The melodic chirping of birds stirred Telia from her sleep. Rubbing away remnants of rest from her eyes, her vision cleared to find a canopy of green leaves overhead. Sitting up, she realized she was in a grove; thickets of thin trees and sprawling shrubs encapsulated the clearing she was lying in. Telia pushed herself onto her feet, sinking slightly into grass as soft as silk. She paced to the opposite end of the clearing, then back again; about twenty feet across. Telia took each step with care, wary of white flowers that spotted the greenery below.

She stopped suddenly. “Where am I,” Telia asked aloud.

No response; only the persistent high-pitched chirp of birds she couldn’t see.

Her stomach began to churn. Not only did she not know where she was, Telia didn’t know anything at all. She couldn’t remember anything; her memories were a blur, if there at all. She sprinted out of the clearing and into the dense woods as panic settled in, no longer wary of stepping on any flowers. Telia had no idea where she was going, but she kept on running. Her mind worked fervently, puzzled by what was going on, but there were too few pieces to make sense of the whole picture.

Telia remembered her name, at least. But… that was about it. If the grove she awoke in held any significance, she had no idea. So Telia did what any normal person without memories would do: she ran and never looked back.

Eventually, she heard the sound of a softly rushing river up ahead. Only then did she realize how thirsty she was. When Telia arrived, she saw it wasn’t much of a river at all, but a shallow stream about ten paces wide. It would have to do.

Eagerly, she plunged her face into the water, letting its refreshing chill wash away beads of sweat. She opened her mouth and swallowed gulp after gulp of water, only pausing to raise her head to breathe. After a while, Telia felt satisfied and stayed on her hands and knees, watching the flowing water. Although it wasn’t still, she could make out her flickering reflection on its surface. She gaped.

The figure in the water appeared no more than fourteen and had green skin. Her hair, dark as night, sprawled about messily, most of which fell behind her shoulders in long tangles. Baring her teeth, she found them arranged in a row of white, their tips sharp. On the sides of her head, a set of ears spread outwards, drawing to a point at the ends. But the eyes… Irises of solid gold and pupils narrowed to slits stared back at Telia.

She threw herself backwards, surprised by her own reflection. Telia took a deep breath. A goblin… That’s right… I’m a goblin, she reaffirmed herself as a sense of recollection settled into place. Telia sat there for a while longer, expecting a flood of memories to rush back in after the revelation. But nothing came.

Telia gazed upwards. The sunlight peeking through the leaves was still golden, which meant it must still be early in the day. She had no destination in mind, but she guessed that if she followed the water downstream, it would eventually lead her to another goblin. Telia took one last gulp of water before standing and continuing on her way.

At first, Telia was mesmerized by her surroundings; trees rose all around her, their branches stretching over the water, appearing as though she was walking through a viridescent tunnel. But after a while, Telia grew tired of the monotony, and the constant walking made her painfully aware of the gnawing hunger in her stomach. She didn’t know how long she had been walking, but the glow overhead was no longer golden. Desperately, she cried out, hoping for someone to hear, but no matter how much she yelled into the endless green around her, no reply came. The panic was returning, coiling around her hungry stomach, making for an agonizing combination.

Telia jumped into the stream at every sign of a fish, hoping for any piece of food. She stood as still as possible, letting the red-colored fish return within arms-reach. But no matter how fast she threw her arms, they were simply faster, leaving Telia with handfuls of water. Each failure added another layer to her pain; her hunger was unbearable.

She sat in the stream, no longer caring about the verdant leaves above, or the ribbons of water rushing around her. Telia couldn’t remember any family, parents, or friends. She clawed at every corner of her mind, desperate to find someone–something–familiar to her. The vast emptiness of it brought an overwhelming sense of loneliness; if she had remembered being abandoned, it would feel different. But the void in her mind made her feel as if there was nobody; Telia felt as if she didn’t have anyone to begin with.

Just when she was about to surrender to her despair, Telia caught a faint whiff of something… pleasant. Though she couldn't identify it, the scent made her mouth water and her stomach growl profusely. Before she knew it, Telia found herself out of the stream, moving towards the unfamiliar scent.

She followed the smell to a modestly sized stone thatched cottage. Moss crept in and out of cracks in the walls where years of exposure to nature’s elements had weathered the limestone blocks. Patches of overgrown grass settled around the cottage’s base, making the entire structure seem like a natural part of the forest. The sole window at the front of the building was open, which Telia presumed was where the scent was wafting from.

Immediately, her hopes lifted. Perhaps the goblin inside knew who or where she was, so Telia prepared dozens of other questions to ask. She grinned as she ran towards the door, the pain of her hunger subsiding a bit. She raised her fist to the wood and knocked. Maybe they would even show her what smelled so good…

Telia froze at the figure in the doorway. Light skin–not green… not a goblin, but a human. Telia’s eyes widened, and she turned to sprint away, not quite understanding why. But that delicious smell; it froze her in her tracks a comfortable distance away from the strange lady. Every fiber of her being told her to run away, but her hunger, combined with the uncertainty of why she should be afraid of this human, kept her in place.

Her mouth was open in shock for a few moments, but eventually, she smiled. “Goodness… Young lady, how may I help you?” asked the human.

Telia took a wary step back. Though she recognized the woman as human, Telia’s instincts screamed that this was her first encounter with one. It was also telling her not to trust her. Telia hid behind a tree a couple feet away from the cottage, ready to run at any sudden movements.

The lady raised her hands, appeasingly. “Do not be afraid, young lady,” she said, studying Telia’s expression for a minute before continuing. “Are you hungry?”

Telia shied further behind the tree. She wanted to say no–shake her head and go–but before she could turn to leave, she felt herself nod. The lady’s grin faltered, appearing more sympathetic.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“Alright,” she said carefully. “Just stay right there. I’ll be back soon, okay?”

She stood for a bit, expecting Telia to respond, but when it was clear she wouldn’t, she hurried back into the cottage.

Telia exhaled, not realizing she had been holding her breath. Nothing about the human seemed threatening. The slight wrinkles on her face and gray streaks among her shoulder-length blonde hair revealed that she was relatively aged; about seventy, if Telia had to guess. Despite all that, she couldn’t find it within herself to trust this woman. Telia felt conflicted by her paradoxical emotions; there was no reason to be afraid of this lady, but she definitely felt afraid.

Before she could dwell on it any further, the lady returned. She had a plate in her hand, the smell from earlier growing even stronger. Telia's grip on the tree tightened as she watched the woman inch toward her carefully. She stopped about halfway between the cottage and Telia, setting a wooden board down on the grass, followed by the plate on top.

“I’m not sure you’ll use these but…” The old lady trailed off, placing two small, wooden objects next to the plate: one had a rounded end, while the other narrowed into three points with gaps in between. She hurried back to the cottage’s doorway, and after a few seconds of watching to see if Telia would move, took a step inside and closed the door.

Telia eyed the door for a moment, then the plate a few steps in front of her. The woman didn’t seem to harbor any ill-will; quite the opposite, she had seemingly left in a hurry to give Telia some space. When it was clear that the lady wouldn’t return, Telia dashed towards the plate, and almost cried when she saw what was on it.

A red fish from the stream.

The vibrant red was darker now, lined with black sears that Telia believed were from a fire, though she had no memories to tell her so. Around and on top of it lay a myriad of vegetables, none of which she could identify. The smell of it was intoxicating, and Telia was tempted to abandon her caution to eat it all immediately.

But she paused. Part of her was irritated by the fact a lady so old could catch a fish she had tried so hard to get all day. The other part was scared that it might be poisoned. Even so, she knew her stomach would never forgive her if she left, so she stared at the dish, silently fighting over what to do. Eventually, her hunger triumphed, and she picked a piece of it apart and threw it into her salivating mouth.

This time, she did cry.

Maybe it was her lack of memories or her extreme hunger, but Telia’s palate blazed with flavors she had never experienced before. Salty and sweet coalesced with other unfamiliar notes to form a symphony of flavors. Fearing the dish might vanish before her eyes, Telia devoured it ravenously, not stopping to savor a single bite. Before she knew it, only a pile of bones remained–a corpse made by her insatiable appetite.

Telia fell onto her back and gazed at a clearing untouched by leaves above; the sky was purple and specks of stars glowed faintly as day approached night. Despite the chilling breeze, she felt strangely warm, and even more oddly, at peace. Even so, a large piece of her mind was still suspicious of the lady. What she had just consumed was undoubtedly a product of magic; Telia didn’t need her memories to tell her that food wasn’t supposed to be that good.

Telia knew that now was a perfect time to leave, but the day’s events were beginning to catch up to her. She struggled to move, but her limbs were as heavy as lead, and the grass coiled around her, pulling Telia into its pillow-like softness. Tomorrow, she told herself, as a wave of drowsiness swept over her. I leave the first thing tomorrow.

The purple sky faded to black as her eyelids slid shut.

Telia awoke to find a fur blanket wrapped around her body. Immediately, she stood, letting it fall to the ground as she took in her surroundings. In front of her stood the old woman’s cottage; rays of morning sunlight rained down from the clearing above, bathing it in gold. Her memories of the previous day were clear in her mind, but anything before that… Telia shook her head. Her nose twitched involuntarily as she caught another whiff of something inviting. Looking down, she saw the same wooden tray and plate from yesterday. This time, however, its contents were different.

Clumps of yellow puffed out like clouds, while freckles of green and strange strings of gold–nearly blending with the yellow–sat at its surface. Telia dropped to the ground and poked it, expecting it to bite back. Nothing happened. Licking her lips, she plucked a piece from the clump. Lines of gold trailed from its surface, bending down like a suspension bridge. She was still wary of the lady, but nothing happened yesterday… Telia shrugged, and popped the piece into her mouth.

Surprised, Telia's eyes widened as she bit into it, not expecting it to yield so easily. The flavor wasn’t as bold as the fish she ate the day before, but it was just as good, in its own weird, billowy way. Telia found the string-like gold to have a rather tangy taste and noticed how the yellow clouds took on its sharp characteristics when eaten together. As opposed to her previous meal, Telia ate slowly, feeling herself sink further into the grass with every bite. She felt satisfied–but not overly full–by the time she finished.

Time passed quickly after that, with the old lady bringing a plate out for Telia periodically. She would never say much, besides a greeting or two whenever she saw the young goblin, yet she was as warm as ever. Telia’s thoughts about leaving lessened as the day went on; she had nowhere else to go, and the human obviously meant her no harm.

The next day, however, Telia was curious. If this old lady was a witch of some kind, then she likely knew of some magic that could restore her memories. At the very least, she could tell Telia where she was. Telia sat on the wooden chair the woman had brought out for her sometime while she slept, waiting. The door to the cottage opened, and the witch flashed her a warm smile as she brought out another plate. It was time. She had dozens of questions to ask, but Telia thought it best to reciprocate the hospitality she had received in the past few days.

“E-excuse me?” Telia croaked, surprised at how raspy her voice sounded after days of not using it.

The old lady jumped, nearly dropping the plate. She stared at Telia with wide blue eyes, surprise written all over her face.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to…” Telia murmured, scowling. “My name is Telia.”

The lady nodded, smiling once again. “Telia,” she said. “What a beautiful name.”

She stared at Telia for a few seconds before adding, “I’m Tessandra. You can call me Tess.” She sat on the grass a comfortable distance away from Telia, setting the plate and tray to her side. “Others call me Granny Tess. Either is fine.”

“Granny Tess…” Telia said, feeling the words roll off her tongue. “Thank you for this–for everything– these past few days.”

“Of course,” Tess replied, smiling. After a while, her smile dropped, her expression one of concern. “If I may ask, Telia, what are you doing out here?”

“That’s… That’s what I was going to ask you.”

Tess bit her lip, seeming to understand Telia’s situation. “I sense that you have many other questions to ask–which I will get to–but first… here.” She stood, gesturing to the plate next to her, before taking a few steps back.

Telia scampered over, nodding. “It’s okay,” she said, sitting before the plate, another red fish on top. “No need to go back inside… I’m okay.” Tess’s kindness had eased a bit of her suspicions, and Telia felt comfortable enough to be near her. She picked a piece away from the bone, but stopped before she could eat it. Telia had a lot to ask, but she needed to get something out of the way first.

“What kind of magic is this?” Telia asked, nodding towards the fish.

Tessandra stared at her for a few seconds with a blank expression. Then she laughed.

“Magic,” Tess exclaimed, wiping a tear from her eye. “It’s not magic, dear, it’s cooking!”