Pan

Chapter 7: Pt. 2

At this point, fear was becoming my best friend. Always by my side, faithfully following me wherever I went.

And now that I was back in the eerie woods, it was walking hand-in-hand with me.

Traveling through the tangle of branches and shrubs was much easier now that I had clothes covering my limbs, and boots protecting my feet.

But it did nothing to make it less frightening, especially now that the night's blackness and shadows quickly started to play tricks on my eyes.

Vines wrapping around trees became snakes, tightly keeping them prisoner where they stood and ready to snap at me at any second.

Tree limbs were empty hands, reaching out to grab me if I got close enough.

A tall bush looked alarmingly similar to a figure, someone watching me as I walked by.

Wait...

That bush seemed a little too similar to a body.

My breath caught in my throat, my feet skidding to a halt. I didn't dare to even blink, terrified that just one wrong move would be my last.

What was there? Was someone in the woods with me?

I gulped and slowly began to turn, my body tensing up with dread. I almost didn't want to know the answer.

But whatever it was, it was no longer there.

A deep sigh of relief fell from my lips as my body released its tension. It was just another illusion.

I turned back around and continued pushing through the greenery, not quite being able to shake the feeling of someone watching me.

Although to be completely honest, it felt like there was always someone watching me here.

Why me? Of all the people in the world, why was I here? There was absolutely nothing special about me, no outstanding characteristics to set me apart from anyone else.

And I certainly wasn't cut out for it. I lacked strength, bravery, cleverness; all of the traits a person needed in my situation.

Yet here I was.

Eventually, the trees started to shorten in height. Their leaves became bigger and duller, as if they were slowly being drained of life. The tops of the trees were only a few feet above my head now, forming a maze of limbs that connected together and blocked any view of the sky above.

The air around me grew noticeably more humid, weighing down on me like a blanket.

It was becoming harder for me to navigate through the trees as they grew closer together, slowly sucking me in. I stepped over large roots, with branches scratching at me and vines tangling around my ankles.

As I fought with one particular vine that refused to free my foot, I noticed something pop up in the corner of my eye. I would've missed it if it wasn't for the annoying vine that I now finally freed myself from.

In the deep darkness, there was now a small, glowing blue light.

I squinted my eyes, trying to get a better look at it. It immediately sparked my curiosity like a match. Compared to the ugliness of everything else I had encountered so far, it stood out like a gem.

It hovered above the ground below, before slowly drifting up on the breeze until it was inches away from my face.

"Well hi there." I said to it in a small whisper, still stunned by its beauty. I couldn't take my eyes off it. It displayed its cobalt color as I watched, bright and warm and comforting.