And then almost drowned.
It all happened too quickly.
I opened my eyes, realizing that half my body was submerged in water. Quickly I got up, and began coughing out the water filling my lungs. Agonizing pain coursed through me. The light burned my eyes. Yet somehow, for reasons unknown to me, I finally felt a sense of freedom.
After I took a second to straighten myself up, I immediately began analyzing my surroundings. First I took a look in the river. The water was shining like diamonds, reflecting light. In it swam fish unfamiliar to me. They were colourful and had shiny scales, and least noticeably, their bodies had some oddity to them. Something that I couldn't wrap my finger around. Following that I took a good look at myself over the reflection of the water.
Off my first assumption I must be a middle aged man, ugly looking one at that. It seems I haven't shaved in a while. Long while. My hair is really long and greasy. So is my beard. Both are light brownish colour. It would've been the brightest feature on me, if it wasn't for my skin as pale as ash. But even that was dwarfed in comparison to my teal eyes. My face was worn out. As if I have just emerged out of war. My malnourished body had many scars on it. I mustn't have eaten in ages. But for some reason it wasn't my priority for now. Could it be that I'm in shock? I—
…
Who am I?
I need to think. Sort things out. Isaac always used to say that. Isaac… Isaac… Isaac… Isaac? Isaac… My brother? Where is he? He was with me when—
When what?
What happened?
We were… doing something. Is that how I ended up here?
What was it?
I—Agh! My head hurts! I need to find him. I have to do something. What can I do? I need to calm down, take deep breaths. Now exhale.
Alright first up, where am I? I observe my surroundings. Behind me are plain fields of yellow wheats. In front of me is a wide shallow river, beyond it is a forest. The tall trees cast darkness and prevent.me from seeing further in. And the sky. The sky was this light green colour—no the sky was covered by a green fog. It was still emitting light, but I am unsure of the light's origins. I must be seeing things. I think I might have brain damage. I need to find help.
My stomach growls. Now hunger is something I can't ignore. Adding food to the list of things I need to find. I need to eat something. Right now. I catch a glimpse of the fish once again, and a desperate solution comes to mind.
I lunge at the fish, but they slip away. As they swim I crawl after them, too weak to stand. Finally I got a hold of a long thin red fish. I bite down at its center and begin to eat away at it. I'm not sure if it was because of my hunger but the fish was tasty. Its blood was metallic but sweet. I go for another one—blue, short and wide. It has big eyes. This one I tear apart, starting with the tail and fins. So good!Bitterer than the last.Another one, I need another one. Yellow, oval-shaped, with purple, veil-like fins. Sweet and sour. I need more! Another one I caught was shifting colours, from green to red. I would've even felt bad for it, if it wasn't for my hunger. This one's salty. I ate about 7 more, after which I was more or less saturated. I satisfied my thirst with the water from the river. It was sweet, fresh, and cool. I even used it to wash myself fully: first my hands and arms, mouth and throat, nose, face and beard, hair, ears, neck, body, private parts, and lastly, the legs. All the pain was gone. I felt strength and energy surging through me. I felt blessed. The headaches are gone too.
Yet the sky remains green… I'll have to figure that part out later.
I soak myself in the shallow water and submerge my lower body in it, at least as much as possible. I'll stay here for a few moments and then I'll go.
Yeah.
At least I hoped so.
A rustling noise emerged from the forest. Loud rustling. The trees were shaken followed by a thud of something big approaching. I should hide. Where? The wheat field!
I got out of the water and was just about to head straight for the field, when I began to hear wailing. Human wailing… or was it? It sounded human, but the pitch kept shifting, low to high, like it was choosing. The voice itself changed, male to female, hoarse and soft. What is that? I was so distraught by the voice, I forgot to hide. It emerges from the forest.
In my gaze stood a creature—three times my size, with long limbs. It has a really skinny body. It must also be hungry. Its face is almost human, but distorted. All of it was covered in dirty brown fur, with some bald spots here and there. It kneels down and tries to catch fish. Surprisingly, it's really clumsy. It manages to catch one though—a red one. Yeah, the one that tasted sweet. Honestly, my least favourite. Maybe it's just as hungry as me. I would have felt pity for it, but I've seen its teeth. Rows of crooked ones, grinding through the poor fish. I snapped back. I need to move into the field. I take small steps, keeping my eyes on the beast. Accidentally, I stubbed my heel on a rock and trip. The beast looked up. Our eyes met. It dropped its jaw, and the fish spilled out. I have no other choice now.
I get up again and make a run for it. The beast rises and starts chasing me. I hear splashes behind me as it crosses the river. Hiding in the field isn't going to help now. Once it gets across, the splashes turn into thuds. I hit the field and keep running through it. Unfortunately, the wheat is too short to cover my whole body—reaching only up to my belly button. Instead of becoming my saving grace, the field became an obstacle. The thuds stay at the same distance behind me. It didn't seem to get any closer—but not further, either. I have no other choice. I'll just have to run.
Maybe I'll lose it.
After a while, the wheats began to annoy me, hitting my body as I cut through it. I've run quite a good distance by now, yet the field didn't seem to end.
The thudding never stopped and still kept up with . Why would an animal go through such lengths after me? I'm sure it's a bad idea to let it get me, but it doesn't make sense on why it would do that. Maybe it thinks I'm more nutritious? I don't know, I just need not to stop.
Now the wheats are starting to hurt. I've run twice the distance at this point and still this thudding isn't stopping. Or maybe it did. Maybe I'm just imagining it behind myself? Maybe I do have brain damage? What's it gonna hurt to take a look back. Just a glance. I need to know! I need to see it. I need to confirm. I turn my head slightly and see its silhouette. Its arm stretched, covering half the distance between us. The sharp claws on it, trying to reach me in desperation. I turn back and begin sprinting even faster. I was able to increase the distance between us, but also made the beast invoke me. It began wailing, but slightly coherent words this time.
"Sto-op!" It can speak? Maybe I can talk things out with it.
"No! You stop!" It didn't.
"No-o! You sto-op!"
"I'm not going to stop! Look at yourself!"
"I'm not go-oing to sto-op! Lo-ok at your-se-elf!" Shivers run down my spine.
It mimicked my voice, like a parrot. That explains the weird wailing it did back at the river. It must be a luring predator, but why would it chase after me? Why not lure me in? I know now without any doubts that letting it reach me is not an option. I must run. Don't stop.
How long have I been running now? My feet hurt and my legs have been beat and bruised and cut. My mind is going insane. I've heard nothing but constant thudding and cries telling me to stop in my own voice. I've seen nothing but the green sky and yellow fields. And I've been running for who knows how long. Please God send a blessing on my poor soul! Please!
It's over for me. I don't see a way out. Is this damn field endless? Why isn't there anything? Anything at all! Why was it put here? Why me? Why leave no choice and a way out? Am I just food for the damn monster?! Is this some joke? God answer me! Is this some sort of punishment? What have I done? What must I do? Anything please? I can't keep going. ARGH! I won't stop. I can't stop. I'm on my own. If I don't find anything and can't run anymore, I'll just take on the beast myself. It's just as tired as I am, if not more.
It's over. There is no way out. The head start I had, and the distance I added on is closing in. It's right behind me. A single meter away. I'm dead!
Just then, in the corner of my eye, I saw something. Something dark. A structure? I don't know, but that's all I got. I'll have to push, please just push a little further. Just a little more. A tiny bit. An atom's weight. I turn swiftly and make the beast trip over trying to grab me. I make my last push, the last of my last energy. If I fail I won't even be able to fight back anymore, but if I succeed I won't have to. As I approached close I saw that it was a stone structure, a small tower. Somebody must be there. I need to scream.
"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!!!!!!" I shout, breaking my vocal cords.
I could only let one scream out. If there is no one, then I'll just try and get inside the tower. The beast is too tall to get inside and by luck I might find something too big to defend with. No response ever came. No one. So then inside it is. I began to wobble. No-no-no! Just a bit more. Damn it! JUST A BIT MORE!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGHHHHH!" I let out a scream.
With barely enough energy left I leap forward towards the door, hoping it would be open. I place my arms over my head to protect it as I ram into it and break it off its hinges. I'm inside. It's not over yet. I crawl to the furthest wall from the door. The one with the window on it. I pick up a broken piece of the door and if need be I'll use it to attack the beast. Speaking of, it's right here. The beast gets on its knees and tries to reach me with its hand. Too big to enter on its own.
"Curse you!" I spit at it.
"Cu-urse you-uu!"
I throw the wooden piece at it. It can't get me and goes away. A break, finally. I need some room to breathe. I need to rest up a bit. NEVER! IN! MY! LIFE! HAVE! I! EVER! BEEN! THIS! This! This… this… exhausted.
Have I? Have I never done any training? Have I never pushed myself? I'm sure I have. I used to do swimming no? Oscar taught me how. Oscar? Who is Oscar again? Ah right! Oscar was Isaac's brother. Isaac and Oscar. HE WAS MY BROTHER! ISAAC AND OSCAR! HOW COULD I FORGET?! Oscar must be here too right? I need to remember. Try harder. I need to think and use my brain! Come on! Get me something! We were in the dark. All three of us. We were in the dark… of the basement? We did something and then
And then
And then
…
I can't remember! It's like a piece of my memory is gone. I just came to be here! It doesn't make sense, I never had a beard before! Neither did Isaac or Oscar. Something must've happened, did I forget a few years of my life? Amnesia? Dementia? It still doesn't explain this place? What happened in the world? Nuclear fallout? But I feel fine, right now at least. I need answers, now preferably.
Oh right, I was so occupied with remembering I haven't checked for the beast. Maybe it's gone? I slowly get up, and first check the window behind me. The tower was on a platform support at the edge of a cliff.
That's a bit stupid.
Why do that?
Below was a lake, a dark looking lake. The water was practically black. So no other way but the one entrance. Not good. Alright and now the beast. I slowly limped towards the doorframe. Making sure to stay out of the light, and then I peek outside. I see it. It's a fair distance away, and is headed away. Phew. I collapse to the floor. My knees are weak. I can take a second to rest. Maybe even sleep.
Thud.
Huh?
Thud. Thud. Thud.
What?
Thud-thud-thud-thud.
No! I turn back and see the beast is charging full speed at the tower. Is it trying to break the damn thing? WHY WON'T IT STOP ALREADY! I WON! GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!
It smashes at the tower but the wall isn't broken, only a little. Yet it didn't stop, it continued pushing against it. What is it doing? Suddenly I heard cracks and creaking. My perception seems to be a bit angled. Why am I drawn towards the other wall? I saw it through the window. Wait… IS THE TOWER FALLING?! I need to get out- THIS BASTARD'S LEG IS BLOCKING THE EXIT!
Alright. Alright. I just need to hold on to this end of the tower, furthest away from the impact. How? Do I hold on to the doorframe? That's all I got. Before I slide away I manage to grab the doorframe. I hear and feel the very second the support platform snapped.
We were falling.
Mid fall the wall crumbled and the beast and the beast hit the other end of the tower. We met once more, and still.
Even now.
After everything.
Even when its own life was at stake.
It tried to reach for me.
All I could do was brace myself and get ready to swim.
We crashed into the lake. Touching the water gave a stinging and sharp pain, as if it was filled with needles. I couldn't even open my eyes. I began swimming up. I need to reach the shore. Everything else doesn't matter now. I just need to get out.
Just barely I managed to reach the sand. Everything hurt, but at least I saw no evidence of the beast surviving. I can rest now, right?
I…
just…
need…
some…
rest…
and…
then…
…