Elian's head was all foggy as he slowly woke up. He found himself in a strange world that didn't make sense.
He rubbed his eyes and looked around. He was lying on soft moss, surrounded by big trees with glowing leaves. The air smelled different, like dirt mixed with something he couldn't recognize.
He got worried. This wasn't where he was from. Confusion and surprise mixed up inside him, making it hard to understand. But even in the middle of all this weirdness, he had a feeling something interesting was about to happen.
He stood up and looked around again. Everything seemed blurry in the distance, like a dream. A narrow river was nearby, and the water sparkled like silver. Every sound he heard, like leaves rustling or water dripping, felt like a song he didn't know.
He wore ragged clothes, torn and stained with what looked like dried blood. Suddenly, a splitting headache struck him, and a cacophony of voices filled his mind. His heart ached with emotions – yearning for freedom, boiling anger, searing agony, deep pain, and overwhelming sadness.
Memories surged forth, vivid and distressing. He saw fragments from the lives of countless children – images of torment, death, and imprisonment. The weight of it all became too much, and he collapsed under the intensity of the headache.
When he woke up again, he tried to piece together his identity and the visions he had seen. He remembered who he was, Elian, from a place called Earth. A planet where magic was unheard of and technology reigned supreme.
He knew he lived a mundane life as a software engineer, a college graduate with a professional license. His routine involved playing video games and reading in his spare time, particularly stories of people getting transported to other worlds. He had a quiet existence, living alone with few friends and modest desires.
Elian's job paid well enough to live comfortably without extravagant luxuries. Despite his initial ambition in his career, he came to realize that without connections, luck, and exceptional talent, climbing the social ladder was a tough feat. Still, he found contentment in his life.
"Is this some kind of dream?" he wondered aloud, the pain in his head making the situation all too real.
"The agony is too intense for a dream, though. Could I have been transported to another world, like those stories? It sounds too unreal. Maybe this is one of those dreams, what were they called? Lucid dreams, where you can control things."
With a sigh, he once again took in his surroundings.
"Anyway, since I can't seem to wake myself up, I might as well explore the area," he mumbled to himself.
Squinting at the sun directly above his head, he muttered, "Noon... I suppose I should find something to eat."
"Maybe I can try that trick where I imagine food, like Peter Pan," he pondered aloud.
He closed his eyes and concentrated, picturing a table full of delicious food appearing in front of him. With a hopeful grin, he opened his eyes and enthusiastically yelled, "Food!" However, his excitement turned to disappointment as nothing materialized before him.
He let out a frustrated sigh and muttered to himself, "Well, what was I thinking? A grown man shouting for food, hoping it'll magically appear? Peter Pan's magic doesn't work here, it seems."
With that realization, he set off into the vast expanse of trees, hoping to stumble upon something edible. As he walked, his ears perked up at a sound distinct from the usual rustling of leaves and the whisper of the wind.
Curious about the source of the sound, he cautiously peeked over a bush. What he saw sent a shiver down his spine - he spotted a caterpillar, but it was the size of his foot, nibbling on the carcass of a dead rabbit.
Oddly enough, the rabbit seemed larger than the caterpillar, but it was clear that the rabbit had met a peculiar end – it appeared to have fallen from a great height, meeting an unfortunate demise. And there, the caterpillar feasted on its remains, seemingly unbothered by the strange circumstances.
"Wait, how in the world did a caterpillar get so huge? And aren't caterpillars supposed to be vegetarian? When did they start liking meat?" he mused to himself, bewildered by the unusual scene before him.
"Maybe it's not a caterpillar, but some kind of giant leech or something," he speculated aloud. Just as he was about to turn away, he was taken by surprise when the caterpillar suddenly stopped its meal and turned to face him. Two tiny, beady eyes stared directly at him, as if giving him an angry glare that pierced right into his soul.
Amused by the unexpected encounter, he couldn't help but taunt, "What are you staring at, little pleb?"
To his shock, the caterpillar suddenly leaped in his direction, its mouth wide open.
"Whoa!" he exclaimed, quickly moving back. "That's some creepy stuff right there."
He stared at the peculiar creature before him, a mix of curiosity and wariness in his eyes. "What are you?" he asked, though he didn't really expect a response.
Elian had always been excessively curious by nature, often finding himself in troublesome situations back on Earth due to his insatiable need to explore. However, as time passed and he experienced new things, there was very little that could truly capture his curiosity.
"But not this one... This little creature seems interesting," he thought, his intrigue getting the better of him.
He quickly retreated a few steps and hastened to find a sizable stick. His intention was clear – he wanted to poke at the creature or maybe even capture it. He couldn't help but give the creature a mental name – "Cappy." It was a nickname he conjured in his mind as he braced himself for the task ahead.
When he finally located a suitable stick, he dashed back toward the spot where he had seen the caterpillar. But to his surprise, the caterpillar wasn't where he had left it. Instead, it was perched on a nearby tree, seemingly waiting for him.
Before he could react, the caterpillar leaped down from the tree, jaws wide open, attempting to bite him. Acting on instinct, he swung the stick at the creature in midair. The caterpillar, caught off guard, was struck by the force of the blow and was sent flying into one of the trees.
With a resounding thud, the caterpillar met its end under the impact of his strike. As it tumbled from the tree, it lay lifeless and still. He approached it slowly, using a stick to cautiously prod at it in case it somehow sprang back to life and attacked him again. However, there was no response from the once-aggressive creature.
He tried a few more prods, even giving it a final hit on the head to be certain. "Wow, I didn't know I could be so ruthless with a caterpillar," he mused, a mixture of surprise and a touch of guilt in his tone.
"Well, it's your own fault for trying to bite me. But what if it was just excited to see me and wanted a friendly hug?"
Afterward, he crouched down to observe the creature more closely, his wariness not yet subsided. He was cautious, aware that it might be toxic or carry some kind of venom.
Breaking a stick to make it shorter, he used it to carefully flip the caterpillar over. However, what happened next caught him completely off guard. As his hand drew near the caterpillar's body, tiny specks of light seemed to leave its form, entering his hand.
Startled, he quickly pulled his hand back, eyeing it with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. "I really don't want to be an amputee because of this" he muttered nervously. A barrage of different scenarios raced through his mind, pushing his anxiety to another level entirely.
Fortunately, his worst fears didn't materialize. Instead, he felt a gentle warmth emanating from his hand as the tiny specks of light entered his skin, spreading a tingling sensation throughout his body. A faint surge of energy coursed through him, leaving him feeling slightly more invigorated.
"Am I hallucinating? Or am I losing my mind?" he mumbled to himself, his thoughts spiraling into uncertainty. "Maybe I've been exposed to some hallucinogenic plant from this strange world. Ugh, I'm becoming paranoid, even though this is just a dream. Wait, is it really just a dream?" His musings were laced with a growing sense of confusion and doubt.
"Anyways, overthinking it won't change much," he sighed, realizing that he could drive himself crazy with speculation. He turned around, his intention set on finding the dead rabbit – a potential bait or even, as a last resort, a source of sustenance.
"This all looks the same to me now. I'm getting so confused." he muttered, feeling disoriented due to the dense tree cover that obscured his sense of direction.
"I think the general direction is right, I should be somewhere around here," he reassured himself, his gaze scanning the area for a while until he finally spotted the lifeless form of the rabbit. However, beside it lay a caterpillar that appeared alarmingly bloated.
"Wow, Cappy, you've been quite the glutton while I was gone," he commented, his tone a mix of surprise and caution. His guard remained up, anticipating a potential sudden attack.
"And to think I believed I'd taken care of you back there," he added, his words tinged with a note of disbelief.
Cappy continued emitting its unique "Pluh~" sounds while its antenna wiggled with a peculiar charm.
Chuckling softly, he remarked, "I'd like to think that just like those overly plump creatures, Cappy here would also struggle to move around." With this thought in mind, he cautiously advanced toward the rabbit, his eyes still fixed on the caterpillar.
As expected, Cappy remained immobile, its antenna's wiggling providing a source of amusement. As he observed it closely, he couldn't help but notice that the color of its distinctive butt horn, whose proper name eluded him, differed from the caterpillar he had dealt with earlier.
The one he had dispatched earlier exhibited soft shades of green, brown, and tan, a clever mimicry of leaves, bark, and the forest floor. Its segmented body bore a pattern of speckles and stripes, effectively camouflaging it within the environment. The distinguishing feature was the dark green hue of its butt horn.
In contrast, Cappy sported a dark purple butt horn, standing out in contrast to its own body. It was clear that the two caterpillars, while similar in appearance, were distinct in terms of the coloration of their butt horns.
"Hmmm, could the difference be due to their sex or hierarchy?" he pondered aloud, curious about the reason behind the contrast in butt horn colors. As he picked up the rabbit, there were no luminous specks that emerged from the lifeless body.
"Maybe I really was hallucinating earlier," he murmured, his skepticism increasing. Slowly, he began to make his way back, casting cautious glances toward Cappy, half-expecting it to suddenly launch an attack.
As expected, Cappy attempted to give chase to the rabbit, but its bloated state hindered its movement. It could only manage a slow, almost comical crawl like normal caterpillar, unlike the agility it had previously displayed.
"What even constitutes a 'normal' caterpillar?" Elian mused, his thoughts drifting into contemplation about the diverse world of insects and their habits.
Putting some distance between himself and Cappy, Elian turned around and began walking in the opposite direction, his mind already concocting a plan.
He mused to himself, "It's already past noon. I didn't anticipate spending so much time on a caterpillar, but I have to admit, this whole situation is pretty intriguing. Perhaps I should aim to find a settlement and see where things go from there."
With determination in his step, he embarked on a new path, eager to uncover more about the world he found himself in.
. . .
"Aside from seeking a settlement, I should definitely make sure I have enough food and water," he contemplated aloud, acknowledging the potential dangers of being ill-prepared.
"Without proper supplies, this could turn into a risky situation. And I've heard that the wilderness can be unforgiving, especially during the night. Even insects can pose a threat."
His thoughts raced, considering his options. "Maybe I should start by crafting some makeshift tools," he mused, recognizing the value of basic implements in a survival scenario.
"They might not be perfect, but they'll serve their purpose."
Walking through the landscape, Elian began collecting branches that he believed could prove useful. He also identified and collected thick vines, carefully stripping away the leaves. "These could be used as makeshift rope," he reasoned, bundling the vines over his shoulders.
While advancing, he conscientiously tuned his senses to the ambient sounds around him, attempting to move stealthily, unlike his exuberant encounter with Cappy.
Gradually, a faint, melodic sound caught his attention—a murmur that resembled a gentle stream of water. Intrigued, he followed the auditory trail, which led him to the edge of a narrow stream.
The water sparkled with a silvery gleam under the sunlight.
As he cautiously proceeded along the stream's edge, his movement was abruptly halted by the sounds of splashing water. His senses heightened as he realized he wasn't alone. His heart raced as he quickly sought a hiding spot, aware of the uncertainty of the situation.
He whispered to himself, his breath held in a mixture of anticipation and apprehension, "I really hope it isn't something like a bear taking a summer shower. Here's to hoping it's something less... intimidating."