Waking up in another place, unaware of when and where. Confused yet certain of one thing; I remember being human. Giant roots and towering trunks surround me. A forest of such magnitude I have never seen and yet not a sound disturbs the peace around me, leaves drifting to the forest floor land on me and prickle my skin. My body feels numb and unresponsive. Pins and needles, a fog rests in my mind dulling my perceptions, time seems to pass but I cannot be sure.
A droplet of water lands on my chest, A slow sound, raindrops begin to batter the treetops. Water glides down the trunks around me and soon my back is wet and my hair soaked through. A shiver runs up my spine and feeling begins to return to my limbs, an intense pain in the ends of my fingers and toes, gradually moving upwards towards my heart and neck. A fire yet not hot. I must move but can't seem to command myself. The fire reaches my belly and I can feel a pit there, a deep hunger begins to gnaw at the back of my mind, it consumes my thinking, tainting every thought. The fires is reaching my neck now and my limbs begin to feel blissfully cool, each rain drop is a brief reprieve on my skin. A fleeting coolness that drifts away as each drop seems to almost evaporate from my feverish body. The fire touches my mouth and lips and I gasp in pain. The first noise I've heard in an otherwise deserted and quiet space. It shocks me and time seems to accelerate. The fire, once creeping, now flares all the way past the top of my head and my mind instantly clears. Almost like waking from a dream I roll over and begin coughing, the rain continues to fall on my back and drains the heat from me.
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
I feel a deep hunger, an unquenchable thirst. I get up onto my knees and notice for the first time the bed of needles that I rest on. No greenery surrounds me. I lift myself and crane my head back to let the rain drip down my throat, the water is blissful and I can't help but remain for a few moments simply drinking from the sky. When I open my eyes again and glance around I can see that I am somewhere I have no recollection of.
The forest around me is spacious and yet it feels almost claustrophobic, my breath catches in my throat and my stomach growls. I must find something to eat. I rise unsteadily to my feet and look down at my body, I am completely naked. Somewhere in the back of my mind I can almost hear the sound of foot steps. I whirl around searching for the source of the noise. Nothing.