The Forest Lives [COMPLETED]

Chapter 1 - Personalised Artificial Intelligence

A gentle breeze caused the rose red curtains to sway gently.

The mahogany desk was old but still well taken care of by the man who worked there. The name 'Dr. Lockwood' was written on a small metal plaque.

A doctor sat down on the other side of the desk, leaning forward to look at his documents. He flicked through them for a minute before looking to the man sitting in the chair in front of him.

"So, to make this easier on both of us. I will refer to you by name rather than a number as I otherwise would." Spoke the doctor before straightening his glasses and re-adjusting his position on the leather seat. "So... Mr..."

"Poole. It's Mr Poole." Replied a man wearing a blue jumpsuit. He slouched in his chair, slightly, clearly wishing he were anywhere else.

"Since your arrival here, you've displayed many symptoms similar to that of PTSD." Spoke Dr Lockwood. "Considering the circumstances, I obviously know little of what could have happened."

"Doc, you don't have to lie to me. You know exactly how I ended up back here." Replied Mr Poole, rolling his eyes.

"That's Dr Lockwood to you!" Shouted the man on the other side of the desk, donning a face of irritation. "If you'd like to play it that way, fine. But don't expect the tests to go any easier on you just because you used to work here!"

Sighing, the doctor recomposed himself and looked at some documents in front of him before correcting his vision back towards the man again. "So, in your own words, tell me what happened, you mentioned a girl, correct?"

"Correct. She helped PAI and I get out of the wood-scape." Answered Mr Poole.

"The girl wasn't with you when we found you. Did she die there?"

"I wish. I don't know what happened to her."

"Do you know where PAI is now?"

"No idea."

"Good. It is best you don't." Dr Lockwood had been writing every word said onto the paper in front of him. He again straightened his glasses and looked back up to Mr Poole. "One more question before you may resume your routine: The creature we found you with. It hasn't been seen before in the wood-scape. Do you have any information regarding it?"

There was a long pause with this, the doctor stared at Mr Poole through his circular glasses with zero remorse in his eye. Feeling a sense of defeat, Poole stood and placed his hands into the pockets of his blue jumpsuit.

"Never set it free and never let anyone see it again."

———PRESENT DAY———

Sasha, Red and Reno were walking. It was dark and muddy, the forest branches provided some cover from the pouring rain.

Reno, a tall redhead, was drunk. This was to be expected from him after a party.

Sasha's short legs were beginning to sink into the mud as she began to walk quicker, hating the rain.

Red focussed on keeping Reno on his feet, being sober himself and keeping an eye on Sasha as she walked.

Suddenly, Red stopped in his tracks. "Sasha, wait!" Something had glimmered in the corner of his eye. After putting Reno down against a tree he began to rummage around in some wet leaves, eventually pulling out a soaking wet phone.

"Is that a phone? You stopped me for a phone?" Sasha yelled back at him. "Just fucking leave it I'm sopping wet here!" Red frowned at Sasha, pocketing the phone, taking Reno's arm over his shoulder and continuing the walk. Then, nodding his head to the shivering girl to tell her to keep going, slightly annoyed at her lack of care for the clearly lost phone. Without a second thought, Sasha repeated his gesture and begun speed walking. Red and Reno following as best they could.