CHAPTER TWO: THE MAN WHO FELL ON A TREE

Nobody;

I could feel the cool morning breeze rubbing the walls of my skin. The hairs on my body stood firm in awe of the wonderful feeling; of something so extraordinary. The thin-short green grasses crumbling under my feet tingled, as a twitching sensation in between my toes stroked my muscles. I indulged the feeling. The taller grasses swayed both directions chorographically obeying the singings of the breeze. The tips of the grasses brushing through my fingers. Wet and soft. I closed my eyes, trying to bask in the ecstasy of now, keeping the memory and feeling still. Moving slowly, too every step, like every breath, like every heartbeat. Sufficing with feat. Fulfilling!

I didn't want to stray away from this feeling, neither did I wanted to know how I got here. All I knew; my struggles and sorrows felt like they never existed. Even if it felt like they did - the eerie feeling that still lingered at the corner of my mind. I tried to ignore. The instance silence and peace took over as allowed and I craved nothing else. 

My clothes flapped at the helms, following the direction of the of the breeze. I opened my eyes and the sunlight consumed my sights for a second then parted. My dark skin was shimmering in the morning flame sky, up above and I felt boundless happiness from within. 

The optimum of ecstasy. The Euphoria.

Just as fast as I was aware of the state I was in; it took just the same quick turn into emptiness. Confusion and a long-drawn-out shock.

The eerie feeling had successfully crept out of the corner and clouded my sight. The feeling was as opposite as the feeling I felt earlier. I tried to run, instinctively, but It made me feel so heavy. The grass stood still; withered, the soothing breeze relinquished into nothing, the sun became scorching instantly, and the earth around shook. They gave way and my footings could not hold onto anything. Sudden wind came over me, harshly. Bits and pieces everywhere as I tried to open my eyes.

Dismay emerged just as fear set in gripping me through the spine. I couldn't feel the earth anymore. Was I falling? I thought. But how?

I tried again to hold on to anything. Anything. Void. 

I open my mouth to shout, but the ravaging wind rushed into my mouth and nostrils. My voice escaped into nothingness. In that moment my thoughts were clouded and my heartbeats became faster.

I finally opened my eyes. 

Finally!

My bearings were in disarray. I looked up and saw the nothing, same as when I looked down. 

I was falling! I screamed.

The confusion colliding with fear of this very present and the anticipation of the bottom of the long fall that I had found myself in. I tried to gather my thoughts at the same time, I grappled as tried to find a grip on anything, just flapping and falling through air and cloud mists. Futile.

It took another long time before I could see some stokes of green and brown landscape down view. The air velocity began to reduce as time passed by, just as when the landscape began to come into clearer shapes and sizes. The shapes became bigger, just as the green landscape began appearing first as grasses then as trees and the shapes became roofs of houses and brown landscape as fields. Then later came the whiff of corrupted air mixing; smokes and dust. That was when the realization set in; the falling nightmare was about to be over. Second and third waves of fear set off.

The landing was as chaotic as the beginning of the fall. It started with taking big hits on piercing branches, snapping into them against my ribs and femurs, scrapping through the leaves with deep scratches and tangling between the thickness of the leaves as it broke my fall. It felt endless. And I was stuck. Fazed, as I struggled for air and tried to understand my surroundings as I fought my way through enraged birds for disturbing their nesting. Cried from the attacks of the tree ants for interrupting their gatherings and traveling.

I was finally free, I thought. Just only free from the waist up. Both hands dangling over my scared face. After the scattered flights of the birds away from the tree and the next seconds of silence kicked in, I discovered something. I was hung upside down!

I took in the situation and surrounding I was in for some moment. Though the branches where broad and thick, and the leaves were all over making it hard for visuals, I could only see the open roots and brown soils. It took another few minutes to find my bearings. And after the realization of my situation, I cursed. Loudly then cried for help. All I could hear were echoes and the sting of loneliness.