The night settled quickly, the dimming sky smothering the little light that had been left. The air grew colder, and the world around me seemed to close in, pressing against my chest. I shivered, rubbing my arms in an attempt to keep the warmth in. My body, smaller and weaker than I remembered, wasn't cooperating. My muscles burned with every movement, the weariness from the last few hours catching up to me.
I knew I couldn't stay exposed like this. I needed shelter. But where to start?
I glanced around the clearing, the darkness making the trees loom like giants. Their thick trunks and gnarled branches stretched high into the air, obscuring the stars above. I needed to find some kind of protection—something to shield me from the cold and the dangers of this new world.
The stream I had found earlier was the only landmark in sight, and I wasn't about to wander too far. I'd already made that mistake once when I'd nearly tripped over a jagged rock, falling hard into the earth. The memory still stung.
A low growl from somewhere in the distance pulled my attention back to the present. It wasn't the growl of a bear, or any animal I'd been familiar with. It sounded strange, almost otherworldly. My heart skipped a beat.
I couldn't afford to panic. Stay calm. Think.
I crouched lower to the ground, my small body trembling as I tried to control my breathing. I had no idea what kind of creatures were out there, but I couldn't ignore the sound. It was something real. Something dangerous.
I scanned the area, looking for a place to hide. Behind me, the stream babbled, but ahead, there were no clear paths to shelter. I needed to make one, at least for tonight. If I could survive until morning, I could think clearly, plan my next steps.
I took a breath and stood slowly, my legs unsteady beneath me. The pain in my limbs was constant now, sharp and persistent. I ignored it, focusing instead on the task at hand.
I turned back to the stream, hoping to find something useful. The banks of the stream were covered in thick, dense undergrowth—bushes that reached as high as my waist. The idea struck me suddenly.
I moved quickly, collecting branches and long grasses from around the area. My hands were trembling as I worked, my thoughts chaotic but focused. It didn't need to be perfect. It just needed to keep me out of sight. I dragged the branches across the ground, using them to build a small, crude shelter.
As I worked, I recalled vague memories of survival tactics—things I had read once, long before I found myself here. But those memories felt distant, as though they belonged to someone else. My head ached with the effort of remembering.
Still, I persisted.
I tied the branches together with strips of bark, crafting a makeshift wall. The shelter wasn't much, barely large enough to fit my small frame, but it would have to do. As I huddled inside the small structure, I felt a small sense of accomplishment. It wasn't much, but it was mine.
The night crept on, and the unfamiliar sounds of the forest—the rustling of leaves, the crackling of twigs—echoed around me. My body ached in every joint, but I had no choice but to stay awake. The sound of the growl from earlier still lingered in my mind, but I couldn't see whatever creature had made it. I couldn't even tell what direction it came from.
Eventually, the noises died down, and the world fell into a tentative silence. As I lay in the shelter, listening to the wind whip through the trees, exhaustion crept in.
I had survived my first day.
---
The next morning, the sun's light filtered through the gaps in the canopy, casting dappled patterns on the forest floor. The soft warmth was a welcome change after the chill of the night. I stretched, groaning as I sat up, feeling every ache in my limbs. I wasn't used to being so weak, but I had to keep moving.
I didn't know how long I'd been unconscious after waking up in this strange world. My sense of time was fractured, lost somewhere between the pain and confusion. But there was one thing I knew for certain: I couldn't stay in this little shelter forever. I needed food.
The hunger gnawed at my stomach again, reminding me that my makeshift shelter wouldn't last long if I couldn't find something to eat. I considered the stream. Water wasn't a problem—it was the food that was the real issue.
I looked around the clearing, scanning the ground for anything that might serve as sustenance. There were small plants, ferns, and thick patches of grass, but none of it looked familiar. Are any of these edible?
I bent down to examine the plants more closely. My hand hovered over a cluster of leaves, their edges sharp and jagged. I reached for them carefully, examining each one. Some had a faint scent of something pungent, but it wasn't enough to be sure.
I couldn't afford to make a mistake.
I moved further along the stream, eyes scanning for something that might be useful. After a few more minutes, I spotted a cluster of wild berries hanging from a vine. My mouth watered just looking at them. But I was wary. What if they were poisonous?
I crouched low, plucking a single berry from the vine and inspecting it closely. It was small, red, with tiny white spots. I had no way of knowing whether it was safe to eat, but I was out of options.
I took a deep breath and popped it into my mouth.
At first, nothing happened. No immediate pain, no reaction. I waited, eyes wide, trying to stay calm. It wasn't until a few seconds later that I felt a slight twinge in my stomach—a dull ache, but nothing too sharp. I couldn't say for sure if it was safe, but at least I wasn't dying. Yet.
I picked a handful of berries and ate them slowly, taking care not to overeat in case something went wrong. The taste wasn't terrible, though it was a little tart and bitter. But it was something.
I stood, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. I felt a small sense of accomplishment—food, even if it wasn't much, meant survival for another day.
Now, I needed to figure out what came next.
The world around me was alien, strange in ways I couldn't fully comprehend. And I still hadn't made sense of the strange events that had led me here. But I knew one thing: I couldn't stay put. I had to keep moving, keep learning.
This was only the beginning.