Walking past verdant land, soon the ground under her feet turned rough.

I-rangris glanced at the stony path noticing horse's shoes prints. These were three type thick shoes, thin and slim. Plus, there were also heavy boots and lengthy lines of wheels evident that carts has passed by.

“Maybe if I follow these tracks, it might lead me to the directed spot,” thought I-rangris as she took that way.

Crossing a long track, top of the hill, she came out of the forest in front a wide plain with pastures covering the land as far as the eyes could see. However, a sight froze her.

For the first time, she saw a colossal wall of 70 meter high, seen as a defence fort with a gate opened in the centre. The walking path ran in two different directions left and right, which was visible from afar small till an inwards shift could be seen, predicting from the wall’s angels it appeared like the border of a box.

“Where is this place?” wondered I-rangris “thick forest and gigantic walls, a man with a crest in his eyes. Just how much weirder can life get in here?”

Trotting on straight towards the wall “after all, a place nearby should give a hint of other people around. Roaming around lost won’t help alone…” was all I-rangris could say to keep herself away from panicking.

Arriving near the gate, an astonishing scene awaited her. Normally, the next side would greet however, here was………

“It’s a white sheet” exclaimed I-rangris “nothing is there. Is there no antithesis or next?”

She remained there, dithering to even raise a muscle any further. The only idea that grew in her head was to return to the forest, search for the weird eyes instructor and interpret him the scene, in hope perhaps, he might deal with the situation or give another instruction.

“I will go back from where I arrived, find up with him and tell him what I saw here, I am certain he will answer whether to go in or not…… but, what if no, he seemed busy?” She thought to herself making her decision “no, why not go through everything here and then go and report? Maybe I will discover what he spoke of.” She struggled making a correct decision but, she was lost between two paths not knowing which side to take. “but, i don’t even know him, what if he refuse to help? What if I don’t get him and then get lost in the forest?” she grew petrified of the last conclusion.

“Mmm..” she murmured annoyed trying hard to pick a choice from the two “should I go and seek him? Or first check everything and then?” She pondered deeply, her index finger on the right side of her lips and her elbow resting on her left hand, lost in her thoughts “fine! I will go and ask him for more instruction” she looked at the white space for a while as thoughts started getting again in her head and she just ignored pushing it in the back of her head and staying firm on her last choice.

The moment she took this decision in hand and reverted, making up her mind, “help me….” A voice whispered in her ears.

“Huh?” there was no one in the plain or inside the forest. Just the daylight illuminating the forest and the afternoon with the breeze wafting.

“Did…. Did I just hear something? Or it’s the surrounding that driving my mind crazy…” she gawked at the sky when again it whispered “please….. help me.”

“NO!” shouted the girl shocked as goosebumps caused her to shudder “I am not imagining…. It is real…… someone is calling for help. I can hear a voice but, from where is it coming from?” she turned back to the gate “could it be from behind this wall?”

The white sheet was the direction the plea was heard but, it was a just blank white space with nothing seen through it then how could a whisper come from here?

I-rangris lifted her palm, placed it on the plain surface, there was a transparent barrier on the space. When she pressed her hand on it, it got absorbed inside.

“Ah!” she pulled it out faltering. There was a barrier ahead of a white space and yet someone could actually enter it.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

This was all getting insane. Will she have to enter the unknown with no clues or hint where it leads?

“I can’t do that…. It’s bothering me,” she said inwards.

Standing there bewildered, pondering whether to enter or not, again the voice came “please….. help me….” It startled her “again it’s heard…” said the girl “ then…” she picked up her guts and strode front saying “I must try on.”

Stretching her both arms in front, shutting her eyes, she took a step and jumped in, smoothly like butter, she got absorbed into the void. Not knowing where it would lead, I-rangris still kept her eyes shut. In hope she would feel something get caught in her palm. “please touch something……. touch something” she reiterated, praying that her hands feel something in their grasp, staying in her pose, frightened.

Suddenly, she felt the ground under her feet. She stood on the earth slowly as she felt relieved finally there was something.

As she opened her eyes for some light but, instead a dreadful scene awaited her.

“Oh dear! What is this?” she exclaimed in fear.

A burnt land with withered trees, cracked earth, lifeless atmosphere and red sky. No air or breeze could be sensed, just dust in the breath.

She took numerous breaths while her eyes continued surveying the surrounding. She stopped as her nostrils were assaulted by scent of her surrounding. Trying the get a grasp of what just happened, she forced herself to take another deep breath calming her heart beat. “Did this land go on a war or something?” asked the girl looking around for some life source.

Suddenly, an idea hit her head, wandering in that forest was much better than sticking around here in this lost land, she twirled herself turning back in hope there could be the white space that dragged her in but, every hope and conclusions were shattered into pieces.

There was no void or any white space behind her, just a gigantic door shut tight with no air passing through.

“Wha......what is going on here? Why are such things happening?” She was getting horrified and started trembling. Every time she had hope of something, it would shatter leaving her lost and hopeless.

Nothing was coming up with each other. One strange event was occurring after the other. Tears won’t work at this situation cause there was no one to support it, no one to rub it and no one to help around. Leaning on the gate, I-rangris exhaled several times calming herself.

She sent her glance on top of the gate saying “The gate is locked and out of nowhere l entered”

She turned to the burned land and looked at the ruins ahead of her, which stretched all the way to infinity. She said, growing worried, “there, this land is all burned away, no life source but, to think about it the call of help was heard from here. That means,” taking her steps on she started walking further into the dead land believing maybe just maybe, there will be NO,……… there IS a life source here.

It was basically an empty shell of a once jubilant kingdom, with the theme of grey and barrenness. The brightly colored houses now had sprinkles of the dark version of the paint, the rest were deep grey. The streets were worn down from usage over years. Once clean and sturdy was now bumpy and covered with dust and mud. Among dead land only one living being paced on.

l-rangris, the girl who was forced to an unknown world, strange incidents one after the other occurred till finally she stepped into a land of no life all burnt up.

“This place gives me the creeps, I wanna go back home….” She said holding herself walking hunched shoulders. Before reaching here all her action were out of curiosity which took the better of her and made her forget about her home.“ “I wonder how much time has passed for me to come here? Is Mom and Dad back? I hope it’s not late back there in my world….” Thoughts over thoughts enveloped her head until “what if I won’t be able to return home?” she froze stopping in her track thinking of the last scenario “I will be stuck here, alone and lost….” she blurted out, lost in her thoughts even deeper. “I shouldn’t have entered that white space…. Damn it! I shouldn’t have been so curious” she said scratching her head annoyed by her own actions.

Clack

“Huh?! What’s that sound?” she said flinching as all her thoughts dispersed, she looked at the direction of the sound like a cat detecting for any danger. She moved from the area the sound resonated, sprinting on her steps and stopped until she felt she was quite away.

Steps after paces, heading on into the unknown in search for any signs of life on the street but, was only met with silence, l-rangris halted, looking around choosing her next destination. She continued walking on with nothing particular in mind only her instincts leading her, and took a turn inside a passage.

Crossing a narrow road, she stepped out in a wide range of land but, here something awaited.

“Ahh! What is this!” horrified the girl turning pale with her eyes wide open by the scene in front of her. Her heart raced crazily, and whole body trembled in panic and she had difficulty in swallowing. There were statues, not just one but hundreds to thousands of them. All around the place, they weren’t just any ordinary statues, their expressions were displayed on their faces.

Screaming, terror and pledge for help.

“Why?!” dropped the girl on her knees holding her head crying in terror “why is this happening? Why is everything going worse to worst? There isn’t any hope in here. There isn’t any life then.....then why am l brought in here?” Covering her face with her hands, she collapsed on the ground crying, whimpering and sniffing in tears.

Suddenly, she heard steps from behind approaching “what are you doing there?” a voice asked referring to her.