Rise of The Fallen (unedited Version) (COMPLETED)

Chapter -7

-Kora-

Groaning, I opened my eyes to see various streams of light peeking through the roots that surrounded me, some even blinding me as my vision adjusted to my surroundings. 

I sat up rubbing my eyes and blinked a few times to get a decent look at my surroundings. This isn't the cave?

Trailing my eyes around the small space, memories of the night before came flooding back and the images of that thing with the pale white body covered in arrows and scars, with red glowing eyes, sent shivers down my spine. 

What the hell was that thing…

Taking a deep breath I looked over to the spot I had crawled into this cramped space through. I can't stay in here, sure that thing is gone by now. I started pushing my way through the thick twisted roots until I was able to free myself from the entanglement. 

It was twice as hard to get out then it was to get in, I got stuck more than once because of my hips, making me a bit aggravated. 

Once I was out I took in the forest around me, the roots belonged to some much taller trees that covered a great span of area, making the surrounding foliage a bit sparse compared to other parts of the forest. 

Wiping the dirt off my side that I had fallen asleep on. I made sure to keep an eye out for any more nightmarish creatures or even for any familiar markings. 

But fuck if I ever got lucky. I was completely lost, nothing around me seemed familiar, meaning I was in a completely new part of the forest. So no food, no cave, no trails.

I grumbled a curse to myself and tried to find my own footprints from last night but following them back seemed like a bad idea. What if that creature was still there eating that poor deer? Would I be able to escape it a second time? 

My stomach grumbled in protest of not having any sustenance and I sighed, looking at my surroundings once more. If I wander off randomly though I'll only get more lost and I need shelter to survive. 

Grabbing my bag I dug through it and pulled out the notebook to look at the map. Scanning my eyes over it I noticed something interesting.

An image of large trees with big roots was drawn on the map near the river I had been looking for previously. 

Looking back at the giant trees behind me, I could feel a sense of hope building up inside me.  I quickly started following the twisted roots around trying to see if my hunch was correct. 

After what seemed like an eternity of walking the barricade of roots seemed to go on forever. It could be miles long and would take forever for me to get around. I huffed, irritated by the fact I was so close to a water source but still couldn't reach it. 

Giving up, I turned back the way I came, following my footprints in the dirt. As I went I noticed a barren trail that led into a small hole of sorts through the roots. Was this an animal trail? Kneeling down I looked into the hole that looked just big enough for me to crawl through. 

It was dark for the most part, only a few strands of light peeking through the top of the small tunnel. Saying fuck it, I started crawling through the the tunnel. I had to maneuver around a few roots that blocked the path but as I got closer to the end, I could see light and I could feel the soil beneath my hands getting damp.

Crawling out of the small space, I shielded my eyes from the sun as they readjusted to the bright light. 

The scene before me had my heart nearly leaping out of my chest. I was on the rocky banks of a bright blue clear river that gently flowed down hill, disappearing into a mass of roots.

I found it! I found the river! I rushed over to the water's edge, stepping on rocks to stay out of the mud. Pulling out my canteen, I filled it with water and took a sip, nearly moaning at how the cool liquid felt going down my throat.

Taking in my surroundings, I was baffled by the beauty of the scenery. Taking out the notebook, I did my bed to try and pinpoint exactly where I was on the map, and marked the small tunnel I used to get here.

If I follow my tail from last night then I can also figure out where my cave is according to the map, then I'll be able to distinguish all the other landmarks. Smiling to myself I nearly squealed in happiness at my accomplishment and fistpumped the air. 

I have a permanent water source now and have an idea as to where I am on the map so I'm no longer blindly wandering around the forest. Grabbing my stuff I quickly made my way back through the tunnel and found my footprints from last night. 

Being extra cautious I followed them back through the forest, keeping an eye out for that creature from last night. As I walked I noticed something on the trees that I had missed while running for my life last night. Strings of bones, beads and other objects were tied around the trunks of various trees around me.

They were by no means natural and served as some kind of markers made by someone to create a border. The real question however was what the border represented.  

Feeling a bit more weary I pushed forward, passing the line. Soon enough I came across the area I had encountered the monster.

The deer's corpse, or what was left of it lay discarded in the open… It was like a husk of what it once was, only bones, flesh and skin were left. The eyes and any internal organs were gored out of its body leaving a gruesome scene behind. 

Insects were already buzzing about the body as the stench of decay filled the air. I gagged at the sight and turned away.  I just need to get back to my cave. I continued following my own trail while also taking a wide berth around the carnivorous flowers that tried to kill me yesterday. 

As nice as it would be to just die in my sleep, I'm not ready to give up and due yet, not like that.

Continuing forward I finally came across a tree I had marked myself. Finally I was in familiar territory. I made sure to mark my map as I went so I at least have an idea of how to get to the river and back. It took a while to get to my cave, maybe a few hours but the sun was still high in the sky leaving me with plenty of daylight. 

I spent the next few hours gathering sticks for firewood and some purple coconuts for food. The damn tree lizards continued their constant chirping while I sat outside the cave resting. I stared out at the forest as the suns started to set and I couldn't help but think about last night. 

Pulling out my notebook I flipped to the page that had the image of the skull and the warning on it. My finger traced over the black charcoal on the page as I stared at it in thought. 

The creature was unlike anything I'd ever seen before and didn't really seem to fit in with the rest of the forest. Its body was worn and marred with many scars and battle wounds. I couldn't help but notice how there were spears and arrows from the natives lodged in its hide.

How many of those massive alien dudes tried to kill that monster and failed? I looked up at the forest once more and shut the notebook. I need to be more careful from now on. I'm not alone in this forest and there's many things I still don't know about. If I want to survive, I have to learn, I have to adjust, The same way the natives do.

Looking down at my hand, I could see that some of the charcoal on the page had rubbed off onto my fingertips, turning them black. 

Taking a deep breath I turned back and went back inside of my cave to get some sleep. I have a lot of work to do if I want to survive. I have to figure out some way to hunt because this fruit won't be enough to keep me going forever, and I need to prepare myself in case I ever encounter something I can't run from. 

Eventually I will have to fight for my life in order to survive and right now all I have is a pistol with a single bullet. I need to find a new weapon, I need to learn what creatures are lurking around in this forest. I need to figure out how to evade predators.

Starting tomorrow things are going to change. Because I refuse to die.