Bigger Things

Chapter 1 - Willow

It was a cloudy day.

    The air was cold enough to nip at exposed skin, and damp enough to leave a thin coating of frosted condensation over all the eye could see. Plants and flowers sagged under the weight of the collected water, leaving a soft drip-drip-drip as it funneled its slow way off.

    The sun was masked by the gray layer of clouds far above, and further so by the canopy of browning leaves closer down to earth. The trees, ancient and monolithic as they were, stretched what seemed to be infinitely upwards, and were spread far, far around, forming the entire woodland region many called home.

    All that could be heard was the gentle breeze, the singing of birds, and—

    "Do we have enough yet?" Flint complained for the millionth time, hoisting up his nearly empty straw basket. "We've been out here for hours."

Willow's footsteps squelched as she stepped through the ankle-high moss, scanning the dirt around her for even a sprout of something edible. The plant matter beneath her feet leaked a thin layer of murky, foul-smelling water underfoot as she tread across it. She wrinkled her nose, and then turned to Flint, rolling her eyes as she did.

    "Is your basket full?

    "Well, no—"

    "Then we don't have enough."

    "Okay, but..."

    Just as Flint was about to shoot back some retort, Bramble jabbed him in the side and silently flashed him a dirty look, hobbling over from the nearby vegetation with only a measly few berries added to her own basket. As she made her way across, her foot was caught on a root, causing her to stumble. Instinctively, Willow began to reach out to do something, but held herself back as Bramble recovered and brushed off her shirt.

"Willow is right. We need to get as much as we can."

Willow smirked at Flint.

"Willow, stop instigating." Bramble ordered.

The smile fell off of her face.

Bramble sighed.

"I'm...not finding much on my end either. But we can't go back without something of substance. So unless you want to end up eating that for a month—"

She pointed to the grimy moss Willow was standing on, and then continued.

"—we'd better shape up and bring home something worthwhile."

Willow made a face at the thought of living off of moss for weeks. It wouldn't be her first time, but boiling or frying the soft grassy substance didn't make it taste any more appealing. Or actually nutritious.

Still, she simply nodded in reply, and followed close by Bramble as the three of them continued to trek over the forest floor, making their way through tall grass, piled leaves, and boulders. While she didn't complain — unlike SOME people — the brisk air wasn't making this any easier.

It had been ten minutes of walking in silence by the time Flint spoke up again.

"I really think we should hurry up."

Willow snorted. "Care to enlighten us on why, oh wise one?"

    But, instead of shooting back the usual scathing remark or pitiful complaint, Flint simply held his tongue, and pointed up.

    Gathering above them were the faintest hint of heavier, darker gray clouds, casting a visible shadow over the forest. The shift in the temperature was palpable, with the air itself seeming to garner a newfound degree of cold.