The water was still. The sullen greyness of the sky bled into the lake which started to freeze. Everything was grey; it seemed that everything was laced in a sickly mist that faded all colours away. Even the grass by the lake seemed to be colourless, like it had been washed out in a watercolour painting.
I had been walking for about an hour into the forest and I could already see the lake, which was my only retreat. I always come here when I need some space to think since as far as I was aware, nobody back in the village knew of this forest. I liked to be alone, yet feeling alone is a different story. Anyway, I'd walk to the lake near the rocks to have a rest and then head back in time for supper. Or, that was the plan anyway...
My mind was foggy and grim, my eyes felt tingly and my head seemed to spin. The air had a bitterness to it like there was ice in the atmosphere. Exhausted, I fell down on my back facing the clouds and watched the greyness of the surroundings darken.
"Hello? Are you ok?" I could hear a voice somewhere. Then I felt my body part with the ground when I realised what had happened! I must have fell asleep? As I opened my eyes it was pitch black, and all the clouds had disappeared as the sky was a clear display of the stars.
"Um, I'm-" I tried to speak but the words weren't easy to get out. "What are you doing in the forest? It's dangerous!" He whispered. Although it was dark I could see his eyes, they were the most beautiful things I had ever seen: the deep green of ivy, yet shining like marbles. It seemed that he was holding me in his arms as he had scooped me up from the ground as though I had weighed nothing.
My heart started racing and I could hear the rhythm of my pulse in my head. I started to panic as I could see the reflection of the moon in the lake dissappear. Which direction were we going? Who is he?
I tried to move and show that I was conscious enough to stand but the effort was a waste of time and tired me even more. Instead, I gave in thinking and just let this happen. I let my head rest against his chest as we walked into an unknown destination. It was peaceful. I felt secure and safe as I could feel the body heat rush into mine.
Again, I must have fell asleep. This time I opened my eyes, it was light and I could hear the humming of birds. I looked around the room to see that it was empty apart from the bed I was laid in. Above me was a thin, white blanket.
I stood up and walked to the door. Everything around me was wooden: the walls, the floor and even the ceiling. What type of place is this? Approaching the door, I felt a deadly aura appear behind me. Startled, I turned around and seen him again.
"You're awake?" His eyebrows raised and a smile lifted his lips. Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards him, "Where did you come from? How did you get to this island? Who are you?" He quizzed.
I pulled back and looked at him in shock. "This island??? Do you mean this forest?"
He looked just as confused as I felt. Then he sighed, "I found you at the lake, you could have died if you drank the water!"
I raised an eyebrow in response, "I usually come to the forest to swim in the lake and rest at the rock nearby. Now I want to go home. If I walk about an hour south, to the edge of the forest, I live in a village about an hour away. It's boardered with fencing to keep the wild people away, so nobody usually leaves but sometimes I leave without anyone knowing."
He studied me, and I felt like a book as though he was trying to read me. "What's your name?" He asked.
"Jessica" I replied without an instance.
"Jessica, we are on an island, and no matter how far south you go, there is no village. This island is surrounded with water. And there's two lakes that cross the island in an X shape. If you drink from the middle where they cross over you become immortal. If you drink or touch one side of the lake you die, but if you you drink or touch the crystal lake, you are gifted. The river you were beside when I found you was the Toxic one. Tell me, how did you survive?"
