Lostling's Hope Part 1: Rescue
A sound echoed through the forest. It was a metallic shriek, like rusted hinges being opened ten times faster than they should be.
I groaned exasperatedly. What now? Couldn’t I have one second to catch my breath? I pocketed the half eaten apple. Living now, eating later. I began to climb. Hand over hand. One handhold, look for the next one, stretch for the next chink in the mossy bark. In about a minute I was 40 feet up. Still another 40 feet from the nearest branch.
Again the sound squealing metal. It was getting closer. No surprise there. Ignore it, keep climbing. Most of the land bound ones can’t climb. I had to believe that. I peeked backwards.
A colossus of metal and fire emerged from the trees. Somehow managing to fit its massive girth between the gigantic sequoias, the machine roared again. It dragged its bulk forward on two massive clawed arms, leaving a gouge in the ground behind it as it slithered along.
I began to climb again. I tried to blot out the sound of its movements. It wasn’t there. I wasn’t going to die. I was climbing this tree to get to the top of the tent. That’s all this was. Just a big, elaborate practice session. Hand over hand. Rung over rung. Just climb the ladder. Climb the ladder. Nothing down there. Nothing to worry about –
The creature roared again. My hand finally touched the first branch. I pulled myself up onto it, grateful for the years of practice. It’s not down there.
But it was down there. Some part of my brain told me it was. I couldn’t ignore the monster in the room. This was where I was now.
The first day I started calling her name. I had to find her. Had she abandoned me? No… I’d known her for two years. There’s no way she’d do that. We had a future planned, we were meant for each other… right? That ended when the first of the creatures attacked. It was a big brown thing, about the size of a cow, with two horns on its head. It walked on its hind feet, and had incredibly long claws on its feet-hands. I got lucky. It couldn’t climb, but I could. But it still got the jump on me. It slashed me across the calf with those claws, but I pulled myself out of reach. I got lucky. But I’m still alive.
I found my first cache of food by accident. Someone had left something – a cairn of carefully stacked stones. Is it safe? Was someone watching me? Is there someone else here? Is it Isabelle? Why doesn’t she come find me? What’s inside? I carefully pulled apart the cairn and found… an apple? And what looked like a freshly made bowl of pasta? This is too convenient. Where are these from? Are they safe to eat? What if they’re drugged? My stomach rumbled. I ate the pasta.
I missed Isabelle. I missed her hugs and kisses, and I missed the warmth of her body against mine. That was the last memory I had of her before waking up in this hellish forest. Just us, laying together in a bed of moss. Then I fell asleep, and woke up here. I’d get back to her again. I’d make sure of it. Three weeks in the forest. I had no idea where I was. I just wanted to go home. I just wanted to see Isabelle and the troupe again.
I ran. I ran because I couldn’t hide and I couldn’t climb. A gigantic creature covered in stone plates stomped after me, its blazing amber eyes watching me. Trees crashed to the ground behind me as they were pushed aside. I knew they’d grow back within a day. It was catching up and I was going to die. It’s not there it’s not there it’s just a truck this isn’t real. When I die I’m going to wake up and I’ll tell Isabelle about this and we’ll laugh it off like every nightmare. I tripped and brought my one good arm up to stop my fall. My mind screamed at me what my heart wouldn’t believe. I AM GOING TO DIE HERE. The moss-covered foot smashed down next to me. I looked up to see the thing lifting its arm, nothing more than a giant club. It began to fall. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the end. Silence… Too much silence. I opened an eye to see the colossus standing as if it were a statue. I looked around. The creature remained frozen. “Come milady. We have little time.” My head snapped around, looking for the speaker. “Who… what?” There it was. It was a figure, wrapped in a cloak, several chains holding bundles to his back. They wore strange mask, covered in red and green stripes, and held out a gloved hand. “Please. We must leave. You won’t get another chance.” I stared at its hand, then at the colossus, still frozen. No sound came from the forest. The figure sighed and grabbed my arm, dragging me towards the colossus. “I thought you were better than this.” “W- What are you doing! It will stomp us flat!” My words went unheard as they continued pulling me back along our pursuer’s path. We passed between the massive pillars of the creature’s legs. Not once in my entire time in the Forest had I seen one of these creatures stay this still. “What did you do to it?” The masked stranger looked back and growled, “No time. Keep moving or you will die.” I did as I was told. What else could I do? They were promising me life when I thought I was about to die. A few minutes later, sound returned in a deafening crescendo, starting with the massive thud of a falling club.
The first day I started calling her name. I had to find her. Had she abandoned me? No… I’d known her for two years. There’s no way she’d do that. We had a future planned, we were meant for each other… right? That ended when the first of the creatures attacked. It was a big brown thing, about the size of a cow, with two horns on its head. It walked on its hind feet, and had incredibly long claws on its feet-hands. I got lucky. It couldn’t climb, but I could. But it still got the jump on me. It slashed me across the calf with those claws, but I pulled myself out of reach. I got lucky. But I’m still alive.
I found my first cache of food by accident. Someone had left something – a cairn of carefully stacked stones. Is it safe? Was someone watching me? Is there someone else here? Is it Isabelle? Why doesn’t she come find me? What’s inside? I carefully pulled apart the cairn and found… an apple? And what looked like a freshly made bowl of pasta? This is too convenient. Where are these from? Are they safe to eat? What if they’re drugged? My stomach rumbled. I ate the pasta.
I missed Isabelle. I missed her hugs and kisses, and I missed the warmth of her body against mine. That was the last memory I had of her before waking up in this hellish forest. Just us, laying together in a bed of moss. Then I fell asleep, and woke up here. I’d get back to her again. I’d make sure of it. Three weeks in the forest. I had no idea where I was. I just wanted to go home. I just wanted to see Isabelle and the troupe again.
I ran. I ran because I couldn’t hide and I couldn’t climb. A gigantic creature covered in stone plates stomped after me, its blazing amber eyes watching me. Trees crashed to the ground behind me as they were pushed aside. I knew they’d grow back within a day. It was catching up and I was going to die. It’s not there it’s not there it’s just a truck this isn’t real. When I die I’m going to wake up and I’ll tell Isabelle about this and we’ll laugh it off like every nightmare. I tripped and brought my one good arm up to stop my fall. My mind screamed at me what my heart wouldn’t believe. I AM GOING TO DIE HERE. The moss-covered foot smashed down next to me. I looked up to see the thing lifting its arm, nothing more than a giant club. It began to fall. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the end. Silence… Too much silence. I opened an eye to see the colossus standing as if it were a statue. I looked around. The creature remained frozen. “Come milady. We have little time.” My head snapped around, looking for the speaker. “Who… what?” There it was. It was a figure, wrapped in a cloak, several chains holding bundles to his back. They wore strange mask, covered in red and green stripes, and held out a gloved hand. “Please. We must leave. You won’t get another chance.” I stared at its hand, then at the colossus, still frozen. No sound came from the forest. The figure sighed and grabbed my arm, dragging me towards the colossus. “I thought you were better than this.” “W- What are you doing! It will stomp us flat!” My words went unheard as they continued pulling me back along our pursuer’s path. We passed between the massive pillars of the creature’s legs. Not once in my entire time in the Forest had I seen one of these creatures stay this still. “What did you do to it?” The masked stranger looked back and growled, “No time. Keep moving or you will die.” I did as I was told. What else could I do? They were promising me life when I thought I was about to die. A few minutes later, sound returned in a deafening crescendo, starting with the massive thud of a falling club.
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