a weird dream. This was real.

Branches, bushes, twigs and thorns snagged the small rips in her clothes, creating larger tears. Hot lines on her flesh throbbed where her clothing tore, with liquid making the clothes stick to her skin.

Her lungs were both pleading for more air as well as drowning in it. Her raspy short breaths were only interrupted by her occasional wails.

The barrage of the forest stopped as Lee ran into a clearing. Holding her breath, tranquility held every leaf and branch together with the cleansing sound of running water. Though her vision was blurry from tears, she saw that a small river now blocked her path of escape.

Her feet slowly dragged to the edge of the river before she collapsed down onto her hands and knees. Cold water soaked into her ripped sweatpants. The water below her reflected an unknown crying girl. Her eyes looked hopelessly back at Lee, pleading for someone to bring her home. The ripples of the water made it seem like she was slowly disappearing into the river.

“Bring me back home!”

She slashed at the stranger in the water, trying to make her disappear. Her body then went limp, collapsing onto her side with her face pressed against the mushy mud.

“Why why why why why why why why why.” Lee mumbled.

Her hands grasped her scalp.

“Wh- wher- hel…Where the hell am I!?!”

She screamed into the mud. Bits of dirt crunched between her teeth as she dug her nails into her skull.

“I- I thought I was brave.”

Warmth began to trickle from her fingertips down her arms. She brought down her hands. Clumps of hair in thick red liquid filled her palms and fingers.

“B-but, I’m terrified. I- I’m shaking.”

“Lee.”

She looked up. Shellorn and the dog emerged into the clearing by the river. The cheerful smile no longer sat across Shellorn’s face. Her eyes now looked at Lee with pity and concern.

“Are you alright?” She began walking over.

“I… ga… wa.”

Her feelings were much too complicated to be bundled into words. Her lip followed her body and began trembling, unable to form anything intelligible. Her tears began to flow again along with the river. She shut her eyes off from her surroundings, wishing for everything around her to disappear.

Disappear. Stop existing. I want everything around me to go away. I want nothingness. I want to feel nothingness. I need-

Warmth. Embrace. Lee felt a pressure on her back and two arms wrapped around her. A soothing voice came from just behind her ear.

“It’s going to be ok Lee,” Shellorn said, “I don’t know what’s making you hurt so bad, but you can endure it. I believe in you.”

She turned around and buried her face into Shellorn's chest, letting her emotions take full control.