Chapter 3: Into the Woods

[Birds Chirping]

*Yawn*

"How long was I asleep?"

"I don't know but it felt like a very long time."

It was blurry at first but as soon as I opened my eyes, I immediately noticed my surrounding.

I'm in a forest.

The field is grassy and the trees are tall. It was morning and the sun is at its peak. No clouds in sight but thankfully, the wind was cool enough to balance off the temperature.

"The sunlight is messing up with my eyes, I better get to a shed."

I moved away a little from the spot I woke up in to get myself under a tree. I was trying to recall why I'm in this place but it seems like I can't remember anything, especially things pertaining to myself. I wanted to force myself to remember but I noticed that I couldn't concentrate at all because my body seems to be in dire need of water.

"I'm not familiar with this place but I need to find a source of water."

I started walking randomly in hopes of quenching my thirst. I also thought to myself that maybe if I look around, I might remember something. I noticed that I was getting nowhere. I'm basically walking in circles.

I didn't pay that much attention to my surroundings because I was solely focusing on my current need, but I have a very ominous feeling about this place. It's like I'm being watched.

Maybe it's just a wild creature? I don't know but one thing is for sure, it's not attacking or approaching me so I feel safe for now. It's already been minutes since I started walking and I am still inside the forest with no idea where to find any source of water.

I shouted out of frustration.

"How big is this place?!?"

"Ugh, everything is getting blurry. I'm about to lose consciousness."

I continued walking, hoping that I'll find what I'm looking for when suddenly, I saw something walk in front of me. I've been roaming around for hours and it was the first time I saw a wild creature, I thought they were just hiding or maybe just wary of me. I didn't give it any thought but I was pretty sure I saw a two-headed lizard. It was weird and pretty small but maybe it was just my dehydrated body messing with my head.

I was about to faint when I suddenly heard something familiar. The sound of gushing water! It sounded very close so I followed it and as soon as I arrived at the source of the sound, I was overjoyed because my hunch was right!

"It's a river!"

"Finally! Water!"

I ran towards the river with tears of joy in my eyes and immediately drank.

"Oh, sweet sweet water, how I've missed you!"

After I was satisfied drinking, I noticed a reflection in the water. I was surprised by what I saw. In front of me was a reflection of a cat.

At first, I didn't think that the reflection was mine but I was shocked because it mimicked my every move. I tried pinching my face and it did the same. I'm so dumbfounded by what I discovered so I shouted in panic.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait…"

"I-"

…

"I'm a cat!?!"

"Wait…"

"Wasn't I a cat before? Why am I so surprised?"

I don't know why I'm shocked. I didn't even know who I was or what my real identity was, but my gut says that I'm not like this before. I'm pretty sure of it. While I'm having an identity crisis, I felt something ominous behind me.

I didn't even have to look back to know. I'm pretty sure that what's behind me means no business. I can hear the monster growling and its drool falling. I got shivers all over my body. My instinct tells me to run as fast as possible but my body isn't responding. I don't know why but this situation feels like deja vu.

The monster was about to eat me whole when something crazy happened. Out of nowhere, as I looked behind my back, a random boulder just rolled over it. The creature that was trying to eat me looked like the two-headed lizard I saw earlier but so much bigger.

What happened just now looked like it was straight out of a comic book. The timing was so weird and spot-on that it shook me back to reality. All of my fears were gone and the first thing that came to my mind as my body was now able to move was to run as fast as possible.

As I was running away, I heard the lizard growl so loud that the vibration of its voice made the leaves on the trees fall.

It wasn't even a minute but it already started moving.This time, angrier and scarier. Each step of its foot is shaking the ground and it's too damn fast for its size!

My heart was pumping so fast that I started to panic again.

*Badum* *Badum* *Badum* *Badum*

"Oh God, Oh God, Oh God, Oh God…"

"It's about to catch up to me! Run tiny legs! Run!"

"How am I gonna lose this lizard when I'm this small?!?"

I wanted to think of a way to lose this monster but I'm just too occupied to even think of a single way out. The only thing on my mind was to run as fast as possible. The lizard was about to catch me when suddenly, the trees that I just passed through started falling one by one, blocking the lizard's path. It was still not enough to stop it but at least it was slowing it down.

I didn't notice it at first but something weird is happening around me. Some unexplained phenomena are helping me out with this situation. I don't know what it is but I'll gladly take it if it favors me.

It started to get quiet so I tried looking behind me to see if it was still following me. It was out of sight already so I stopped running to try and catch my breath and before I knew it, I'm already at a dead end.

Just when I thought I was safe, The lizard popped out of nowhere. I thought I lost it but it actually ran the other way to catch me off guard. I'm exhausted and trapped, I have nowhere to run. I'm already at the edge of a cliff, one more step and I'm gonna fall.

The lizard rushed towards me to munch me down.

I already accepted my fate, whatever I choose, fall on the cliff or get eaten by the monster, I'm gonna die either way. I don't know why but I'm pretty calm about this situation.

"Have I died before? Is that the reason why I can't remember who I am? Maybe that's why, because, for someone who's about to die, I feel pretty calm."

I can see it directly, the mouth of the monster that's about to eat me. I talked to myself and sighed out of frustration and disappointment.

"Aah, this is it huh. It was such a short life. I didn't even get to know who I really am."

I thought I was about to see the light when something very unexpected happened again.

The lizard just literally slipped on a banana peel and fell off the cliff!

I just stood there with my eyes wide open, trying to figure out what just happened.

"Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh? W-what just happened?"

I can't even process what's going on right now. I don't know if it's natural or it's the thing I told you about that's been helping me, but this lizard is just so damn unlucky! Or maybe it's the other way around? I'm just too damn lucky. Whatever it is, it just helped me survive so I am eternally grateful to it.

As soon as the threat was finally gone. I calmed down as my panic and fear faded away. I mumbled to myself as I kept on adding question after question.

"Oh God, what was that? I couldn't even process what happened just now!"

"A two-headed lizard? Really? And what's with that bad luck thing? Was it just a coincidence? If it was then why the hell was it so on-point?"

"Ughhhh… I can't even think straight right now, and the fact that I'm a cat is just adding to my confusion and frustration."

"I'm getting dizzy with all of this thinking! I guess I should just be thankful that I'm still alive right now. I'm just gonna stop thinking about those complicated things and think of a way to get out of here. I'm pretty sure that lizard's not the only monster around here and a fragile little cat like me is just prey for them."

I was about to go into the woods to find a way out but I was strangely mesmerized by the beauty of this place. The moment I looked back behind the cliff to see if the lizard was really gone for good, I was fascinated by what I saw.

I thought I was in a normal forest, but everything is just different. I mean a huge two-headed lizard just tried to eat me right now! Still, I don't know that the thing I'm currently seeing is not even half of what I expected it to be.

There are literally islands floating around! Waterfalls that flow upwards, floating fishes like manta rays, giant catfishes, and crabs. The birds are as big as airplanes and each animal is either fighting or trying to eat the other. Some trees are as big as buildings. and the forest is just so wide that all you can see is the horizon. It's just unbelievable, something I haven't even seen before.

It's just magnificent to look at, but kinda scary at the same time. There are so many possibilities of encountering a predator that is bigger and scarier than the last one.

I…

I have to get out of here as soon as possible!