The atmosphere had changed. What was once an oppressive heaviness was transformed into a cold and lonely breeze. Alain Griffin lay on the floor, shrouded in the darkness of the night, unable to fully comprehend what had happened. Alain tried to sit up, but every movement reminded him of a deep pain, as if he had been hit repeatedly with an iron pipe. His body was fatigued, and his mind was fuzzy.
-Damn it... -he muttered, barely able to remember his own name, as if waking from a long and confused dream.
Suddenly, a childish memory came to his mind, mocking in its irony: a phrase his father used to repeat to him- When you are afraid, stay five seconds with him and then don't give him any more time. Alain let out a bitter chuckle at the evocation of that lesson. Wasn't that what they used to say in an episode of Lost? He shook his head slightly, trying to dispel the dizziness, and began to concentrate on the task of opening his eyes.
The ground beneath him had the texture of wet leaves and dirt. Ignoring the nagging pain piercing his head, Alain took a deep breath and decided to count to five. One, two... at the fifth second, with a titanic effort, he opened his eyes. What had seemed impossible before was now almost trivial.
All around him stretched what appeared to be a forest. The light of the full moon pierced the branches of the trees, mingling with crimson flashes that infiltrated as if they could penetrate any obstacle. Alain surveyed the place with a mixture of bewilderment and fear.
-What the hell am I doing here? This doesn't make sense... -he muttered to himself.
Just moments ago, He was in her orthopedic bed, struggling to ignore the persistent noises of her neighbors: loud music and voices creeping into her small apartment. For months he had grappled with the desire to confront them, but never did. What would be the point? Every day he woke up at 4:30 to get ready and take the bus to his job: an office where he spent eight hours between reports, coffee and overwhelming monotony. His only moments of escape were the web novels he read on his way home, stories that managed to tear him away, if only for a while, from his repetitive and anodyne life.
That memory brought him back to his immediate reality. There he was, lying in the middle of the forest, unable to move anything but his eyes. Uncertainty was overtaking him, how had he gotten there? His thoughts began to run wild.
-Did I sleepwalk? Did someone kidnap me in my sleep? No...that sounds ridiculous.....
But then, a more disturbing idea seeped into his mind: what if I simply appeared here? A whim of nature? A mistake of the matrix?
Alain tried to control the fear, but his mind wouldn't stop plotting absurd theories and impossible scenarios. He had seen too many science fiction movies not to consider the more outlandish possibilities. As the crimson flashes continued to seep through the branches, the air felt colder, and Alain couldn't help but think that whatever it was, it wasn't just a dream.
Finally, Alain understood the situation he was in. Lying down was undoubtedly the worst thing he could do. He put his fear aside and, even though he was completely exhausted, he forced himself to get up. His body was heavy, but he wasn't going to lie there waiting for the worst.
When he was finally on his feet, he looked around. Questions were still swirling around in his head, but the answers were not coming. A few moments ago he was lying peacefully in his bed and, for no reason, he now found himself in a dark and unfamiliar forest. What worried him most was not how he had gotten there, but the danger of encountering some wild animal.
-I certainly don't want that end to my life! -he said aloud, as if that would give him courage.
In spite of his tiredness, he started walking. He didn't know where he was going, but standing still was not an option. The shadows of the forest moved with every gust of wind and the rustle of the branches kept him alert. He was guided by the crimson light of the moon, gliding between the branches of the trees on this strangely cold summer night of June 27, Alain thought how could it be so cold if they were in summer, It wasn't until a few moments later that he realized his words and let out a soft chuckle.
-Am I not the dumbest man in the world? -he says to himself with a low chuckle. I'm in a forest, in the middle of the night, and I've appeared here in my sleep. Isn't that answer enough to my question?
He kept moving through the trees, on the lookout for any noise or movement. The forest was dark, strange and full of mystery, but something about it seemed familiar.
-Call me crazy, but this forest looks strangely familiar, have I been here before? -he murmured, surveying his surroundings.
However, after a moment's thought, he shook his head.
-No, it's not that I've gone crazy. I would never come to such a cold and creepy forest on my own. I don't want to be easy food!
With those thoughts, Alain walked on, with no answers and no clear direction, walking deeper into that forest that seemed to hold a secret that involved him in some way.