The Aftermath

Chapter 1

     As I stepped into the musky forest, all noises from the previous world subdued. A transparent portal glistened in the sunlight, portraying my disfigured reflection across its shimmering surface

     I inhaled the pine aroma of my surroundings and satisfaction warmed my body. This world was my creation, my work of art!

     I could hardly control my excitement as I wandered through the lush woods, tracing my fingers along every indent and imprint carved into the trees I passed.

     But what truly made my blood sizzle with enthusiasm was the knowledge that other living organisms inhabited this realm. Humans, with vibrant and tangible emotion, different from any I'd created in the past. 

* * *

     Hours had passed, but boredom hadn't set in yet. I was thriving with anticipation, and I wasn't yet satisfied. I yearned to see more, and to experience the raw, unfiltered beauty of my creation. 

      So, as I would soon regret, I decided to push my limits. Instead of returning back to the gateway as I had originally planned after some time of exploration, I decided to trek further. At first I played it safe, constantly checking my watch to see how much time I had left. 

     But as I explored further, my frequent checking became more and more occasional until I had practically forgotten the existence of time itself.

*  *  *

     Suddenly, as I was exploring a small cave, the realization that I had little time left hit me like a sledgehammer. Already dreading what I would see, I raised my arm tentatively and turned the face of my watch towards me.

     Shit!

     I had been roaming my realm for five hours.

     Only one minute and twenty-eight seconds remained until...

     A wave of despair suddenly hit me, and I raced across the needle-strewn floor of the forest towards the valley where the gateway stood. A voice in the back of my head screamed that I wouldn't make it in time, but I continued to throw one foot in front of the other like a raving lunatic. Paranoid and hopeless, I checked my watch again.

     Eighteen seconds left.

     At last, I broke through the tree-line marking the beginning of the forest, and caught sight of the flickering portal. Hope flared through my veins, and I let out a breath of relief. My adrenaline coursed harder than I thought possible, and I hurled myself across the valley at what I thought to be an impossible speed.

     Three seconds left.

     I stretched my arm towards the gateway, trying desperately to reach it quicker. I was so close, I could practically feel waves of raw energy resonating off the portal towards my outstretched hand. 

     Just a few more steps...

     Too late.

     The clear passage way dissipated into thin air, mere feet away. Just a few more seconds to spare and I would've made it. 

     My door to reality was gone for another moon, leaving me stranded in my own fantasy - literally, sadly for me.

     My situation could have been amusing, if this had simply been another one of my lighthearted creations. But thanks to my blunt idiocy, it wasn't.

     My blood ran cold as I heard the faint, distant maniacal voice of a woman. 

    The woman.

     Her chant gradually increased in volume, indicating that she was slowly nearing. I quickly recognized her voice, and knew exactly who this woman was.

     I turned, bracing myself to flee when the woman's next words froze me in my tracks:

     "A destiny for one, fate of another, here lie both in this retched soil under."