Forest of the Lost

I'm standing in a huge forest. It's alive with the sounds of critters and ancient voices. Voices of those lost before me in it's vast expanse. I try and think of how I arrived here. I can't seem to remember. I just woke up, feeling as if I have always been here. Yet I know I had a life outside the wall of trees and greenery that sorround me, but try as I might I can't remember what it was like. I set aside my thoughts of my past life and find a solid stick. It's strong and feels like it belongs to me. I look about at the neverending trees and find comfort in their leaves, shimmering with the morning dew. I notice a group of ants below me marching single file, some carrying scraps of bugs and other morsels for their colony. They will have a marvelous feast today. I wonder if I should find some food, but feel no pang of hunger. I haven't eaten for weeks, and have yet to feel the need to. I take a few steps forward, searching the shrubs for faces to put to the voices. No one is there. I continue walking. Occasionally I see what look like faces in the trunks of the trees. But as soon as I focus on them they fade away. A furry ball of a creature slowy creeps out of a whole in the ground. A fluffy ball of fur with two short, fuzzy legs and no arms. It's eyes are completely blue. They shine like crystal. It hobbles up to me standing no more than two feet tall. Peering up at me it squeaks. I stare back into it's azure eyes unsure of what to do. I stoop down and pat it on the head, and in response two arms emerge from it's fluff. They are arms like a childs. It opens it's hands and inside each is a berry. It raises it's hands as if to offer them to me. One is blue, darker than the critters eyes. The other is red. I take the blue berry and eat it. It's sweet and juicy. I close his palm around the other berry. "You have this one friend." It shows it's teeth, sharp and perfectly shaped. It is smiling. It squeaks again and hurries back into it's hole. I start again, heading to a small tree in a clearing. As I walk I notice that it doesn't get any closer. I stop for a moment and gaze at the tree. I have certainly walked away from were I was, but no closer to were I was trying to go. The creature's hole is nowhere around. I close my eyes and picture the tree in the distance. I see myself walking up to it. In my mind I touch the base of the tree with my left hand, my right gripping the stick tightly. I can feel the tree. I open my eyes and there it is. Just as it was in my mind. My hand upon the base. I plant my stick in the ground and begin to climb the tree. It doesn't take me long to reach the top. I sit for what feels like hours in the branches, listening to the wind, the voices, the animals, and slowly drift to sleep.

(Part 2)

I open my eyes and find myself on top of a building. I know instantly I'm dreaming. I observe my surroundings. I must be hundreds of feet above the forest, and this is the only man-made structure about. I peer over the edge of the building. At the bottom I see the clearing with the tree I was sleeping on, and I also see myself sleeping soundly still there. I look at my hands to see if I was really in two places at once. I am. I think back to when I first tried to walk to the tree, and how no matter how long I walked I never got any closer. I wondered if falling towards it had the same effect. I think for less than a minute, then decide that since I'm dreaming there can be no harm in trying. I step off the building and position myself into a nosedive. I watch hundreds of windows pass by. All of them dark as night. I fall for at least twenty minutes then turn around in my free fall. Uninterested with seeing the forest I turn back to the building. As I do the first window I see is shining bright red and I freeze midair. The window opens and I am pulled inside by an unseen force. Inside the window I am bathed in the red light. It is everywhere. All I can see. I hear loud screams coming from all directions, and feel their anger. I get the sensation of pain in my right hand. It slowly rises to my shoulder, across my chest, and through my body. It isn't unbearable, but a bit like being squished on both sides. Inside and out. I grimace at the feeling. I try to move in any direction but only accomplish looking like a fool as I flail about. The screams grow louder. I am not afraid, for this is only a dream, and I know that. However, I begin to get the feeling that I will never wake up. I close my eyes. The moment I do I wake up.

(Part 3)

I open my eyes. Interesting. I don't hear any voices today. The trees are silent. I climb down the tree I was sleeping in, and retrieve my stick. It feels hot to the touch. I also notice the shape of my hand imprinted in red where I grip it. When it is firmly in my grasp the screams from my dream ignite in my head. Instantly I drop the stick to the ground. When it lands it burst into flames. I watch it burn to ash. The ash sinks into the earth and vanishes. As it does an exact replica grows out of the sleeping tree. The tree begins to glow with a faint red aura and when I touch it. I hear the screams of anger. I turn and leave it behind me and walk away. I feel somber this morning. Like a haze of dark fog is suffocating me. After several hours of walking with my head down, I look up. The sky is unnaturally blue. The sun is not out, but it is still daylight. I don't stop walking, and in my negelagence step in a small creek. The water is as cold as ice. It feels as if it should be frozen. However, it flows freely. I decide to clean myself up in the unfrozen ice. It deepens a few feet to my left. Enough to fully submerge myself. Under the water I see a small school of fish. They are nothing but bones and a heart. The heart is the color of the sky. I seem fixed on their pulsing beat. I can hear them, thub dubing all in synch with each other. The fish turn to me. They stare into my eyes. Their eyes are so black it seems to pull the light around them in. I begin to feel the water harden. Then in my head I hear a voice, distorted by the water. "We need focus." They repeat this three times. Each time I find it harder to move. Once they go silent I realize the water around me had frozen solid. I was still perfectly conscious. My whole body was then violently wracked with the overwhelming pain of the cold. As if thousands of daggers suddenly pierced my body all at once from all directions. I try and scream, but am unable. I hear a quiet sobbing as I slowly fade into darkness. My mind goes silent and I begin to dream.

(Part 4)

I'm on a small boat in the middle of a giant ocean. No land, just water as far as I can see in all directions. Fish are leaping out of the water in mass numbers. Fish of every color and size. They stay far from me however. I feel a slight rumble. I peer over the side of my boat and see a very large shadow. It's rapidly increasing in size. Before I can think a giant whale of a creature encloses me and my vessel in it's massive maw. Like a scene out of Pinnochio I sit in it's belly. I see rotting corpses and skeletons of people and animals here and there. I also notice a few wrecked boats and other such things. My boat is smashed and useless. I swim in the putrid smelling water for a few minutes towards what I hope is a mouth. I am relieved to see teeth. I find a pointy bone and stab the tongue of the beast. It roars in pain, and I am spat out. It dives deep into the ocean and I am left alone. I swim for a good while, but feel the weight in my arms build as fatigue sets in. I go under water. I am surrounded by a blue light, similar to the red of my previous dream. I hear sobbing all around me. I get the icy daggers feeling again all over me. I can move but I can't reach the surface. The harder I swim up the farther down I go.The sobbing is so awful, I begin to cry uncontrollably. I cry and cry. Then I realize the faces all around me crying as well. Their tears are the reason I only get deeper. It's an ocean of sorrow. I let go, give into the saddness. I drift so far down my ears begin to pop, and eventually bleed. When I can no longer hear the sobs of the ocean I wake up.

(Part 5) 

I wake up on the shore of of the creek. There is a small torch next to me. I kick it over. I feel melancholy today. I think of why I'm in this forest. How did I get here? I burst into a sprint. I run and run, tears begin streaming down my face. I run until my veins are pumping almost pure adrenaline into my system. I run until I can't feel my legs anymore, then run more. Trees are blurs as I speed past them. I'm hit in the face and legs by all manner of branches and thorns. They tear small cuts into my flesh. I ignore them and press on. As I get increasingly fatigued I run faster. I can't think of anything but running. My vision begins to go dark. I close my eyes and see circles. They have legs and are running around me. After a few hours of running I pass out. Face down in the dirt. After I don't know how long of being unconscious I come to. I roll onto my back and stare at the stars. They seem to go on forever. I don't sleep this night. I just lay there staring. Insects crawl over and around me. They make me feel invisible. I hate this forest. The stars begin to shift about and form a face. They mouth words that I can't understand. I stretch out my hand to try and reach them in vain. I lose myself in the stars mouthing words until morning.

(Part 6) 

I notice it getting brighter, the sun rising. I hear the whispers of the trees slowly start up. It feels nice this morning. Even though I didn't sleep I feel well rested. I lift my head and listen closer to the whispers. A voice calls my name! "Zeke." I almost had forgotten what my name was, but it certainly called it. I stand up, gazing around trying to see which tree had said it. I hear it again. Louder this time. "Zeke!" "I'm here," I reply. "Where are you?" The wind begins to blow fiercly. It pushes me to my right. I step with it so as not to fall over. I follow the wind through the dense foilage. I hadn't realized how thick this part of the forest was until just now. The trees and shrubs all rich with life. The wind turns me a few times and smacks me into a very large and old looking tree. It's leaves are full and lush, and it has cherry blossoms all about. It's the most beautiful tree I have ever seen. "Hello. Are you the one that was calling me?" I ask meekly, humbled by it's beauty. "Yes. What do you think of the Forest?" It asks, "Do you like it here?" "I did for awhile, but lately I have been feeling a bit uneasy. It is certainly a wonderful, and strange place though. You know my name, do you have one?" "Of all the thousands that have stood here before, none have ever asked me that. It's Dreamwalker. I am the one who observes the dreams of the things not completely lost to this forest. I noticed yours have been quite interesting lately." says the wise tree. " Can you tell me anything about them?" I ask. "Only that they are the strongest I have seen in many years. You have great potential. Don't doubt where you are, or why you are here. Live, remember your name, and you will never lose yourself to this place. You have the ability to succeed where all others have fallen. Lost for all eternity in this forest," Dreamwalker replies. "I will bear that in mind. I don't want to be another faceless voice here." is all I could think to say. " I think you will be fine. Go now, follow the wind. Perhaps you will see me again in your dreams." says Dreamwalker. Before I can say anything more the wind carries me away. I close my eyes and let it guide me. A smile creeps across my face. I haven't felt this happy in a good while. My feet are lifted from the ground, and I fall asleep as the wind takes me.