Felix's World// Lee Felix FF// Editing

Chapter Three: Finidng Mochi

As soon as I entered past the undergrowth, silence descended. It felt like the forest knew I was a here. A stranger. It was creepy and dark and I could barely see a foot in front of me. The thick canopy of the forest completely blocked out the moonlight, apart from a few shining spots where leaves were missing far above. It was like the forest was setting out the exact path it wanted me to follow.

"Mochi!" I cupped my hands around my mouth to amplify my voice as I called for my best friend. No echo returned. It was almost as if the forest was damping my voice. Trying to silence me.

"Mochi!" I called louder this time. Still no impact. Surely he couldn't have gone far? He could barely run ten steps before tripping over himself. I stopped and pressed my palm to my forehead. I considered turning back for a second.

Maybe he was at home.

No. I was certain he was running around in this thick forest somewhere. I just needed to keep looking.

I followed the path the moonlight demanded me to follow. It was unintentional, but at least I would be able to find my way home.

"Mochi!" I screamed into the darkness. The wind whispered through the trees. It crept up behind me, and whooshed past my ears. It was gone almost before it had arrived. It felt like an invisible menacing force, sneaking up for the kill, and then missing the target.

"Arf, arf!" I saw the faintest movement in the dark undergrowth. I would recognise that bark anywhere.

"Mochi!" I squealed in pure delight. I rushed over to him and he wagged his tail enthusiastically as he saw me approach. He pressed his face into the dry dirt, overturning old leaves and dead bark as he wandered in circles. He sniffed like a pig searching for truffles.

"What have I told you about coming into the forest? Papa Yoon is going to be worried about both of us!" I bent down and stroked his soft fur. He licked my bare leg and began panting, as dirt hung from his face awkwardly.

I let him wander around for a few minutes before deciding to head back to the safety of home. After all, no one really knew what dwelled in the shadows, hidden behind the ancient trees.

But how had I gotten here?

My head felt fuzzy, like a heavy cloud was lifting slowly. The nauseating feeling returned to the pit of my stomach and it took all of my determination to keep my dinner down. I looked around, and somehow, I had strayed from the moonlit path. I chewed the inside of my lip gently, pulling tiny chunks of skin off. It was a bad habit I had developed in my teen years.

"Come on you. We have to find a way home." I lifted the small pooch off the ground and cuddled him close to my chest. I began wandering, in the direction I thought I had come from. I couldn't see any breaks in the mighty branches that shielded the light of the moon from my vision. It seemed as though the forest was getting darker. Scarier. More threatening. It was probably panic setting in and I tried to shake the unsettling nerves.

"I think we're lost little one." I murmured. I peered into the gloomy darkness. There was a bright light up ahead. I breathed and smiled, assuming I had found my way home. I rushed towards the light.

It wasn't home.

Instead I was greeted with the largest tree I had ever seen. It was in the centre of a clearing, and flowers grew abundantly with grass and moss filling the gaps between them. The moonlight shone down on the dew covered plants, and the whole area was bathed in glistening light. I was awestruck. Mochi wriggled free, and was off sniffing around again. I slowly approached the tree. It was the tallest one in the forest by far.

The scarred bark told tales of time that had long past. Various fungi jutted out from the trunk and it was clear this tree supported an abundance of life, that was littered around it, like brightly coloured gems.