Crack.
My foot broke a stick. I froze. Glancing around there seemed to be nothing. At least, nothing around me. I craned my neck, trying to see, but not daring to move. Scared, I gingerly took another step. This time, I only the soft crackle of the leaves underneath my foot. Good...I was still safe. At least...for now.
Shuddering at the thought, I turned my attention to getting out of this forest, alive and whole.
Crunch.
That wasn't me. I hadn't moved a muscle. So, then...
Afraid of what I'd see, I slowly rotated, to find the source of the crunch. I looked.
Nothing. I blinked, and searched harder, looking for movement.
There. A tree branch. Waving around. Something probably jumped on it. There was no wind. I examined the tree, looking up and down. Nothing. Just that one branch, slowly moving around in the nonexistent wind.
Wait a second...
I'd wasted time trying to figure out what the monster was, when I could've running away. The monster has been in front of me this whole time, and I didn't see it. The tree was the monster.
I backed away, slowly, and carefully, because if the tree didn't notice me, I wasn't going to draw attention to myself.
Doubtful, but my only hope.
When I'd gone three feet, I heard another loud crunching noise, and that's when the tree turned face me. It had a hideous face, with bulging, mossy eyes, a lumpy, gnarled bark nose, and a mouth stretched in what seemed like a permanent leer. I gasped, then covered my mouth. The tree's eyes found me, and they narrowed in hatred. I slowly moved back my foot, then turned on the spot and ran.
I didn't look back, but I could hear the tree roaring, and the sound of a lot of dirt being moved as the tree struggled to get up. Running even faster, I prayed that he was the only tree monster. If not, then I'd walked straight into an army. And I would have no chance. Shuddering at the thought of being surrounded by ugly, moving trees, I urged my feet go to go faster.
I heard a roar from the tree monster, and it sounded triumphant. Chancing a glance back, I saw that the tree monster has dislodged itself from the ground and was coming after me. I quickly turned around, but it was too late when I saw a huge root sticking out from the ground. Well, typically, I tripped over it, fell on my face, and was scrambling to get up within seconds. However, my clumsiness had cost me time.
The tree was closing in. I swallowed my fear, and bit my lip so I wouldn't scream. Zipping through the forest, skirting around trees, I began wondering when this dratted forest ended. And I could have a chance at survival. I chilled at the thought of what could happen if the tree caught up with me. Oh...disturbing and scary images flooded my mind.
I ran, focused on one goal: Getting out of here. Getting away from the tree. Living to see tomorrow's dawn. As I thought about daybreak, the sun began to set.
And now I'd be running away from a killer tree in the dark.
I jumped over a root, determined to get out before the sky became black.
I was feeling confident, when the tree monster roared again - and he was really close.
Why is it always me? I thought. I have to be the one to confront a tree monster. And run away from it, because there is no way I could defeat it...or is there?
Bolstered by the thought, I wracked my mind for ideas. I took a mental inventory. Well... I had my clothes, and I don't think I'll use those, a small dagger, which would about zero damage to the tree, and my bow. I only had three arrows.
