1 Chapter 1 ~ homeless

The Sea of Trees

A homeless girl once passed by an eerie forest. As she sat down under a tree in front of it,she saw a guy on his kimono walking through the woods. "A guy on a kimono at this time and age? There's no festivals at all. And why's he walking through the forest?", said the girl as she followed him by sight. The guy went farther, and as he's almost out of sight, the girl picked her things up and stood. "for Pete's sake what was he thinking!? Can't he see that it's like a see of trees? He might get in trouble! Might as well follow him". Bringing her luggage along, the girl ran towards the direction the guy went.

As she lost track on the minutes she'd ran, she lost sight of the forest opening where she came from. She's lost. "darn". The only word she managed to utter as she held on a tree for support while catching her breath. She looked around searching for either the guy or a way out but all she saw were trees. She then roamed around the forest, as she was looking around, she stopped as she saw a clear path on the detritus. There was a strange feeling coming from the end of the path. Undecided, she stood there looking at it. "a clear path. I wonder what it leads into, it seems to be intentionally carved for someone to pass onto it. Wait, maybe, maybe the guy went this way! Yes, yes!" the fear in her heart was replaced with so much joy, thinking maybe it's an exit. She held her luggage tightly as she took a deep breath. "now come on self, you can do this". As she flipped her blonde hair tied up with a checkered ribbon, she started walking. An unexplainable feeling of being watched caught up to her, she wandered her sight to see the surrounding trees but there's no one. The feeling intensified after a moment, a gentle wind started blowing, the trees started swaying gently, the grass made sounds as it hits each other. She stopped, closed her eyes, and tried feeling the surroundings. In a snap, everything stopped. It was like everything disappeared. Slowly, she opened her eyes. "something's coming",she muttered. Far away coming from the shadows from the other side of the path, a white fox appeared. Leaping, it came closer. Am I gonna be bitten? Her eyes showed fear as she met the fox's eyes. It was clear, but blank, emotionless. "Go back, I'm warning you to go back", the fox admonishly said. The fear in her eyes were replaced with confusion. A fox in this kinf of forest? And it's a talking one? "wh-what? But why??". "you still have time to be saved, go further and you will perish". The last words of the fox echoed as it leaped through branches and bushes leaving her dumbfounded. She stood there for some time with events still thinking on her mind. She was snapped back into reality as shadows peeking on her behind trees appeared on her peripheral vission. With shaking hands, she held her luggage and whirled. A glimpse of the shadows as they try to hide behind the trees was what her eyes caught. She ran as fast as she could while her eyes were closed, but the path seemed to be neverending.

Tired,she kept running while her eyes were still closed. But as time passes by, she's getting more exhausted. Unfortunately, the clear path that she have in mind while her eyes were still closed have changed. Rocks were burried on the detritus and roots of trees were all around. In a snap, she tripped. Squalling in pain she rolled on the ground and agglomerated as her ankle has almost been misplaced. She bawled on the empty space. Fear, tiredness, hunger, hopelessness, and pain. "I'll never be able to leave this place anymore, a lifeless forest, this is where the likes of me will rot"

"get lost!" "w-wait! Please! Give me more time, I beg you I have nowhere to stay" "I'll be having nowhere to stay too if you'll still stay! Out!"

She came back to reality and opened her eyes when a leaf fell down her cheek. "tears" she whispered as she ran her palm on her cheek, drying out the tears. She sat and continued weeping as something catched her eyes. A beacon. "a beacon of light", she said as tears slowly stopped running down. Slowly she stood up, carrying her luggage, she once again followed the path that leads to the seemed to be forest exit.

When she came for what she thought was the forest exist, she was surprised to see a vast expanse of land. A field. "a field. No, a garden?" letting go of her luggage she took a step. "it's like, it's like a place for Gods. This is like a rainbow after a rain. Does a homeless, poor girl like me deserved such a scene?" she closed her eyes. "beautiful, so, beautiful" she said slowly opening her eyes. She roamed her eyes on the flowers beneath her and kneeled down. She plucked a flower out and in an instance, it has seemed to release its redolence. "this is like a drug, addicting". The fear, tiredness, hunger, hopelessness, and pain had vanished and a mixture of pleasurable emotions ran throughout her body. "it's like heaven. I wish I could stay forever", for another time, she smelled the scent of the unknown flower that she plucked.

Gentle sounds of footsteps covered the pleace. Slowly, she opened her eyes. And there, far from her,standing in front of a fir tree, the kimono guy