The Forgotten Darkness

Chapter 4 Time Trials

Kay

This forest is going to be the death of me. Every time I think I'm getting close to finding a way out I end up lost again. I just find myself in a loop. The same old rocks and shit. I still don't know what happened back in the water. I'm so cold out here. I need to find warmth. I have to. Please for the love of God let me find something. To the left. What? Spirit. I could feel it. They haven't failed me before, might as well go to the left. So I did. I mean really what good comes out of listening to a spirit. I was finally out of the loop I was stuck in and free. Straight, no turns. Yes ma'am. Straight I went. I arrived at the destination that it led me to. A cave was hidden away behind the lush blades of grass and some vines. I knew what lurked in caves so I was careful. I kept my watch. I checked it out and made sure it was just me in that cave. And it was. Now all I needed was some warmth.

It was already nightfall, and I couldn't leave for fear of never finding the cave again. I could feel the cold taking over and all I had was a single stick. If only it would light on fire right now. I'm going to freeze. Suddenly an orange soft glow came from the stick. Surely I'm hallucinating because I know that stick isn't on fire. I swatted my hand through the fire. It's actually on fire. What the actual heck. How did I? What is going on today? I transferred between the spirit realm and life and now I'm setting things on fire just by thinking about it? I have to find out where I came from. It has to be the key to all this. The adopters told me and then all these weird things kept happening. Who am I? What am I? I could feel the need for sleep overpowering my curiosity. I just needed to rest for a little while. 10 minutes, that's all I need. Just 10....

Wake up, you need to leave. Now. I awoke with a start to the sounds of whispers in my ear. I could feel a strong presence of a spirit. "Show yourself, why are you helping me". I can't, just go! You need to find him now! "Find who? Who are you?". And just like that, I was left with nothing. No answers or anything. Just a vague warning. Who did the spirits want me to find? "Can you at least tell me which way to go?" Silence. Go right. Thank you. A strong gust of wind blew through and made the trees shake and rattle. I hate forests. They creep me out. Where am I headed? Why am I listening to the spirits? They're dead, what are they going to do, haunt me? Watch it or I might have to kill you. Yea right. Just then a branch from a tree fell right in front of me. Had it fallen on me I would have been impaled and most likely died. "My bad, I believe you." I could almost hear the sarcasm in the howl of wind I heard. Turn left. So I turned. I heard a gunshot far off into the distance. Must be hunters, it is deer season. "AHHHH! F*CKING B*TCH D*CKHEAD MOTHERF*CKING HUNTERS!!!" Beartrap. Need I explain further? I have to figure out a way to get out of this stupid thing without losing a foot or my fingers. Button on the side to release, hurry. Thank you very much. Run. Now how the hell do you expect me to run. I can't even walk properly. I just stepped into a bear trap. I'm going to bleed out if I run. I need to go back to that place. I got there through desperate desire last time. So maybe if I just focus... And I was there. "Hey! I need advice! Anyone?" The whispers were surrounding me. There were so many I couldn't breathe. I just needed to think. When I came back I was hidden in the leaves with a makeshift bandage on my ankle. I watched as two hunters followed a blood trail to nearby bushes. I could see them bend down and pick up the cotton that I must have made my makeshift bandage out of. They got up and tried to follow my blood again but there wasn't any. It was all in my bandage and surrounding me. I knew this temporary solution wouldn't last long. I needed to find someone that wouldn't try to kill me. I have to listen to the spirits. They're helping me for some reason. I need to listen. Wait until you hear the first howl of wind and then walk straight. I waited an hour all while losing blood until I heard it. I walked straight. I couldn't move very fast, so the journey was doubled in time. I had to walk through the night or else I might fall asleep and never get up again. I just need to keep walking. I have to keep going and keep moving. I can't stop. I walked until my vision went blurry and my leg went numb. I was exhausted. I couldn't go anymore. I fell. I was back in the spirit realm. I knew it was the spirit realm. I could feel it. After all, I was walking among them. I wasn't dead but close to it. I know I need to wake up but it's relaxing here. I'm at peace. Wake up. No, please. It's time. Wake up. Time for what? WAKE UP! I screamed. I was alive and awake. "HELP! SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME! PLEASE!" I screamed until my voice went hoarse and rough. I couldn't scream anymore. I couldn't walk. I'd have to crawl. Straight. Straight I went. There is a reason the spirits are leading me this way; I just have to make it. "Where do you think you're going huh?" The hunters. "Leave me alone." They laughed. One of them bent down and grabbed my legs. "DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME!" The other one laughed. "Now you're too pretty not to touch." I screamed. They laughed and kicked. I was so tired. They did what they pleased. I sobbed. "Why don't you come back with us hm?" More laughter. "I said, LEAVE ME ALONE!" They burst into flames. I could hear their screams and their cries. I didn't care. How could they? Fucking hunters. All I could do was sob and lay there. I'm so sorry. I didn't see them coming. You're a spirit, how didn't you see them? "They did things." I sniffled. Please, please keep going. I continued to crawl until I reached what I realized they wanted me to. A cabin. I crawled up to the front porch and collapsed.