I walk down the gravel path, looking around me at the leaves floating lazily down from the trees. I stop when I reach a gap in the trees, looking down the path of walked-upon leaves to try to see where it leads. To my delight but slight dismay, the path turns, leading out of sight. I sigh, conflicted, and pull up my sleeve to reveal an intricate tattoo of a bear.
"What do you think, Arlyss?" I clench my eyes shut, seeing a flash through my eyelids only a moment later. I open my eyes and look beside me.
Where seconds before there had been nothing but dry leaves now stands a creature made of nothing but muscle and fur. The grizzly's fur is a deep wooden brown with hints of grey and rises and falls with every deep breath she takes. Arlyss grunts, tossing her head in the direction of the path, and moves to stand behind me. Her message is clear. Go, and I will keep you safe. I nod and begin to walk, listening to her heavy footfalls in the thick woods.
We walk for well over an hour, following the path as it twists and turns, taking us deeper and deeper into the woods. Gradually, I become more and more on edge, growing doubtful that the path has an end at all. I stop and move to turn around, but Arlyss refuses to move, clearly wanting to continue the way we had been going. I groan but smile slightly, amused by the stubbornness we share. We start walking once more, and Arlyss puffs out a breath of air as though to give me some tough love.
We reach another turn in the path and take it. I continue watching the path until I feel a warm muzzle pressing into my back. I stop and turn to look at Arlyss, exasperated.
"What do you want? We've been walking for hours now! I'm tired of this! I don't have the stamina I used to, much less yours!" Arlyss takes a step forward and headbutts me. The gesture is gentle but authoritative, and I begin to start complaining about walking as I turn around.
What I see takes my breath away, and my legs give out beneath me, though why I do not know.
As I look up at the flaming canopy above me, with firey leaves floating down all around me, Arlyss walks up and nudges my arm, which I hold out instinctively. She disappears in a bright flash, leaving me alone, surrounded only by the red and gold colors of the trees.
YOU ARE READING
Glitches in My Code
Short StoryThis is mostly short stories that I come up with. There might be romance, letters, sci-fi, fantasy, any combination of the aforementioned things and anything else I can't think of right now. I also use this "story" to experiment with different thing...
