Page 21 of Unravel Me

It's gone.

Gone.

It must've flown out of my hand during the fall. Panicking, I search frantically, but the layer of leaves here is incredibly thick, churned up even more by my tumble. I nervously start climbing back up the slope, digging through the leaves as I search, but then it hits me that the higher I climb, the closer I'll get to that creature.

That's a terrible idea.

How should I even call it? A forest spirit? A forest demon? Fae? Some other… forest entity?

One thing is for sure, I need to get the hell out of here as fast as possible. This is just crazy, crazy!

The only problem is where should I run? The green… umm thing had been standing in the direction I'd come from, effectively cutting off my way back.

Whatever that forest entity's intentions are, I have no desire to find out.

Shaking like a leaf, I start moving along the base of the slope, angling farther south, hoping I can make a wide enough detour around the place where I saw him and somehow find my way back. I've always had a pretty good sense of direction, but with my nerves this shot, I'm sure that'll fail me too.

The worst part is that my problem with the green being is far from over.

Fuck. I didn't leave him behind.

I start hearing those same sounds again.

That rustling.

Closing in.

Circling me.

Now that I'm forcing my way through the brush, I don't even bother trying to hide my movements anymore or keep quiet, but even through the noise I'm making, those other sounds break through, reminding me that the green entity is still close.

I start panting, desperate breaths tearing out of my lungs, and I’m even letting out a series of frantic whimpers in AO sound language, signaling that I’m an omega in distress.

Finally, I can't take it anymore. The tension that has been building inside me finally bursts out.

"Leave me alone!"

I stumble, nearly lose my footing, and my voice shifts into a plea.

"Please, just leave me alone! Leave me alone! Let me live! I'm leaving your territory, I swear! I'm sorry I trespassed!"

Yes, I'm actually yelling it, shouting into the forest around me, hoping I can somehow beg the green entity for mercy. Because I'm strangely convinced that's exactly what happened. I trespassed into his territory, and now he wants to kill me. Punish me.

And I'm almost certain he could.

From that split-second glimpse of him, I'd only managed to notice one thing. He was taller than me, broader. Powerful muscles, a massive chest, abs carved across his stomach. He was a seriously muscular beast. On top of that, he's obviously something supernatural, and anyone who's ever watched fantasy movies knows creatures like that are always stronger than humans.

Thankfully, I don't remember what was below his waist. I was too terrified to look, and besides, there wasn't time. Though whatever's down there, I seriously doubt some bizarre forest monster wants to use it on me. He's probably planning to rip me apart with his claws and eat me, right?

Or I don't know. Do some other weird fairy-tale magic people always end up suffering through in those dark old stories.

The rustling around me grows louder. I know he's close now, maybe fifty feet away.

I doubt I've made it more than a hundred and fifty yards from the bottom of that slope in my wobbly attempt at running. My legs feel like jelly. Eventually my nerves give out completely, and I collapse in a small clearing onto a thick bed of moss and grass.

I lie there for a while, numb.

Well…