Something is following me, following us through the forest as we walk.

It’s a weird forest, it’s not like the one I was in when I was a spider, or like the one I was in as a zombie. That was a spooky one haha, no, this one is… hmm… I don’t really want to say whimsical, because then it would sound like the miller’s floor. But it’s certainly going in that direction. Enchanted, perhaps?

I look around at the many red-capped toadstools filling the lush, dense forest and listen to the gentle whistles coming up from the tree-tops as the voices of children laugh just out of sight. Yeah, enchanted.

Or spooky.

It depends a little on your worldview, I sup-

Something rustles, the bushes behind us moving again and I turn, expecting to see another bird flying out of the brush. This time however, nothing emerges from the green except for a quiet, childlike laugh. Narrowing my eyes in suspicion, I raise the lance and carefully walk towards the bush. With a quick jab, I stab it into the green. Stupid human children. Get out of my dungeon.

Nothing screams however and I move my arm, pushing the leaves of the bush to the side with the blade of the lance to look inside of it. There is nobody here. Nothing but the bush itself and… and a thick, red-capped mushroom that sits down at the bottom of the thing, rooted into the dirt.

Pulling the lance back out, I look around, peering into the forest all around myself as I listen to the disturbances. They are quiet. Soft at first. The rustles. I thought it was the wind, moving the boughs of the trees this whole time. But there is no wind. I’m only just now noticing that none of the crowns of the trees are moving, none of them swaying in a breeze. Yet I hear disturbances all around the forest. I hear things, little things, moving through the underbrush. Yet none come to make themselves seen.

Whatever they are, they stay just out of sight, and continue laughing their quiet, childish laughs.

“Let’s just go,” says the slime, apparently somewhat frightened as she is barely peering out of my armor.

I sigh, relenting. Fine, I hate it here anyways. Stupid dungeon. Stupid creepy floor. Turning around, I swish my cape around behind myself so that the forest knows I mean business. Gripping the lance tighter, I march on ahead, looking at the many red-capped mushrooms that line the wood. They grow out of the empty space between the roots of the trees. They grow out of the dark shadows beneath the bushes. They sprout out, coming out from any large rocks or hollow logs. Anywhere where there is even a tiny shadow to be found, a toadstool or a mushroom of some kind seems to have popped its little red head out from it.

The underbrush around us moves, rustling as we walk as if something were walking along with us. Quickly, I drop down and I swipe my lance out in a wide arc, cutting a large bush in half. The leaves and twigs fly off from the force of the strike, revealing absolutely nothing.

Rolling my eyes, I get up and keep walking. Why are things in the dungeon always so obtuse and creepy? I mean, I guess we are an undead flavored dungeon at the end of the day, that carries a certain ‘spook-factor’ with it. Maybe they’re ghosts? I was a ghost once, wasn’t I? That was weird, right? Did that ever happen again? I don’t think it did. Man, I really wasted that life, huh? You know what? I bet I could have just… flown out of the dungeon. Man, imagine that. It would have been so easy.

I sigh. Maybe next time.

Anyways, I wonder, am I spooky like the dungeon is? Like… do people look at me and feel weirded out and frightened? I hope not. But… hmm… maybe I am? Maybe that’s why nobody is ever around myself. Maybe I’m just really scary looking, no matter what life I live? That would be sad. I hope that isn’t it. I was looking forward to making some friends once I escape. I hope my next body is something that isn’t scary.

Something bubbles inside of me and I roll my eyes. It’s your fault I have to get a new body to begin with. You shouldn’t have killed the priestess, you dummy. I turn my eyes inward, looking at the slime huddled down against my bones. Because you were bad, I have to get the belt. She giggles and I narrow my eyes. You think this is funny? You disre-

Something else giggles.

Looking back forward with wide, furious eyes I look towards where the annoying noise is coming from. Why are you laughing?! What’s so funny? Are you laughing at me?! Huh? Huh?!

I smash my fist against the trunk of the tree next to me. “I’ll show you, you little shit!” I yell into the forest, which doesn’t bother responding with more than a numbing quiet.

The leaves rustle. Something giggles.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Or at the very least go through the motions of breathing.

Why am I so angry? I don’t have a reason to be angry. Everything is fine. Everything is fine. Be calm. Breathe. Breathe. It’s just the dungeon messing with you. It’s making you… fuzzy.

I feel better.

Slowly opening my eyes again, I look at the large, red-capped mushroom that is in my way. Was this here before? I don’t think this was here a second ago. Narrowing my gaze in suspicion, I stare at the strange thing.

It stares at me.

My eye twitches. It’s being disrespectful. It’s ruining it. It’s ruining everything. I feel something itch in my brain, I feel something worm in my heart. I hate red-caps. I hate those little shits. I hate them. I hate them. My hand clutches my face as I glare at the mushroom, feeling a vibration in my body, an energy that pulses through me from a source unknown.

I hate them. I hate them. I hate them.

It giggles.

I scream and lunge towards it, tearing at it, ripping it apart, throwing red chunks all around as I tear off piece after piece. As I sink my teeth into it and scream with wide, rabid eyes.

It giggles.