What's happening to me now? Did that snake poison me? Did I die… how could I die more than I was already dead? did I fail the trial?
The world stretched before my eyes as if I were traveling at a tremendous speed. I couldn't make out anything I was seeing. I couldn't feel anything that was happening around me.
Time seemed to slow down, making me feel as if I would be stuck in this state for the rest of my days. Yet, at the same time, the phenomenon couldn't have lasted for more than a second. In a sudden flash, different shades of colors assaulted my eyes, and in the moment that followed my reality settled.
I took a breath, my lungs filling with a mix of earth and woodsy scent. The sun shone down warmly, not too hot and not cold either. Standing under the shade of a tree, I looked around, the ground littered with scattered shadows due to the many leaves that comprised it. Around the tree was a small open field and beyond that lay a dense lush green forest.
Everything was vivid, very much so. The scent of the earth, the rustling of the leaves, even the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees. All of it was too much, almost overwhelming in its intensity. I could feel each individual blade of grass around my ankles even through my pants, and could hear the subtle shifts in the wind as it passed through the trees. Every sensation seemed to be magnified, making me sharply aware of my surroundings in a way like never before.
Suddenly remembering the events that occurred moments ago, I quickly brought my hand up and ran a hand through my throat. The pain was gone completely. As if it was never even there to begin with. I moved my hand down and grabbed more parts of myself. Something seemed off about my body… I felt lighter.
Did I pass the trial? If so, how many more lay ahead? If each one is just as mind-deteriorating as the last, I'm going to go totally insane by the time I'm finished. Such a hell of a road I chose to walk through.
I looked around, my attention quickly settling on a nearby wooden table obscured under the shade of the nearby tree. I stared at it for a minute, confused as to what its purpose was.
Atop the clean wooden surface of the table were all kinds of foods as well as other reflective cutlery items. Glass pitchers, filled with cool flavored beverages stood on different parts of the table along with several empty glass cups that rested nearby.
I walked up to it, eying each plate of food with suspicion. At that moment, my stomach grumbled and my mouth drooled.
I took a step closer to the table, my eyes drawn to a large, steaming plate of roasted meat. The aroma was alluring, a savory blend of spices and herbs that made my stomach eager to consume. Next to it, a bowl of fresh fruits glistened under the dappled sunlight, each piece vibrant and ripe, as if freshly plucked just moments ago.
As I took all of this in, I couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. The food was perfect, too perfect, too inviting. At the same time, another part of me thought I was overthinking it, that perhaps my paranoia was bringing me more hallucinations.
I hesitated, my hand hovering over a glass pitcher filled with what looked like freshly squeezed lemonade. The condensation on the glass trickled down slowly, tantalizing my sense of thirst even further.
My hunger ate me from the inside, sharp and insistent, drowning out everything else. The scent of the food was overwhelming, filling my senses, and with each passing moment, it became harder to think of anything else.
Finally, I reached out, grabbing a piece of bread from the nearest plate. It was soft and warm to the touch, the crust golden brown. I hesitated for a fraction of a second before taking a bite. The taste went beyond my expectations, a burst of flavor melted in my mouth, making me feel like a certain warmth had spread throughout my body. I didn't realize how hungry I was until that moment.
And so, I ate.
I ate, and ate, each bite I took more satisfying than the last. The more I consumed, the more I wanted. My stomach growled in approval, urging me on, and soon I was reaching for the glass of flavored drink, gulping them down like I'd been wandering a desert. It was the best thing I'd ever tasted, sweet and tart, quenching a thirst I hadn't known I had.
For a while, everything else seemed to fade away, my fears, my doubts, the memory of pain. All that mattered was the food, the satisfaction it brought me, and the way it made me feel whole but as I reached for more seconds, I noticed something strange.
A shadow passed over the table, and for a brief moment, I thought I saw the edges of the bread turning dark, the fruit softening, the meat beginning to spoil. I blinked, and it was gone, the food once again looking as pristine as ever.
That odd vision left my memory as quickly as it came. I frowned, taking notice of the unnatural amount of food I had consumed. I glanced around, suddenly aware of how quiet it was.
The forest lined the way at the edges of the clearing. I stared at the dense forest, the tree branches swaying gently almost as if beckoning me to go in. The odd vision from mere moments ago tugged at the back of my mind and I stared at what remained of the food warily.
Why did the food momentarily look rotten? Is my mind being filled with more illusions? Or am I going insane?
I wiped my mouth, still tasting the remnants of the meal, and tried to shake off the unease creeping up my mind. I have reason to believe that I succeeded in passing that previous trial and that this was a new one. Simply for the fact that I was no longer in that damned train. The whispers at the edges of my mind were gone as well.
With that in mind, I realized I couldn't linger in this spot for too long. I had to figure out a way forward. A way to pass this new trial. The forest didn't bring me any comfort yet I had a sneaking suspicion that I had to wander through it and find clues regarding this new setting. It was the only way forward I could see.
I left the table behind and began walking forward toward the tree line, taking advantage of that moment to bask in the scenery around me. I lived in an overpopulated city with much pollution littering the streets and lots of unemployment, leading many people to poverty and living a life on the streets. The air was so thick with dust that every so often the city would be drowned by mist.
Crime was common and many groups of bandits basically owned certain parts of the city. There were few laws and restrictions and those that were in place were basically meaningless. I'd say my situation growing up was on the better end compared to others. I had a home, food, some level of entertainment, a family…
Thin blades of grass rustled gently beneath me and I couldn't help but find something peaceful about the view that surrounded me, mostly due to the lack of waste, problems, and people as a whole. If it weren't for the uncertainty at the forefront of my mind regarding what endeavors this trial had in store for me, I would almost be happy.
This short, almost mundane moment of respite came to an end quite quickly. The trees looked bigger up close, their shadows cast almost like a swaying archway as if welcoming me in. I didn't think about it too much and merely stepped through.
Around me, the air grew cooler, the warmth of the sun fading under the many thick branches and leaves. The scent of earth and leaves was stronger here, mixed with something else, something musty and subtle like the remains of a dead animal.
Trees stood like unmoving sentinels all around me, branches intertwining and arching overhead, blotting out the sky. The forest floor was soft, perhaps a little bit too soft, covered with a thick layer of moss and fallen trees. Every sound seemed magnified in the quiet, the rustle of leaves, the snap of a twig, or the distant sound of some unseen creature.
I walked deeper and deeper, my senses on high alert. The further I went in the more I marveled at my surroundings. Having never been in a sense forest like this, certain things surprised me. Some trees seemed to lean unnaturally, their trunks twisted as if straining toward me. The undergrowth was dense, filled with plants I had never seen before. Some leaves were too large, some flowers weirdly vibrant almost pulsing with life.
I pushed through a thicket, the hanging branches picking at my clothes and skin. After regaining myself and dusting my clothes, something caught my eye. A tree with glistening fruits hanging from its low branches. They were a deep, inviting red, like apples, but larger and shinier than any fruit I had ever seen. Curious, I stepped closer.
I paid no attention to my feet, nor the fact that I had eaten mere moments ago, as my eyes, almost captivated, were fixed on the rich, ripe fruit. I raised my hand, reaching out to touch the one closest to me but as I inched closer the entire tree seemed to shudder. Its branches trembled, the leaves rustling louder than before. I froze, immediately knowing something was off, my hand poised inches away from the fruit.
The fruit before me blurred as I focused on what loomed beyond it. I stood still as I witnessed a seamless transition of the tree trunk beginning to split open amid the high-pitched groaning noise of creaking wood. Rows of pointy jagged teeth revealed themselves, threatening to eat me whole.
I tried to take a step back but that's when I discovered that my small twigs were wrapped around my feet, holding me in place. At that moment, I realized, the fruit wasn't a gift, it was bait.
A warm stem of air rushed past me, emitted from the maw of this carnivorous tree. My face twitched in disgust as the smell of it was so putrid and rancid that I could only be left in wonder at how many victims fell prey to this trap.
I forcefully moved my legs around, one at a time, with as much force as I could muster, causing the twigs to snap. I stumbled back, my heart pounding as the tree's maw snapped shut mere inches from me. I quickly stood up and took several steps back, watching as the tree turned to normal and the fruits once again dangled innocently.
My mind raced as I moved further away from the carnivorous tree, my breath shallow and quick. These woods weren't normal woods. These trees weren't normal trees. Not only was this forest very alive in a litteral sense, it was hungry.
The thought alone made my skin crawl.
I continued on my way, now more on edge than before. The further I ventured, the more twisted and hostile the forest seemed to become. I was beginning to question every subtle noise that reached my ear, every natural and unnatural movement of the trees. This highlighted sense of paranoia made me believe the forest was more alive than it seemed.
However, at one point, these worries came to pass. I began to notice some plants had tendrils that reached out toward me, curling around my ankles until I shook them off. Others bore bright, colorful flowers that released sweet, alluring scents. Putting me into a sense of calm, until I noticed many skeletal remains of unrecognizable creatures scattered around their roots.
Hours passed as I wandered through the maze of trees, my legs should have been aching, but the fatigue I expected never fully set in. With my weak condition, I would usually take short breaks when I walked for too long but my body hardly demanded any breaks.
The sun began to set, and with it, the forest grew darker and darker with each passing minute. I tried retracing my steps, being extra careful in avoiding the traps the forest set for me, but the more I walked the more it became clear that I was completely lost.
Desperately, I began to look around, my head snapping from side to side as I scanned my surroundings for any familiar landmarks I might recognize but to my dismay, no such thing occurred. All I saw were trees, their branches twisted like deformed hands reaching for me. It didn't help that a slight headache was beginning to creep up on me.
Somewhere along the way, a peculiar sensation began to crawl up my spine. It wasn't the usual unease someone would feel roaming around in such an alien place like this one. This feeling wasn't brought about due to paranoia or anxiety either. It felt very much real. The feeling was overwhelming, like a deep, primal sense of being observed but multiplied several times over. A fierce, predatorial gaze lurked just beyond my sight.
I stopped in my tracks, the sounds around me amplified by the eerie silence and forest sway. At that moment, a rustle of leaves caught my attention, this one louder and more distinct, betraying the fact that some creature was in motion.
I gulped down, frozen in anticipation. "Someone there?"
The silence seemed to grow even further as I stared specifically in a fixed direction. My eyes narrowed, struggling to make out an unmistakable silhouette blending in with the shapes of the dimmed bushes. A strong wind flew past me, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and for the first time since my arrival in this forest, I felt a chill.