The Stained Forest

Chapter 3/4

Ben Parker's P.O.V

           Splashes. They weren't loud, but they weren't quiet, but they were....slowly becoming louder. Other than the splashes, I heard raindrops...but they were heavy in a way. I swallowed roughly and slowly caressed the floor. It wasn't hard, but it was wet and sticky. I didn't know what was going on, or where I was, but in a way, I felt safe. As I drew my attention back to the splashing footsteps, they became louder and louder, until they suddenly stopped. I took a breath and slowly opened my eyes. The blurriness of my vision revealed fragments of the foggy surroundings.

"Um...hello?" A voice echoed. I quickly sat up and squinted my eyes around the dark scenery, but it was too unlighted to make anything out.

"H-hello?" I asked. Carefully, I rubbed my knuckles against my eyes and blinked a few times until I finally got a, somewhat, decent image of the place.

"Um...hello?" A voice echoed. I quickly sat up and squinted my eyes around the dark scenery, but it was too unlighted to make anything out.

"H-hello?" I asked. Carefully, I rubbed my knuckles against my eyes and blinked a few times until I finally got a somewhat, decent image of the place.

"O-oh, hi....I thought you were my Daddy...I'm sorry." The voice said as it shifted away from me.

"W-wait!" I yelled hoarsely. I then stood up and cleared my voice as I asked, "where are you?"

"Wait, you can't see me?" It asked.

"No? But you can see me?" I asked.

"Yes, very clearly Mr."

"Where are you?"

"Um, down here?" It said as I felt a tug on my pants. 

"Huh?" I looked down and my eyes widened as I noticed a small child holding onto my pants innocently, "w-who are you?"

"W-well.....I...... live here," he said, clearly not wanting to answer my question.

"....Well what is this place?"

"I-I don't know....."

"Oh.... Well how did you get here?"

"U-um....the big bad monster ate me...."

"....Eh?.....Huh?!"

"What about you Mr? How did you get here?" I blinked my eyes a few more times and stared at the child confused.

"W-What do you mean you got eaten!?" I yelled which caused the child to flinch and cover his ears. I quickly bit my lip and kneeled down to him. "....O-oh, I-I didn't mean to yell at you." The child slowly turned his head with a somewhat terrified expression. I swallowed again and slightly panicked as I didn't know what to do.

"R-really?" He asked quietly. 

"Y-yeah......I-I was just shocked, that's all. I didn't mean to scare you in any way," I said as I stood up and awkwardly patted his head. He sniffled and wiped his small tears on my leg as he hugged me. I hesitantly rubbed his back to comfort him.

"I-I mi-miss my M-mommy and Da-daddy...." he sobbed.

"Where are they?"

"Th-they-" he stopped and wailed as he held onto me tighter.

"It's ok-" I was cut off by the heavy pouring of the ceiling's vicinity. The sable black raindrops rammed on the wet surface of the ground. "Don't worry, everything's going to be alright......" I said as I wiped his tears away. As my vision became encased in the heavy rain, the swampy black water slowly submerged the two of us."You're not alone....."