The Riddle Of The Future

William

I estimated that it was about five hours of continuous walking when we started to see little bushes and trees growing randomly in the sand. After another hour, the vegetation was growing thicker and thicker and we spotted the entrance to what looked like a forest. I could hear animal noises and the sound of running water. Relief flooded through me and we ran forwards, entering the forest and stepping on soft grass.

"Lucy, look! We're saved!" I exclaimed dropping down onto my knees and kissing the grassy undergrowth. I had never been so relieved to see green. Lucy joined me and gasped in wonder. I looked up and broke into a smile, spotting a running waterfall through the trees. We headed towards it and stepped out from the trees. The water was splashing into a small pool before and I almost salivated. It looked fresh, sparkling in the afternoon sun that was shining down on us.

I ran down the grassy bank and stuck my head into the pool of water and drank as much as I could contain. It was refreshing and pure and I immediately felt my spirits rise. Lucy and I filled some containers up with the water and decided to set up camp on the bank. I settled onto the soft grass and stared into the sparkling water, getting lost in my thoughts. This forest was dreamlike and I fell into a daydream, listening to the lulling sounds of the rushing water.

*

A sudden scream jerked me away and I sat up, turning my head this way and that to spot the source. Lucy wasn't next to me and I felt my heart jump into my throat. There was another scream and this time, I saw Lucy cowering behind a tree. Her face was one of pure horror.

I got up and took a step towards her. "What's wrong?"

Suddenly, I was knocked off of my feet and landed on my back, the wind knocked straight out of me. I was so shocked that I couldn't do anything. Something small flew at my face and started scratching at my eyes. I screamed and covered myself with my arms which caused the animal to start tearing at my skin.

Lucy ran over to me and started beating the animal with a stick. I managed to roll away and stood up next to her, blood oozing out of the wounds on my body. I managed to catch sight of what was attacking us and spotted the most bizarre looking bird I had ever seen. It was the first animal we had encountered since arriving at this place but now I wish we hadn't. The bird had four beady eyes and six scaly legs sprouting from its body. Its feathers were iridescent and sparkling in the sun.

I watched as the creature flew into the air and turned back around, as if about to attack again. I searched the ground to something to attack it with and spotted another sturdy stick. I ducked and picked it up, feeling the wind blow over my head. I held the stick as high up above my head as I could, jabbing it towards the bird, hoping that I could scare it away.

Suddenly, a sharp twang echoed in the trees and an arrow came flying through the air, striking the bird directly in the eye. There was a squeal and the animal fell to the ground like a rock, dead. I looked at Lucy in horror, seeing that she had turned a horrible shade of green.

"What the hell?" I gasped in bewilderment.

I heard a rustle from behind me and spun around as a boy jumped out in front of us. I held my stick out in front of me, warning the boy to stay away. I eyed him warily as he barely took notice of us, walking over to the fallen bird and examining it.

He wasn't wearing a t-shirt and his muscles were clearly refined, olive skin glistening with sweat. I could admit that he was attractive but something about him made me keep my guard up. Who knows what kind of deformity he could have? An extra toe?

He stood back up and finally turned towards us. His eyes were a piercing blue and I shivered. "You are very lucky to be alive. This bird spits acid which sinks fast, killing you within seconds."

His voice was soft and slightly intimidating. I didn't like him. He was dangerous.

"Thank you for saving us," Lucy chipping in tripping over her words. I stared at her incredulously, seeing her cheeks a bright red and her pupils diluted.

You've got to be kidding me, I thought.

The boy didn't answer. Instead, he pulled a sharp knife from the pocket of his trousers and to my disgust, dug it deep into the bird. Blood poured from the cut and I looked away. I knew what he was doing but that didn't mean that I wanted to watch.

I walked away from the boy and started to set a fire up, knowing that the bird would need to be cooked before it could be ate. Once he had finished cleaning the animal, he brought it over to the fire and sat down warily. That made both of us.

"What's your name?" I demanded.

"My name is William, but you can call me Will if you wish."

I noticed that he had a strange way of speaking. It reminded me of Mr. Than which just caused my suspicion of him to increase.

"I'm Alex and this is Lucy," I said gesturing to Lucy who was sitting next to me silently.

"It's nice to meet you," and then he got up, bowing formally. I raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. I saw Lucy was already completely taken by his behaviour. She must have thought he was a perfect gentlemen. I wanted to warn her. To tell her that he wasn't all that he seemed.

Will sat back down and set to work, cooking the bird on the fire. Soon we were all eating, yet nobody said a word. The bird tasted distinctly of chicken. I could tell that Lucy didn't like eating it but she was as hungry as I was. It wasn't like we had much of a choice.

Once dinner was over, I rolled over onto my side, wanting to escape the awkwardness. The feeling of food settling in my stomach made falling asleep easily and once again I was falling into a dreamless sleep.

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