Chapter 1 Giant Tree

Walking aimlessly alone in the endless sea of snow falling down. I can barely see 20 metres ahead of me. I'm cold and hungry just looking for a warm place or even some shelter from the snowstorm that is coming down on top of me.

I brush off the snow that has accumulated on my shoulders and started thinking back on how I got here.

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Travelling back in my memories I can recall it all started two hours ago when I accidentally fell out the window of my office building, and by accident I mean pushed out by one of my employees. 'If Doris wanted better dental she could have just told me so..' that random thought is gone from my mind when I can see the ground coming closer and closer.

As I see the ground being only seconds away from having a new layer of flesh I felt my short life flash by, making me relive my 25 years on this earth which was really embarrassing. Soul crushing embarrassing. All the cringe moments I had as a teen that I had repressed from my mind came back to haunt me for one last time.

The world felt like it was moving in slow motion when I saw the ground that was inching closer. Either that or my mind was running in overdrive due to the stress and adrenaline and all other fun bodily chemicals flowing through me.

Frustrated knowing that I couldn't intervene in any way and could only watch until my early end. I did what any rational person would do in my situation and started praying in my mind to god, goddesses, devils and anything in between.

'Save me! I would do anything! I'll trade my soul for it even if you are into that.. Please, pretty please I have my whole life ahead of me. I had even started a company that I built from the ground up. I can't let it all go to waste like this.. all my hard work.. for nothing'

*Sniffle*

'I really wish I had the ability to fly' was the last thought before colliding with the ground.

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Putting my hand on my chest to feel my heart beating I looked around me for any traces of civilization but found only tracks in the deep snow that looked like it was made from some type of big animal. The tracks are a straight line from my left to right. Or right to left if you swing that way.

'I really wish I paid attention when my uncle Steve was talking about different wildlife and animal tracks and whatnot.' Surviving in nature has never really been my thing. I was more of a stay at home with the AC on full blast watching TV instead.

"Ugh I'm so hungry."

Shivering I wrap my oversized blue fur coat tighter around me to ward out the biting cold.

"I wonder where I got it from?"

My clothing consists of a big fur coat with a hood. Big but not too loose pants made of some type of leather. Sturdy footwear that is surprisingly warm and that's about it. The weird thing is that it is all blue in colour.

'It seems the owner of this body likes blue' I can't help but smirk to myself.

"Wait, I am the current owner of this body... Well my favourite colour is blue so I guess it makes sense." I muse out loud.

Shaking my head feeling it's not worth thinking about right now. First find food or shelter then think about clothes.

I honestly can't remember how I ended up in this body or how this body got into this situation. All I found so far is ice and more ice. Even the mountain I saw in the distance before the storm hit was completely made of ice.

'Maybe it's hell? I thought that when hell freezes over something special would happen but I guess being alive when I know I should be dead does count as special..' I smile a bit that even if everything is messed up I still have my crappy sense of humour.

My body is smaller than I remember and now I'm in the middle of nowhere in knee deep snow. another not so fun fact is that everything on me has shrunk, and I mean *everything*. Rest in peace little brother, you were once a strong and mighty soldier, but now you can't even be compared to my shrunken fingers.

"Let's do what every man does in this situation and blame the cold. Yes it must be the bone chilling cold's fault." I so expertly deduce.

I snap out of my inner conflict and look down on where I spot the track again.

'I wonder where these tracks lead. Maybe I can sneak up on whatever made them.. maybe. They should lead to somewhere 'safe', safe from the storm at least.'

I decide to follow the tracks to see where they lead. Hopefully somewhere safer than the wilderness.

'It's not like I know where I am going and this will save me some energy by not having to walk in the deep snow.'

Reluctantly I start walking in the tracks going to the left thinking that this would be the perfect time to toss a coin but all I have is the clothes on me.

While walking I start thinking more about the world I'm in. I've been doing it a lot lately. Things like about my appearance which I still don't know. How old I am, don't know since I still don't know how I look but probably younger. Name? No clue. Should I go for something made up? Or maybe I'll go by Dave as it is/was my name. It's going to take a while to get used to the fact that I died. I can still recall the splat I made on the sidewalk so I'm 99.99% that I died. The 0.01% is for the fact that I am still alive, starving, freezing and walking.

My mind is wandering too much. I haven't been able to focus for a while.

After walking for what felt like half a day I stumbled across a big tree on top of a tiny hill, and I mean like a skyscraper tall and tens of metres wide, with green leaves and all. The green leaves flutter like there is only a gentle wind blowing on them, unlike the storm that is actually going on.

"Why is there an oak tree in the middle of what feels like Siberia?"

The tree does not seem to be affected by the snow in any way. It's like an invisible shield or force field around it. Under the tree is a small clearing with grass and different flowers. The clearing looks to be only around ten metres around the tree. How I did not see a giant tree until it was around 50 metres away is concerning.

'I hope I haven't started to hallucinate.'

I look down to see the tracks end by the force field around the tree. 'It seems whatever made the track is either around or has left and might come back at any moment.'

Looking behind me real quick for good measure and to make sure I don't have some giant animal wanting to eat me breathing down my neck I reluctantly begin to make my way towards the force field surrounding the tree.

"I remember that oak trees drop apples in Minecraft.. not sure if it is the same in reality. And I don't really want to climb a tree the size of a decently sized skyscraper." I mutter.

I sigh and drop my shoulders a bit. "Well it's not like I have much of a choice, I'd rather climb a tree than starve to death."

Inching closer I am on the lookout for any movement but can't spot any. I sneak closer slowly while trying to make as little noise as possible which is easy because of the loud winds. My steps in the snow are barely audible. As I approach the field holding the snow away I can't spot anything inside it which is both bad and good. Bad because I don't have any food and snow is getting boring to eat. Good because it means I won't get attacked.. hopefully.