2 Into the Marshes

The cold morning dew cools the environment where Alex was left unconscious, lying onto the wetlands of the marshland. The water vapor brimmed, and droplets dripped onto Alex's face causing him to wake up. "What happened?" he whispered to himself, opening his eyes slowly. But what he saw was not the horrifying scene he witnessed as his classmates turned purple, inhaling the toxic gas released. At the same time, they were locked inside their own classroom but a vast marshland brimming with life. The sweet breeze kissed Alex's skin and continued to crawl towards the different parts of his body, making him feel refreshed, for he was denied a chance when he was still living in the world. Birds and insects of different species overwhelmed the marshlands, making them livelier and more peaceful. With their sound serves as a soothing instrument that plays lovely music. Alex closed his eyes, tasting the kind of freedom and change he wanted to have since he gained his own consciousness.

"I wish you were all here with me, everyone," Alex whispered. Longing for his friends' presence. He couldn't help himself but cry. His eyes became heavy, and tears started to pour down, showing his loneliness into the majestic marshland. Slowly, Alex tried to stand up and decided to explore the considered haven. He looked at himself; his white polo had become the dirtiest white he could ever see. The wetlands of this place have put his uniform in such a state. Not that he's angry about it. Alex continued to wander around the land. As he continued to walk, he still couldn't stop being amazed by the beautiful place he was now in. Barefoot, Alex ran happily around the vast marshland's wet soil. His feet were covered in mud, but his heart was filled with joy.

Looking at the waters that scattered in the marshes, Alex tried to look for a source. Still wandering around the marshes, he was mesmerized by what he saw as he passed by the tall mangroves covering the beautiful river. The light pierced the river's shallow waters, making it glow like crowded diamonds. The crystal-clear waters reflect the beautiful blue sky with their turquoise color, making it an unavoidable temptation to swim. The river resonates a gushing sound as its current crashes to different rocks. Kneeling and bent his body, Alex cupped his hands and took a sip from the river's water. A thirst-quenching drink that took Alex's fatigue from walking to be swept away. He took his uniform off and swam in the river's tempting waters. The river possesses abundant aquatic life as he saw freshwater fishes swimming around him, not minding the naked human that is swimming happily around them. Alex giggled, painting an undeniably happy face.

Alex grabbed his dirty uniform and washed it in the river's clear waters. After washing, Alex put his uniform on a rock for it to dry. Alex's strength slowly fades as he continues to swim. His stomach grumbled, threatening him to be of use and feed it something delicious. Alex stopped, thinking of what he could eat in this vast marshland. Considering the abundant aquatic life in front of him, Alex thought of a way to feed himself some tasty trout. Drifting under the shady eaves of the riverbank, they wait for prey and become angelic devourer who flies into the air making a surprise attack. Taking advantage of the trout's location in the shallow bank, a simple hand fishing would do to catch one. Alex moved slowly towards the riverbank, trying not to disturb the insect that was prey to a human. Alex stepped into the water, trying to be in a position that could give him the highest percentage rate of catching a fish. He waited patiently, his hands in mid-air, ready to snap to grab a delicious meal.

A potential aquatic prey is now swimming peacefully near the bank. In an instant, two fleeting hands move at extreme speed, making the fish stuck in its two big hands restraining its movement. The fish might consider this a very unlucky day, but what Alex saw was a scrumptious dinner right in his hands. Alex looked for a spot to make a fire. He put the trout into a safe location while he grabbed and wore his now dried uniform. Since the marshland is known for its wet grounds, Alex had a hard time looking for one. With the trout in his hands and his perseverance, he finally found a dry spot to cook and eat the delicious meal. Lighting a fire is simple; the scout camps as kids came in handy. Smoke floats into the air and towards the sky as the fire burns. A mouth-watering smell of roasted trout pierces Alex's nostril, which makes his mouth drool with excitement. Alex removed the fish from the fire, ready to take a bite. He blew the cooked trout for it to cool and took a small bite from a freshly-cooked fish. Alex's eyes grew big. He had never tasted such fish before. A scrumptious meal indeed. Having it cooked fresh from the river makes the fish tastier than those who are stored, just like in the world where he lived in the past. I wish I could enjoy this kind of experience with my friends. Alex thought while munching the delicious meal.

A loud burp resounded in the marshland pertaining to Alex's signal of fullness. Satisfied with the meal, Alex decided to take a nap, lying on the cold ground, feeling the earth's energy. Suddenly, a whooshing sound made Alex wake up and immediately come to his senses. "Who's that?" he said, looking around the vast wetland. "Intruder!" a shrilling sound knocked Alex's ears from a distance. He looked at the side and saw a yellow arrow piercing the ground near where he lay for a moment. He stood up, not knowing his situation, and tried to take shelter behind the trees. The sun shined so bright that it gave him a hard time locating where the attacker must have gone. Then a loud buzzing sound swirled where Alex was hiding. The trees' leaves danced along with the wind, and extraordinary creatures came flying from the top.

Alex was startled; three human-bee-like creatures came in front of him. Their eyes were big and voided of color. Two furry strings were erected on the creatures' forehead. They were serving of what he noticed as an antenna. They have a large butt with a sharp object behind it – like a sting in a bee. Their facial feature was of a human's, making their eyes the most recognizable of all because of their size, but their nose and mouth were that of humans. They have a human body structure, but their hips are skinny. They have two central hands where the right one was used to hold the weapon. They also have two small hands on their waist, but these hands do not possess any fingers but are instead arc-shaped, like a crab's claw. Alex looked at their feet, and it was the same. The creatures' limbs are thin, making them look like a human. The three humanoids possess a crossbow that is placed in their right hand. Alex knew it since he used to play shooting games when he was still in his past world, and he thought that it was the one that they must have used trying to shoot him while taking a nap. The creatures' wings were big enough to support their body but not big enough to cover themselves. One heart-pounding, Alex decided to step back. A monster, he thought. How could this creature exist? Where am I? I should be in a paradise, right? But how could this thing live in here? A series of thoughts flooded Alex's mind. A paradise that everyone would consider turned out to be a habitat for a hideous creature. Crashed in profound silence, he tried to remain calm and spoke to the creatures. "What are you?" the creatures flew downwards, their feet on the ground. Alex noticed that the creatures were not that tall, 5-feet in height, but extremely dangerous upon landing on the ground. The creatures' eyes are devoid of emotions, making it harder for Alex to comprehend its intention of the possibility of killing him.

"Capture. Intruder. Punish." The middle one said in a squeaking voice. There, Alex knew. The creatures do not possess anything but hostility towards him. Run. His mind continued to tell him, but Alex being himself, tried to reason with the creatures who were calmly standing in front of him, pointing their weapons towards the helpless him. Alex took a sigh, trying to talk himself out of the situation. "Wha----" Alex couldn't finish his sentence for another whooshing sound accelerated into the air and pierced Alex's shoulder – an arrow was fired instantly. His knees bent, he felt dizzy. His eyes were getting heavy, he tried to fight them, but he couldn't. His knees, now on the ground, followed by his immobile body lying helplessly onto the cold environment of the marshland. Still having a tiny amount of consciousness, he felt the silent footsteps of the creatures approaching him. The creatures bent down, trying to grab the helpless body of Alex. Then, Alex felt nothing anymore, the cold, muddy ground of the marshland, for the creatures carried him into the air. Fearful of the fact of where they would take him and what would happen to him, he's more convinced that he cannot do anything. He gave up and decided to offer himself to the god of sleep.