"I've really ticked him off, haven't I?" My voice sounded soft, high-pitched, and distinctly unfamiliar. I patted the bark of a nearby fallen tree; the rough texture was grounding me in this strange reality. After all, I had barely entered this new existence and already managed to get on the bad side of a...what was it, a quasi-deity?

Hadn't our conversation been congenial? Or was I mistaken? I raked through the remnants of our exchange. Honestly, I had been given nothing, no information about this world or why I was here - but surely that wasn't entirely my fault. This pseudo god—like thing, who had somehow resurrected me, appeared to possess a temper as volatile as a summer storm.

I paused to scoop up a handful of cool forest soil, letting it sift through my fingers as I pondered. The dialogue had begun well enough, but with minimal provocation, he'd spiraled into fury. However, his words remained true. Here I was—reborn.

I looked over at myself. Unscarred skin, no blisters or boils from the fire, they were small, though, so what was I now? Judging by size and height alone, I must have been five or six. Quite young - or perhaps I was still 36 and this world was full of people who were reborn. I might look forward to my birthday then, even if it would make me 37 years old - it was… in three days. Three days… Would I still celebrate my birthday in October? Was there even an October in this world?

For a long while, I stood in my initial spawn. As I pondered the surreal dream of my newfound reality, I looked around - taking not only sight and sound but also the smell and even taste of it all.

A sweet song of birds echoed inside the sea of green spread out before me. Underneath my feet was dried soil, dark and solid. When I tried to hear their call, I could only catch the thin rustling leaves, and distant twigs cracking under unseen feet as all around, towering trees stood tall and silent, their tops brushing the soft blue of the sky. These trees were old, each groove on their trunks telling a story of time and survival. Canopies of leaves stretched overhead, forming a natural ceiling that danced with dappled sunlight.

Taking a deep breath, the smell of the forest filled my senses. The damp scent of the soil, the freshness of leaves, it added to the taste on my tongue - a hint of moss, the sweet aftertaste of sap, the fresh touch of morning dew, and a slight bitterness from the dark soil. More than just a flavor—it was a feeling, sinking deep into my skin and leaving an unforgettable imprint as it coiled around my naked skin.

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The rich reality of the world did not just strike my senses, but burned into them. Too rich to be a dream. I was really reborn into another world. It was a mad fancy, a hope never truly admitted and yet, even here, I found myself in dire strain - what if this world was as cruel as my own? I could only hope they don't have calculus here. My one-sided love affair with math was decidedly over.

Shaking my head, I moved on. As the voice said, I was a little girl lost in the forest with nothing, and I do mean nothing. Not even a scrap of cloth. I looked down to see a little pot belly. "Hehe, it's squishy."

“Wait, no! Bad!” I scolded myself. What was I, the Pillsbury Doughboy? I stopped poking myself and took a breath, I needed to focus. Survival was key now. People perished in the woods even with technology. I had nothing. Focus was essential.

“What happened to the Doughboy?” A flash of frustration came over me—I didn’t have my phone. I stopped seeing him on tv for awhile now, I wonder if the company that owned him is still in business. “This is going to bother me all day, I can just tell.” With a sigh, I pondered what to do next.

Drawing a deep breath, I managed to voice out my thoughts. "As much as I enjoy sunbathing in the middle of a forest, finding some sort of clothing should be on my priority list." Lost in a forest, three things are crucial: shelter, water, and food. With this survival triad in mind, I made a move to start my journey in this new world. However, my first step was interrupted by an unexpected sight.

A pair of captivating golden eyes met mine, radiating an unnerving sense of hunger. The creature they belonged to stepped forward, its impressive body a blend of tan and gold, rippling with lean muscle under the dappled sunlight. A red mane framed its face, the fiery strands seeming to burn with an intensity that echoed the creature's raw power. The lion moved with lethal grace.

I sucked in a sharp breath, my thoughts crystallizing into a stark realization. The voice's words echoed in the numbing white fear that quickly absorbed me;

‘Abandoned in the woods, there are plenty of monsters and parasites waiting to eat me, oh but don't worry! I'll give you a nice cheat skill to succeed in surviving.’

We took a synchronized step, my monster and I. His forward, mine backward. Its gold eyes, ethereal and fierce, scanned me from head to toe, sizing up its catch of the day. It definitely liked what it saw.

I really should be running, but my mind turned blank - empty of all reasonable thought. I tried to swallow, but my mouth felt as parched as a desert. A surreal calm descended over me as I gazed into those beautiful golden eyes.