The Mystical Forest

Chapter 1

The screech of the news channel was all that could be heard that day. No one really ever pays attention to the emergency alert systems, it's always assumed as a simple test. The air felt heavy with a sense of foreboding as the news showed live coverage of a rolling mist consuming entire continents. For once it seemed that the whole world was connected, all holding a simple breath of awe at this odd phenomenon. The mist started out light like a simple sheer curtain laid over the lands but the more it consumed the darker and more twisted it became.

No one understood it at the time and many scientists wrote theories on its occurrence. The theories ranged from cosmic influences to the end of the world. At the beginning people were enthralled and many children went to play in this mysterious mist, I too played in the mist. But then like a stone being dropped in a calm pond ripples of occurrences happened, people began to go missing and reports of strange creatures began to surface. The missing cases began small with few people around the world disappearing at the touch of the mist. Then we lost Australia. As if it has never existed the entire 7,686,884 square kilometer continent had vanished and all that stood in its place was more ocean. For months world leaders and scientists argued over global news channels about the disappearances and occurrences as they progressively got worse.

More and more changes began to happen, it seemed like the world was being shifted and morphed.  The second largest news story happened two months after Australia's disappearance, suddenly a new continent had emerged between Russia and North America. Like it had grew over night a continent almost twice as large as Australia had appeared. Scientists raged and argued this occurrence saying that the continent had managed to push a great distance between Russia and North America which forced movement between all the land masses around the world. Chaos ensued with each new discovery of the mists actions. Many nations began pillaging and fighting as people feared the end was near. Blame was place on each person as they had strayed so far from religion and brought the wrath of the religious head(s) on themselves.

Radios were the last few technologies that worked in the mist. Specifically older ham radios that truckers would be seen using in movies. The switch between communicating with news sources and anyone who would reply became the routine of many people, especially me. Many of the lines were filled with people looking for family members or reporting strange creatures. The Lines were mostly dead in the darkest part of the night, the only exceptions were erie sounds of creatures you would hear in horror stories and distant family members whispering over memories.

As a 12 year old child it was soothing to listen to people try and have normal conversations to escape reality. The mist was scariest at 3am as the shadows mixed with the changing colors of the deep forest. From the window of the old hunters shack the twisted and moss covered trees looked like classic monsters in many horror stories. After the mist stole and morphed the continents many people were displaced and left without family. In some cases the mist even stole memories.
The cool crisp air of the mist seemed to steal ones breath and with that breath the memories of my childhood seemed to go with it. The faces of my parents and the happy memories of our time together had all drifted away. The only things that remained were the rough and grueling times of survival with my sister. Only five years older then me, she took the hardships upon herself. As a seventeen year old she managed to avoid the conflicts between nations and people who were struggling to find resources and family. We would often use the night to smuggle food and look for shelter while avoiding people and dark mist patches. I remember her face so vividly. Her large dark brown eyes that were always watching and calculating. Her dark caramel skin and luscious dark curly hair that reached her shoulder blades. She was strong and always put up a fight, her nose was slightly turned to the right from being broken so many times. But as much as I remember her and her face this mist had taken even her name from my memories. All that was left was her and my will to find her. She had told me she would be back, that she was only going to search for a month, but it's been 9 years.

Where did she go?
What was she looking for?
who was she?
Did she really even exist?
Was she really my sister?
What was I just thinking about?

These questions revolve around my mind day and night as I sit in this hunters shack staring at the mist filled forest she disappeared into. I can't even remember how we got here. The first rule was always to avoid the dark mist filled forests. The radios repeat this every hour for those who lose their memory, but this shack sits in the middle of a clearing surrounded by mist filled forest. Maybe today I'll go into the woods and uncover the secrets it holds.

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This story it supposed to be a mystery and fantasy. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! please feel free to place any criticism here♥️
(∩｀-' )⊃━☆ﾟ.*･ ｡ﾟ♥️♥️
sending magical love