My ears rang, and I was deaf to the noises around me. Indeed, I died just moments ago, my chest was torn outwardly from a violent crash, and the trees were tearing without care.
The class was on a trip to the woods to learn about the wildness from a research camp. I can't recall how it happened, but soon we drove off the road into the sheer drop passed the guard rails.
I felt weightless from the fall, trapped in a metal container to soon become my coffin. When we hit the branches, we hit the walls, the ceiling, and the floor thrashed about inside, becoming mangled in blood and twisted limbs.
A tree shorter than the rest pierced through the window behind me and violently pushed through me, ejecting me out the opposing windows. It happened all so fast and violently that I couldn't process any of it.
I couldn't explain what had happened; I lay on top of a tree's crown, barely aware. I wanted to scream out in agony, but all I felt was a hot liquid spill out of my throat. While my vision was blurry, I still gathered the courage to glance at my chest- though I wish I hadn't.
The most visceral image seared into my mind; it was the ugliest rose to bloom from my chest I'd ever seen. My intestines spiraled up the trunk, my heart beating rapidly while dangling outside my chest.
As if the reaper realized his mistake, I quickly lost conciseness afterward. Presumably, I must've died… so how could I still be alive?
I felt the dirt and grass between my fingers. I watched the light scatter while the leaves danced with the wind above me. I smelt the morning air and the fresh dew permeating the air. There was also a loud ringing in my ears, although slowly fading away.
"Perhaps it was all just a dream- no, a nightmare." It didn't quite explain why I was outside but it would explain why I was alive.
Habitually I checked my watch, but there wasn't one. So in replacement, a tattoo resembled those occult circles with a large number one in the center.
"Uhhhh-" I was more confused than anything; what is this?
'I didn't get wasted, did I? I hear about these stories all the time. You get drunk and suddenly wake up with a new tattoo.' This would explain everything. I must've gotten extremely drunk and had a fever dream… though I don't even drink.
'I don't remember anything.'
I didn't realize it until now, but I was naked. "Where are my clothes!? Where am I?"
'Damn it all….'
Standing up, I examined my surroundings. I didn't panic; I knew I should move downhill in search of a stream of water. If I can follow the stream to a river, I can follow the river to find a road or a town eventually.
Walking, I found that my feet were starting to hurt. I wasn't used to walking barefoot in such an environment. I found a large stick and used it as a walking stick to alleviate some weight off my feet. I started to notice something strange after a while. There were occasional dead spots in near-perfect circles about a foot in diameter everywhere in the forest.
The flatter the ground I walked, the more common they became. I became curious about them and wanted to figure out what they were. I found another and crouched down to inspect.
The grass was dead and looked like it was eaten by ants and was slightly sticky. Touching the grass made it stick to my fingers, making me shake it off. The dirt under the grass was also a lighter shade than the surrounding soil. There was nothing else to note about the spot of dead grass, even after digging a small pit with another stick I found.
'Strange, I would've thought there was some fungus or mold. But there's nothing here.'
Deciding not to waste any more energy, I stood back up to leave; however, I soon stood frozen at the creature wiggling in front of me. Then, a green blob of slime slowly rippled in front of me, and I watched it slowly dissolve the patch of grass under it.
Then the slime jumped about five feet in a seemingly random direction near my left. "What in the hell are you!?"I'd never seen such a creature before; it reminded me of the slimes in anime. Slime isn't something that should exist. The reality of my situation slowly dawned upon me.
"I... transmigrated? Really!?" This was a very young teenage boy's dream!
'No, I can't jump to conclusions. But, for all I know, this can be some secret biological weapon the government has created.'
The more I thought about the possibility of transmigrating, the more excited I became. Then, suddenly, my chest started to hurt… then I remembered why I may've transmigrated.
The image of my chest in such a manner burned into my mind. I started to tear up suddenly, and my heart started racing. My breath seemly begins to escape from my lungs.
The pain- it was real. My limbs were contorted, and every muscle torn from my being started to return to me. I felt nauseous and dry, heaving on my knees with my arms above my head against the tree bark.
I remember the horrors of my classmates being mangled, blood spraying and dying everything red, the helplessness of the situation.
Then I stopped; my mind clicked back into survival mode. I don't exactly understand how I stopped the panic attack or how long it even lasted, for that matter. Still, I needed to move… perhaps make a shelter before nightfall. I can't die twice in a forest.
The slime was gone; I lost track of it amid my panic attack. But, considering the frequency of the slime spots, I'll find another.
I continued my trek, and soon I found myself on a path. Following the way out of curiosity, I saw what looked like an old village. Hay-patched roofs, dirt roads, and shabby wooden walls. It was suddenly as if I had returned to the dark ages of human history.
Hiding behind a tree, I observed the residents. They wore linen clothing and talked in a familiar language… but it wasn't English. 'Why can I understand what they're saying?'
Suddenly, an old voice sounded behind me and scared me witless. "Boy, what are you standing here naked for?"
"Uh- I… I got lost?" I barely got out anything. I don't know how to speak his language despite understanding it.
The old man in his dirty medieval clothing gave me a long stare… "I see. Let's get you something to wear first." Then, he beckoned me to follow him, "We can't have you stroll into the village naked. Come around back to my house- this way."
When he waved his hand to let me know to follow him, I saw that he had the same tattoo as mine on his wrist. 'I probably shouldn't mention it. It could make me look suspicious.'
Walking to his home, I found another slime. The old man didn't react at all, but I decided to point it out subtly. "This one has a nice shade of green."
The old man chuckled without looking at it, "It's a healthy pest, I suppose."
'Pest makes sense… must disturb crop growth from the dissolving properties I observed.' I immediately concluded how the stance on the slimes is in the village.
Arriving at his home, it turned out to be an old shack. "Let me get you some clothes, don't worry, I'm old and have some spares. Come inside and take a seat after getting dressed."
Handing me clothes after a short trip inside, I put on a green tunic and brown pants. The old man even gave me a pair of ancient sandals. "Inside." The elder beckoned.
I entered after a slight hesitation; I'd never entered a stranger's house before. He offered herbal tea, and I accepted after being parched from the journey.
"It was my mom's favorite herbal tea recipe, you see. Oh, how I wish I were a young boy again." Letting out a slight sigh, he sat down with me.
He looked at me momentarily, then said, "So, tell me… how did you die?"