Soul Shifters

Chapter 4

After a while's walk, I realized, this is my first time in the forest. Rarely anyone has been in the part, mainly because of its sinister appearance. Thick Spiderwebs snaked between the trunks of trees while roots curled around the earth and jutted out everywhere. The only sounds heard were the crunching of twigs beneath my feet, and tree branches clacking against one another. No wonder the poor people arriving from the Oracles were so unhinged. Being stuck in the cold outdoors with shadows all around you and no other company than your thoughts? Maybe this was a bad idea. No, I can't turn around now, I don't even know if I could find my way back.

Even though the trees were barren, they were so clustered together that barely any daylight passed through their wide boughs.

After hours of walking, with no signs of the Oracles hut.. or anything for that matter, I decided to stop. A whole day of weaving my way around undergrowth, and nothing. Nothing upset my mother more than my impatience. Of course I wasn't expecting to arrive at the Oracles so easily, but the fact I found nothing... I swallowed my bitterness. Get over it.

Before the sky turned completely black, I needed to find a shelter. After searching around for some time, I had to settle underneath a large log with a barely big enough ditch for me to fit into. And of course, I forgot my bedroll. I thumped my head with my hand. How could I be so dense?

Not only was I freezing, but strange sounds started to occur. The bushes started to rustle and howls were heard in the distance. It was as if the forest came alive only at night. I just hoped the howls wouldn't come any closer.

After what seemed like hours, I finally stopped fidgeting and fell into a sleep.

I jerked up, ramming my forehead into the log.

"OWH!" I yelled. Momentarily forgetting where I was, I started to panic, until I crawled my way from beneath the fallen trunk.

Crunch. No. This was not happening. It was the winter's first snowfall. Thick blankets of white crystals coated the ground, and the branches of every tree. Somehow the snow snaked its way between the trees and onto the little vegetation. The snow wasn't falling anymore, but with it being this thick, it wasn't melting anytime soon.

I was freezing. No, that was an understatement. With every step, little twinkles of snow found their way in my boots, melting and drenching my feet with frozen cold water. My face was paralyzed, I couldn't even tell whether my mouth was open or not.

Where was I even going? I had no idea. I could be walking back towards the village for all I knew. I didn't care though, I just needed to find something. I was not prepared for this, I'm a failure.

My legs were numb, my arms were numb, my mind was numb. Just place.. One foot.. In front of the other.. Keep going... You have to. My right foot fell into the snow. When I tried to lift it up, it snagged under a tree root, holding onto my leg and sending the rest of me flying forward. I plummeted into the blanket, face first. This was it, I try to find a reason for my life and this is what I get. If freezing to death in an unknown place and alone was my fate, well, maybe it was better than what I hoped for. I just don't want to be cold anymore...

I was almost completely unable to move, but managed to roll over so I could stare into the trees. Although this forest seemed hollow, I knew it was buzzing with life. It is simply beautiful, and soon I'll be just another part of the earth here. I know Soulmother will take me with open arms.

My body was still numb, but now it was... buzzing. It almost felt like I just have been outside for hours playing in the winter, and now I'm sitting by my furnace, slowly regaining warmth. This was peaceful. Dying wasn't as painful as I thought. And honestly, I didn't really care about death, panicking was the last thing on my mind.

Mother won't be sad for too long, Lelith was always the better one out of us both. She is going to be a successful person, not to mention a loving wife. With her fair hair, and green eyes that look to hold a lush forest, many men will be pursuing her. Compared to my simple brown features, she is so much more beautiful. The only thing I could hold over her head was the shiny hair that ran down my back. Her hair never grew like mine did.

Lost in my thoughts, I just lay listening to the hum of my insides. But then I looked up, and there she was, Soulmother. Her bright yellow eyes stared down at me, comforting me.  With a smile across my lips, I slowly closed my eyes.