Kidnapping.
That was the first thought that entered Alfred's mind.
It was the only explanation, after all.
Upon waking up, confusion swallowed him whole as he found himself inside a forest. Surrounded by countless trees and the terrifying darkness of the night, fear rose within his heart, instantly replacing his bewilderment.
He had no idea how he ended up here—being kidnapped and dragged to this place seemed the only viable explanation.
Then again, who would kidnap a poor college student? For what reason? Not for money, that was for sure.
If this were a prank, it would be the cruelest way of doing it. He removed the notion from his head; first of all, he had neither friends nor enemies who would waste their time doing something stupid like this.
To begin with, he had lived a life caring only for the things he found interesting, not minding people's opinions, resulting in being misunderstood as a weirdo or rude.
People tend to stay away, but he did try. He tried to create a connection with others, but due to his prolonged solitude, his social skills had become so poor that even saying simple greetings had become difficult.
Realizing that his bad habit was starting to consume him, he firmly shook his head, waking himself from overthinking.
After lingering for a few minutes, he stood up and looked around, hoping to discover something that might enlighten him.
In doing so, the gushing wind blew his jet-black hair, making his body shiver.
Embracing himself, he realized he had nothing on his body.
Immediately, he examined below his neck.
A sigh of relief escaped his mouth upon noticing a loincloth covering his private part.
Then his eyes snapped back to his waist. "A loincloth? Why the hell am I wearing a loincloth?! What kind of pervert would do this?"
Alfred's voice echoed throughout the sea of trees.
Hearing his voice repeating itself startled him, instinctively covering his mouth.
However, as soon as the echoes dissipated, another sound followed. A sound that sent a shiver down his spine. It was a low growl, clearly from an animal of some sort.
What made it worse was that it was close to his location—too close!
True enough, a rustling noise caught his attention, rooting him from where he stood. His charcoal eyes darted everywhere, tracing the sound as it moved. Occasionally, he would catch a glimpse of a four-legged shadow dashing around him.
A moment later, a crackling sound behind him stiffened his body like a stick.
Slowly, Alfred turned around to see what or who was responsible. When he did, he saw two glowing yellow eyes amidst the eerie shadows.
Was it a wolf? A wild dog?
His imagination ran wild, conjuring images of ferocious animals, each one amplifying his fear.
While his body shook in terror, the unknown beast slowly crept towards him.
Soon, its frame emerged from the darkness, displaying its appearance for him to observe. Instead of panic, his first reaction was bafflement.
All his predictions were wrong; in fact, he had never seen this animal before, at least this size. Even though he wasn't an animal expert, he could have sworn that what was in front of him was unrealistic.
Before him was a massive rat, with brown fur, sharp teeth, and a long, hairless tail.
"How in the world is a rat the size of a wolf?!"
Upon realizing he had made a mistake by producing a sound, it was already too late. His heart thumped loudly like a drum, and even with the freezing wind, beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
It appeared his exclamation agitated the beast as it pounced at him, its saw-like maw wide open.
Without thinking, Alfred jumped to the side, evading the giant rat that wanted to eat his face.
Alfred's heart pounded as he dodged the monstrous rat's attack; the creature's teeth snapped shut, missing his face by mere inches.
He stumbled backward, adrenaline rushing through his veins.
The rat recovered swiftly, its beady eyes fixed on him. Its fur bristled, revealing scars and matted patches. Alfred's mind raced. This wasn't a prank or a dream—it was a nightmare!
He needed a plan! His head turned side to side, searching for anything that could help. The darkness seemed to press in, suffocating him.
Then he noticed it, a fallen branch thick and sturdy. Alfred lunged for it, his fingers closing around the rough bark.
Standing up, he quickly faced the rat, placing the makeshift weapon before him. He knew the branch wouldn't manage to do much, but he had not much of a choice; it was either weaponless or the unreliable stick.
Unexpectedly, it appeared his action had some effect, as the monstrous rat halted and eyed him cautiously.
Alfred took the chance to slowly step back from the beast, hoping to find an opportunity to run away.
Too bad, the rat did not let him. It vigilantly crawled around him, making sure he was within its reach.
Nevertheless, he still had to try his luck; maybe God would find pity for him and see that his situation was too much for a single person.
Yet, his hope crumbled upon noticing the monstrous rat was preparing its leg to jump at him again.
Alfred's heart sank as the branch in his hand was not enough to deter the large critter. Regardless of his fear and desire to run, he knew he wouldn't outrun it, so he had to fight.
Tightening his grasp around the bark, Alfred readied himself for the incoming assault.
As he predicted, the beast charged at him and propelled its body upward, targeting his face or neck for fatal injury.
Alfred swallowed his saliva and gritted his teeth. The shaking of his body intensified, but he didn't evade; instead, he waited for the rat to get closer.
In just a split second, the rat was before him, threatening to bite him to death.
However, before the sharp teeth of the beast reached him, he utilized the tool in his hand and swung it like a baseball bat, targeting the maw of the huge critter.
SQUEAK!
The branch landed perfectly, sending the monstrous rat back where it leaped.
Adrenaline rushed throughout his body, numbing his thoughts and emotions to the point that he failed to understand what he truly felt.
Was he scared? Excited? Satisfied? He had no idea.
Before the situation could fully sink in, he perceived the rat in a corner of his sight. It had begun to take action once again.
He had no time to examine what he felt; he had to do something to the beast first, above all else.
However, upon bringing his weapon in front of him, the shock in his eyes was visible as he didn't realize that the branch had broken into two.
Knowing that he couldn't face the huge critter without a weapon, Alfred chose the last resort: running as fast as he could!
Therefore, he turned around and bolted away!
The forest was dark, the trees blocked his way, and the branches left scratches on his body.
Hindrances upon hindrances befell as if fate itself wanted him to die.
Nonetheless, he sprinted with all his might, enduring all the injuries he suffered on his way. Stopping wasn't an option; if he did that, death was the only thing waiting for him.
After almost 10 minutes of nonstop running, his breathing grew ragged, and dizziness crept into his head. With his vision zooming in and countless trees going in and out of his view, it was only a matter of time before he exhausted himself.
He didn't dare look back, terrified that even a momentary glance would allow the beast to close the distance.
So, he kept his pace.
He would run until he drained all the energy he had; maybe, just maybe, he would find something that would change his fate if he lived long enough.