Mikah

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

I could see everything that was going on, but I didn't even have my eyes open. It was so strange, so... weird. It almost didn't seem real, as if I was just daydreaming this entire thing.

Even though, I knew for a fact that I wasn't daydreaming, I knew for a fact that it had actually happened to me.

Reaching my hands in front of me, I began to see the forest surrounding me. There was fog everywhere, and I could just barely see my fingers.

Somehow, I felt extremely shorter, as if I had shrunk a whole lot of inches from where I were before.

I was panting, and so I held my hands close to my heart and felt as though just then and there I would pass out.

Turning around, off into the way distance was a figure of a castle, and I was headed farther and farther away from the castle.

Why was I doing this? I thought to myself.

Then, I heard the gunshots once again.

They pierced my ears, and I covered my ears with the palms of my hands.

Run, I reminded myself.

But I couldn't run, nor could I even move, for that matter.

It was as if I were stuck in quicksand, and I couldn't ever get out. As if I was just going to be stuck in there forever.

I felt like prey, hiding from it's enemies and that I would never get away in time. My enemies would find me, and kill me. 

"Mikhail!" A voice screamed, "Run!"

And so I somehow got out of the quicksand, and began to run.

I ran faster than I ever have before, sprinting for my life and running deeper and deeper into the dark and foggy forest.

Once I noticed how fast I was running, my legs began to feel heavier and heavier, and I couldn't help but slow down.

It didn't make any sense, really, because I just wanted to burst out crying and head back home.

I knew my home inside that castle was as safe as can be for all my life, why wasn't it now?

I tumbled to the ground, gasping for air and placing my hand over my throat.

Breathe, I told myself.

But I couldn't breathe. I couldn't stop shaking and I couldn't stop panting every single second. That's when I started to hyperventilate.

I tried to think of comforting things but the only thing that appeared inside my head was the familiar face of my mother's, getting beat up by the second.

I shook my head, and leant my head against a tree, beginning to silently cry into the palms of my hands.

There were small taps on the ground somewhere near me, and once I realized that someone must be near, I pulled my hands away from my face and looked in every direction.

What was that? I murmured inside my head.

Or really, who was that, for that matter. 

I looked around carefully and after inspecting every corner of the forest, I wound up in the same position, sobbing hysterically this time. 

The little taps came back, this time, they almost seemed closer.

"Whoever you are," I whispered, "Just leave me the hell alone!"

And so I went back to the last thing I were doing, crying my eyes out and worrying about my family.

The big taps came forward, and before I could even look to see who it is, I heard a loud sigh as if from a large being.

Looking up, I saw in the bushes a black and beautiful sleek stallion. It was my horse, I knew it had to be.

"Temno?" I called out.

The horse came forward, nuzzled me, and then tilted it's head as if for me to get on it's back.

I knew it was my childhood horse, I just knew it.

I jumped upon its back and sat up, and then whispered into Temno's ear, making him twitch;

"Onward, Temno, onward!"

He galloped forward into the forest, but I soon realized he was getting jumpy and scared because of the fog.

"Come on, boy, we're almost there. You've got this Temno, I know you do." I spoke.

The forest was quiet except for us, but something eerie told me that there was someone behind us.