FOREST OF THE LOST

PART FIFTEEN

27.

Tick tock ... tick tock ... tick tock ... Upon waking and yet to open his eyes, Terrence could hear the sound of a small wooden clock ticking time away as it sits atop of a dresser by his boarded-up bedroom window. This is a peaceful sound, a comforting sound, a sound informing him that he is at home and that all he had been experiencing in recent times must be nothing more than a dream or something that only really lives in his own head perhaps.

He can't help but smile as he turns onto his left side feeling gratitude that this dream is over. Before he can even begin to consider as to how he can spend his upcoming day, Terrence is snapped back to a reality of sorts for as his right hand comes down onto what he expects is part of his bed he can feel something that should not be there.

As he comes into contact with what it is that should not be there, he can smell it too, crisp, dead leaves, many crisp, dead leaves. Only now does he open his eyes. Disaster, this is a moment of disaster. For Terrence is not laying home alone in the comfort of his own bed. He is lying on the ground, on a bed of crisp-brown dead leaves and he is surrounded by a multitude of trees.

Opening his eyes reveals this to him. It can't be, it just can't be, but it is. 'No, no ... no' he says to himself propping himself up and looking around. There is no darkness, a day light has returned. For a moment or so Terrence is not concerned with the return of light as for right now there is nothing which he wouldn't give to actually be home alone in the nighttime darkness and back in that bed of his.

What is there to do right now other than get up and onto his feet and move on with whatever he feels he is here to do? And what exactly is he here to do? There is no clock tick tocking time away for there is no time to pass him by. He may be here to spend all of eternity though how long can eternity last in a place that does not acknowledge the existence of time?

There is no time for contemplation, no time to consider how any of what has occurred could be occurring, for right now and before he can make it back to his feet Terrence has his attention taken by the presence of a dog, a German Shepard who has gotten away from his owner as its leash lays beside it.

If Terrence is in the presence of a dog like this, then that can only mean one thing. A voice can soon be heard calling out. The voice is a little ways away and it sounds to be nearing, and it belongs to a young lady.

The voice indeed is female and is repeatedly calling out the name 'Collie'. Terrence has never officially met this lady though he does have more than more than a fair idea as to who she is. The dog is only a few feet away from where Terrence still is on the ground and the lady calling out soon comes into view. Seeing the dog, a moment or two before seeing the man not so far away, she caresses the animal.

'Where did you get to, huh? Where did ...'

Seeing the stranger close by temporarily silences her, it also makes her stand and take a step or two backwards from having crouched down to her dog in the moment she had arrived. Perceiving that she is not in any immediate danger she speaks.

'Are you alright there? Do you need a hand up?'

'Yes please' he says taking her hand once she offers it to him.

'Did you fall? Are you hurt?'

'I'm fine, thank you' Terrence says while brushing himself down. 'To be completely honest I don't really know what happened.'

'Do you need help finding your way out of here?'

'I probably do actually though my intention had been to come help you out of here?'

'Me? ... Really? I don't need any help leaving here. I know this place very well.'

'You don't know it quite like I do, trust me.'