Alphi began her journey. She wasn't sure of the way to get to the secret hideout, but she remembered that it was near a huge pineapple tree—or at least, that's what she thought she saw. "Well, that's a clue," she said to herself. Alphi carried her small bag as she walked to an uncertain destination, leaving her past behind without even looking back once.
As she walked further, she came across the same cave she had once stopped by to rest—the same cave that stained her with blood. The same cave where she first displayed her powers.
Her mind flashed back to that day—the day it all began. The twenty-seventh of February was a day she would never forget. It was the day that changed her forever, and it was also the day her mother disappeared. It seemed like her birthday brought about nothing but sorrow.
As Alphi stood outside the cave, she seemed to visualize all that had occurred there. As she stepped a little closer, a small chill made her shiver. The air carried the scent of dry blood—a scent that seemed to be forever etched in her memory, a scent she could now recognize anywhere.
Alphi walked into the cave; she wasn't sure why she walked in or what she hoped to see. Maybe she just wanted to confirm that what happened here was real. As she stepped in, a gust of wind blew at her; it wasn't gentle, neither was it harsh. As expected, the cave was covered in dry blood. She couldn't make out what had happened to the bodies of the men; it was all blood. She took a closer look at the ground and noticed that their clothes were still there, covered in dry blood, but no bodies were found. One would never know what happened here or how so much blood appeared. It was almost as if their bodies exploded and vanished, leaving just blood and cloth.
She felt disgusted at the scene. Her stomach turned. She felt like throwing up. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't.
You did this, she said to herself. You are the cause of all their deaths, so don't you dare look away.
She walked further into the cave. A piece of the cloth she had worn that day was stuck between the rocks. She pulled it out. Alphi stared at it as she remembered how she had cried so much. She held the dress piece tightly in anger.
You murderer. You kill then play the victim. Those people you killed can never cry again—so what gives you the right to cry? she questioned herself in fury.She sighed as she walked out of the cave, to continue her mission to find the secret hideout. She walked for a while in search of the big pineapple tree she had seen. Alphi arrived at a point where the forest split in two; she wasn't sure which path to take. She decided to take the left. She wandered into the deeper part of the forest, a part she didn't even know existed. She now remembered that this forest was called the Forbidden Forest, but she never knew why. The place became darker and darker; all traces of light faded. She was now confused—was she still in the forest she grew up in? Alphi was sure she never saw such in her dad's memories. Maybe I took the wrong path, she said to herself. She was starting to feel uncomfortable with the environment. How could it possibly be so dark here? It was still noon a while ago. Alphi tried to look up to the sun, but it was pointless; the trees were so large and enveloped the whole forest. She decided to turn back—there was no point taking such a risk by going forward into this ominous place, at least not in her current state.
The place was eerie and frightening, even for her. It was filled with huge, tall trees—trees that she had never seen. The forest almost felt as if there were spirits moving around. Alphi felt like she was not alone, almost as if she was being watched. It was very uncomfortable and scary. She wanted to run, but she maintained her composure, trying to analyze the situation calmly. This can't be the path. There is no way Dad went through this place every day, she said to herself. Her hands were already shaking, and her feet went numb. Alphi started to sweat, even though the forest was somewhat cold. She quickly reached for her necklace and held it tight as she retracted her steps.
As she walked, she heard weird sounds—like something moving extremely fast, leaves being blown away, creaking wood, dripping water. The sound of dripping water was strange because the forest appeared to be very dry; even the tree barks were like that of trees that hadn't been watered for a while. Alphi increased her speed as she tried to return to where she started from. She saw something pass by her—something that wasn't human—and in a flash, it was gone. Alphi suppressed her urge to scream; her heart raced as she walked, exercising caution with each step.
"Calm down, Alphi. This isn't real. It's just your mind trying to play tricks on you," she said as she tried to comfort herself. She still couldn't shake off the feeling that she was being watched, but each time she turned back, there was nothing there. Alphi finally sighted the opening of the forest which she had come in through. She was relieved, but she couldn't let her guard down. Alphi walked faster, her hands still holding her necklace. She almost broke into a run, but she didn't. She wondered why such a place existed and what creatures might be lurking deep down. It seemed like the setting of a horror story. Alphi finally made it to the opening; she breathed a sigh of relief as the sun shone on her once more.