Dark

My body slammed against the water like a man clapping his hands.

I lost all my senses as I slowly drifted to the rocky bottom of this waterfall.

I fought to regain full consciousness.

Desperately cleaving my eyes open.

That moment lasted a lifetime.

When, suddenly, I could move again.

I inhaled so sharply I could've drowned myself.

As I clamoured back up to the surface.

"HAH!" I gasped as my face emerged from the water.

Barely keeping myself afloat, I pivoted my head in all directions, searching for the nearest patch of land.

Then I paddled on over.

A wave of relief coursed through me as my hand gripped a patch of grass and mud.

I crawled out of the water, still panting for air, my legs still weak from the fall.

Once even my knees gave out from crawling, I settled for a small rock to lay my back on.

I took a moment to collect myself, observe my surroundings. See how far I had fallen.

I couldn't even see the soldiers anymore.

Just two easily misconstrued shapes obscured by the shade of the trees.

That being said, I could still hear them.

"What the hell do we do now? His majesty said to capture him at all costs!"

"Have you been off the cider?! I'm not going down there for a Gremlin. His majesty can strike me down himself."

"He just might!"

"Besides, it matters not. It's like I said, he has no chance of surviving in this forest. There are no humans out here, and we've already sieged all the neighbouring Gremlin villages."

"Well… yes I suppose that's true."

I sighed in relief.

Relief that I was worth so little to humans.

And then that disgust hit me again.

I was sick of being disgusted.

"It is funny though…"

"What?"

"You saw his eyes. He actually believes he stands a chance against us, against his majesty. Even after he saw his Storm Assurance…"

Assurance? What does that mean?

"Hah! I know. Even we wouldn't stand a chance against him! The fact that we understand that, and the simpleton minds of the gremlins don't…

That's why they're the slaves. That's why we are the masters"

"Just as his majesty said."

"Too right."

The laughter echoed behind them as they turned back to the village.

And then I was all alone.

The water still yet roared down the waterfall.

The birds chirped and the trees rustled.

But it was still so quiet.

I reminisced the sound of my mother's voice ordering me around the house.

Of my brothers squabbling at dinner.

Voices I would never hear again.

The shock was still ripe and fresh.

And so I could not fully taste my own anguish.

Only smell it's looming scent.

Stalking me. Waiting to throb at my heart and weigh down on my chest.

I knew it was coming.

I knew that when it struck it would overcome me. Immobilize me.

So I knew I had to keep moving.

Whilst I still could.

I heaved myself up against the rock, my legs shaking as I struggled to pull myself upright.

I hammered one foot in front of the other as if I was learning to walk again.

I could barely walk, but the cause wasn't totally physical.

I was stumbling from tree to tree.

Four to five trees in a row, and I would need a second to rest my legs.

Then again.

And again.

I would rest in the evening.

No fire to warm me, no shelter to keep me dry.

I would lie on the wet leaves beneath me and pray that it did not rain.

But the more time that passed. The more I waited for the opposite.

I couldn't know for sure how much time had passed.

But I kept counting the sunsets, the sunrises.

2 of each at least.

I would limp through the evening, trying to find some form of shelter by the night.

I need to start a fire. And I need some type of food and water.

Will I still be able to move if I go hungry tonight?

Can it wait till morning?

I don't fcking know. I don't care.*

I'm dead either way.

The trees towered over me as the leaves leered over my head.

Branches smacking me over the face as if mocking me.

Saying "You'll never make it out alive!"

Some animal would screech out in the distance.

Whenever I zoned out. It was there to remind me I was going to die soon.

I ignored it. And kept moving.

On the third night, I was completely dehydrated.

My mind foggy and throbbing.

My eyelids dry and crusty.

My clothes wet and stained neck to ankle with mud.

Splinters and scars on my bare feet.

Dragging myself from tree to tree.

Until the sun fully came down.

Then I simply stopped.

This is it.

I had been wondering in the exact same direction for three days and two nights now.

And yet I had not found an exit from this forest.

Even if I had, I would have either continued trekking into nowhere or been captured and dragged back to a Gimen slave dungeon.

I might as well just die here.

I didn't need a scenic final view.

I couldn't see in the darkness of the night.

I would simply fall asleep, and not wake up.

It didn't matter where.

I slumped over onto a random tree and slid down to the ground.

I tried to cozy myself in the dirt and soggy leaves as the crickets croaked through the silent air.

I just wanted to close my eyes and rest.

Yet every time I dozed off, I pictured Uncle Bulso being seared by lightning.

I recalled the farmers and shepherds getting cleaved and sliced as their blood coated our windows.

I remembered my mother being struck straight through the heart, right before my eyes.

Her last words pounding on my brain: Don't try to live a better life. It's ok. You'll never have more than this. This endless torment. This is all there is. We Gimen aren't strong enough to ask for more.

At least that was how I heard it.

I wanted to throw up what little food I had left inside of me.

I was spending what I believed to be my last moments in the middle of nowhere…

Fighting away a nightmare I hadn't even woken up from yet.

Perhaps mother was right.

We cannot win.

With that thought, I finally dozed off.