Interest

***Correlates with Chapter 2 in One Lie***

The man's consciousness returned to the reality in which his body existed. He blinked, as if waking up from a dream. What felt like mere minutes on the Island turned into several hours in the real world. It was unusual for him to daydream, and now he found himself losing daylight. He stood tall in the forest clearing, stomach grumbling and the sun setting. He took in his surroundings and felt his heart beat within his chest. He tilted his head upward, eyes closed, and breathed in the clean air... something was amiss.

… The forest was far too quiet. Birds could not be heard and the air became stagnant and strange. Why was this? In all his weeks roaming these woods, this was the first the forest yielded nothing for him to grasp too. He focused his senses, listening intently and feeling the entity of the forest around him...

Minutes went by and the hair on his neck stood at end. Something has disturbed the forest. He further took in his surroundings, stretching his senses to their utmost...

East? Sounds of the forest undergrowth becoming hurriedly unsettled came from the East going West towards the cabin he was temporarily residing in. Whatever it was, it had silenced the forest. Curiosity and amusement came over the man. With one swift movement, he had already disappeared from the forest clearing towards the source of the disturbance.

As he neared the source, its movement came to a halt. Did it sense his presence? Too dark to see, he cautiously walked closer towards it. The sounds of the forest began returning. This was a sign danger has passed, but what was the meaning of this? He was peering at a woman unconscious on the forest floor... Musing over her, he decided to take her in; The forest would not have lifted its veil of silence had a threat continued to exist.