(DISCONTINUED) Together Again (A Shelter 2: Paws walkthrough\story)

Alone and Scared

Inna let out a groan and opened her eyes. Her whole body was wet and sore. Wet...? Inna noticed that below her, there was a bank of mud.

 "Mum...Frost? Berry? Flame?" Inna asked to no one. No reply. What happened? Did I just get swept away by a river? Where is my family?

Inna sniffed the air and some purple images appeared. They were her family. Mum, Berry, Frost, and Flame! I'm coming! Inna leapt towards them, only to discover they were as good as mirages. Inna sighed and trailed away. Her "spirit" family walked to the end of the bank, then faded away. Oh... well, I'll still find my real family! Inna frowned in disappointment and continued forward.

Inna sniffed the air again and it revealed some white footprints leading into a small tunnel. They must be mother's footprints! I'll follow them!

Treading carefully, she made her way towards the white marks, she heard her belly rumble. I guess I'm hungry. It's been a while since I ate that rabbit...

Inna spotted a frog near the shore. It would be filling enough to sustain her until she found her family. Or if she would find them at all...

No! I will if I keep trying! Inna closed her eyes and tried to imagine life alone. It couldn't happen, or...

Why am I thinking about this? I've got to find food, and fast! Inna crouched down, using the technique her mother taught her. She crouched, shifted through the grass quietly, and pounced! She caught the frog and devoured it in seconds, hungry to the bone.

Where do I go now? Inna saw a small tunnel. She guessed that it was the way to go. Why else would there be tracks? Inna followed the tracks to the tunnel and went through it. "Ow! That hurt!" Inna had been stabbed by a bramble leaning out from a bush.

The Forest was dangerous, and it scarcely reminded her of home. But that was probably good. The more the surroundings reminded her of home, the more she would miss her family, and that wasn't good...

I need to focus!  She hugged the wall to the left, hoping it would lead her to another trail. Instead, Inna saw a memory circle and a odd golden flower. Inna had never seen a golden flower. As she touched it, the warmth seeped through her. It kind of reminded Inna of her family. Wow, that felt...nice. But not my family. Mum, Berry, Flame and Frost are waiting for me. I have to get moving! Inna walked to the memory circle, stepping into it and relishing the familiar feeling.

The river, cold, wet, dark, alone. Only bad memories... Inna frowned and continued on the marked track. She shifted through the forest, making her way over ledges. She heard ravens shriek ahead, their cries shocked Inna, paralysing her for mere moments.

Scary. Home was never like this. Perhaps Inna would've been better of going downstream. But then again, her family could be long gone from that place by now. Inna had no idea how long she'd been unconscious. It was risky, but she would follow her current path.

Inna looked over to the side. As well as being filled with mushrooms, the ground held a small, tight path winding along the shoreline of a lake. She'd follow it because she had a good feeling about it, but there was no chance Inna would go back into the water after the river incident!

As Inna followed the path, she saw a golden clam among one of the miniature islands. It was like the flower, except it looked like a clam. Inna jumped over to the island, making sure to avoid the water, and she touched the golden clam.

It faded away just like the flower, but it came with another nice feeling. It was like light spreading all over Inna's body. It was one of the only comforting things that she had encountered in the strange forest.

She jumped back to the trail, and followed it back to the mushroom patch. With delight, she saw the path to leading out of the forest.

She followed it, with newfound determination to find her family, and with her new discoveries, she was even more sure she'd find them.