A Lifetime Ago

Chapter 7

I walked with a sinking feeling that someone’s gaze was capturing my each and every step. The woods looked darker and denser than before.  I can’t hear anybody. Where is Mom…Dad I thought?
I was so lost in my thoughts that I had no idea where my feet were taking me… I walked and walked which seemed like ages… deeper and deeper in the jungle… even the sun’s rays can’t reach the ground, so dense and dark…
I looked at my watch…
“Ohhhh noooo, I have been wandering in this wood for almost an hour’! I panicked and the words came out of my mouth like a tiny whimper.
I took a deep breath telling myself not to creep out and everything is going to be okay. I will be out from here soon; I told these encouraging words to myself before I lose it. I followed where my footsteps were taking me and my soul was dragging me towards. My heart was thumping against my chest so vividly that it felt so hard to breath. The woods had still held me hypnotized by its enchantment but this time my intuition was telling me that something is going to happen…something which I was actually waiting for….
It started to drizzle and before I would get soaked up in the downpour I tried to figure a way out as I realized the bitter truth that I was completely lost…. As hard as I found myself to admit it, I still kept walking soothing myself that I will soon be out in a flick! Lightning struck and thunderstorms followed, I shivered and trying my best not to cry out. I started running without any slight clue where I was heading towards…
Lightning struck again and the woods looked furiously at me like it was about to consume me. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and opened my eyes slowly. I focussed my view ahead and moved cautiously. A few meters from where I stood, covered in dense shrubs hidden somewhat which looked like a cave! No! I think am hallucinating, I told myself. Than fear grabbed me and I looked around. I shrieked. Every single detail of the trees, the entire sight was a vivid memory from my lifelong nightmares!  The same nightmare which has haunted me down with its deathly shadows every night! I was struck, hypnotized and not realizing my feet made its way to the cave entrance…. It looked so ancient…so mythical…so mesmerizing…. The entrance was covered mostly with wild shrubs and I took my first step into the cave. Thunderstorm struck and heavy rain followed.
It was so dark inside, not even a tiny flicker of light can be reflected. I recalled I had placed my phone in my jeans pockets. I took it out and switched on the flashlight! As predicted, the network bar was nil… no chance of calling my parents.
My heart was beating abruptly as I shown the phones flashlight far ahead. The light shone ahead not meeting the end. I took a few more steps and shown it to the walls of the cave. Some peculiar diagrams and symbols were carved on the wall. It looked so ancient and so old covered in few layers of dust.  I raised my hand and touched the wall.
“Arrrggghhhh, my head started to spin and flashes of people whirred my brain. My head was spinning and I held my hand touching my brain firmly. I started feeling very dizzy! Than it seemed the cave started to shake and I fell from the dizziness. My eyes were closing, and someone stood in front of me. And before I could make it out for who the person was, another shadow crossed for what seemed to be a fight. Someone held me from the ground, the figure felt so masculine almost as if I have known him… I lost consciousness…
I opened my eyes, surrounded by Mom, Dad and the Gibson family.
“Thank Goodness, Darling you alright”, asked Mom.
I was still shaken for the fact that I ended up at the riverside! I just stared at everyone in a confused state unable to utter a single word!
“You alright”, Mr Gibson asked me. I nodded.
Everyone gave a concerned look to me as Dad soon announced that we are heading back home now. As we made our way back to the house, I looked over my shoulder… Something moved swiftly in the woods. Somebody was there, that same feeling that someone was watching over me for long….
As we drove I stared at the woods, thinking about the cave, the wall crafting’s and the flashes of memory which I could actually recall… but nobody from the flash memory could make me remember for who were they actually. All were wearing draped olden days garments. And who were the two who were fighting? And who brought me back at the riverside safely? So many questions, but yet I had no answer to that.
Dad suddenly pulled the break after ten minutes of driving, I jerked from the back of the seat. Um, what happened? I asked suddenly brushing away all the woods memory from my mind. In the middle of the road stood shivering a little puppy all drenched up, looking quite scared. I got out of the car and picked him up. Damn! I miss my dog Wilson I said in a low grief.
“Dad am taking him home and naming Hunter”, I said smiling.
“Whatever makes you happy”, dad said with a smile. I wiped Hunter dry from my towel and let him cuddle on my lap. He laid there staring at me, just like the wild kitten at the house.
Um but, maybe it was a weird thought… but both pets eyes looked so similar... such human eyes. I brushed away the thought and pulled back my seat to have a quick nap as night was approaching.
As we got home, I was so tired after shower that hit the bed beside Hunter. He stared at me with those human eyes and I fell deeply into my nightmare world………..