A Way Back Home

Chapter 1 - Ambush

🤯🤯🤯
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before long, Alli could find herself, with a sense of confidence and nervousness, walking through the thick bushes and trees of the unknown forest she was in. The night breeze only added to the ominous vibe, Alli holding her pocket knife out in case anything jumped her. Yet nothing seemed to attack. Alli wandered for about 45 minutes, before simply giving up, and resting on a large tree stump. She felt hopeless. Alli did not know how to make it out of the area she was in, hell, she didn't even know WHAT area she was in. No phone service, no food or water, Alli had to find someplace to at least stay. Soon after her short break, Alli continued to trudge along the "creepy-ish" woods. However, this undisturbed wander did not last for long.

*rustle*

Alli turned around, expecting a surprise attack from some animal, but nothing. She swore she could've heard leaves rattling. Still, the human continued walking, holding the pocket knife as if on guard.

*rustle*

It did it again. Alli heard yet another rattle noise in the surrounding bushes. This time, Alli was ready to ambush said predator with a weapon. With a sudden burst of confidence, Alli shouted:

Alli: ...If you can understand me, i have a weapon! i-im gonna counter-attack you!

As if challenged, the creature in hiding started moving around much more, almost like they were taunting Alli. Out of the blue, the human girl heard a slight whisper from the hidden creature:

"It'll just add to the allure..."

Those were the faint words of the rogue creature that Alli could hear, right before she could make out a slight, neon-black glint.

"Gotcha..!"

The creature immediately came out of the bushes, lunging towards Alli and managing to grab her and pin her down. In response, she immediately jabbed her blade at the creature, somehow being able to cut them at the wrist.

Said creature let go of Alli, before hissing as a response to the pain. The girl took advantage of this moment, quickly fleeing the battle with her blood-stained shirt and blade.

"...ahahaa! Now you're makin' this fun!"

The creature taunted, which now that Alli observed, closely resembled a human. Could this "human" be controlled or something?

Alli had no time to think about this, since the fiend was already on the prowl for Alli. Because running from a creature that could probably move faster than you would be a bad idea, Alli resorted to hiding behind leaves and trees, preparing herself for an ambush hit. The creature crept closer to where she wanted them to be, and Alli was on guard. Until...

Alli: ..How the tables have turned!-

Alli leaped from her hiding place right after saying that, catching the predator by surprise as he was pierced right in the back. Dramatically, the beast arched their back in pain before falling to the floor.

Alli: ..That was.. probably the only instance where I would need this knife... b-but i guess it worked!

Alli started walking away from the body, but not before it could land one last shot on her.

"...N-Not so f-fast..!"

The predator blurted out, as if using its last ounces of strength, and..

*PEW*

Alli shuddered in pain, as the realization dawned upon her. The beast had shot some sort of energy beam at her shoulder. The girl immediately backed herself upon a tree, leaning on it while panting in pain. Her eyes started welling up with tears, yet they never came out. The girl felt hopeless. To die without anyone by her side. Alli cried for help, yet nobody came. There. She sat for a few minutes, feelung like an eternity of pain to Alli. Only, she thought it would worsen.

She saw the shadowy figure, which was supposed to be dead, rise up with its back arching in pain. For some reason, the creature now appeared... human? The "human" grabbed a brown leather backpack from the bushes behind it, and quickly rummaged through it, seemingly in a rush to get something (probably a painkiller, in Alli's mind at least). Said "human" managed to find some type of berry-like consumable and quickly ate it. Once a few moments had passed, the "human" arised, still in pain, but seemingly less than before. It started walking up to Alli menacingly, and she was practically the easiest target ever.

Alli could feel the incoming dread of being - who knows what death she could face. All she could do was point her knife towards the human carrying their bag, fear and anxiety obviously creeping through her eyes. To Alli's shock, however, the human, once revealed in better detail from the moonlight, seemed oddly remorseful, even... friendly? (to Alli at least)

???: ...E-Eat.. t-this.

The human said before presenting Alli the exact same berry-like consumable he had eaten, which seemingly nullified pain? She immediately snatched it out of their hands and ate it quickly.

Moments passed, and the constant pain Alli could feel had been replaced with a simple pulsing inconvenience. Alli stopped breathing heavily in pain, now much more subdued and calmed.

Alli: I...uh.. t-thanks, i guess-

???: ..D-Don't mention it..

???: Oh.. and, t-the name's...

"I-It's.. A-Aizen"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------