I had planned to wander until the sun had completely disappeared, but my plans were interrupted by my stomach growling violently.
I hadn't eaten in a while.
After searching for a bit, I found a berry bush. I had never seen this type of berry before.
They were pink, about the size of my fist, and had a strange, ribbed texture.
They could very well be poisonous.
But was not eating even an option? I could feel my thoughts becoming increasingly blurry and unfocused. My entire body felt weak, exhausted, and sore.
I wasn't sure I could reach the tower without eating anything.
And even if I could-who said I'd be given food there?
So I decided to take the risk.
Greedily, I ripped a fruit from the bush and sank my teeth into it.
A strong, sweet-and-sour taste filled my mouth.
The inside of the fruit was dark yellow, and its juices ran down my chin.
"Mhhh, if this is poisonous, it was definitely worth it!"
I devoured the fruit and already felt my hunger begin to fade-but it just tasted so good!
And there were so many more fruits.
So I grabbed another.
With a loud CRRCK, a branch snapped a couple of meters to my left.
I jumped, alarmed, then slowly backed away and began climbing the nearest tree, all while trying not to make a sound. I had forgotten that the sun had already disappeared behind the horizon.
Step by step, I moved back, doing everything I could not to draw attention.
CRRRCK.
Something light was running toward me—and it was fast.
'At this rate, whatever's coming will definitely catch me.'
I turned and ran.
As fast as my legs would carry me, I sprinted through the twilight, my breathing fast and shallow.
But I was too slow.
The footsteps were closing in. I didn't dare look back.
Whatever was behind me could probably already see me.
Just seconds left until the creature would leap and bring me down.
A short sob escaped me between gasps for breath.
'No. No, no, no-I gotta... I gotta run faster!'
The footsteps were now right behind me.
And then-suddenly-a figure appeared at my side.
It was a girl. She looked about my age.
Red hair streamed behind her as she ran, her long legs carrying her forward like a deer.
I stumbled, but caught myself immediately.
My eyes focused on the shadowy grass ahead as I dashed through the undergrowth.
What was she running from?
Probably another nocturnal predator. Definitely not something I wanted to meet, either.
So I kept running.
Suddenly, she pulled me sideways. I slid over the leaf-covered ground and under some roots jutting up from a strangely shaped tree.
The girl had pulled me down.
She crawled deeper under the roots, which seemed to have once opened into the burrow of a smaller monster.
The burrow had mostly collapsed and was now just a small indentation beneath the tree.
I crawled in next to her. We were both lying on our stomachs, pressed together, still breathing rapidly.
She swept leaves into a pile in front of the burrow to hide the entrance.
That was when I heard it too.
The thing we were fleeing from.
The sound echoing through the forest was a heavy dragging noise, as if something massive was pulling its bloated body across the forest floor.
I could also hear branches snapping and crushing-only fueling my imagination about the creature's size.
Every now and then, the noise was accompanied by a strange hissing sound, like that of a giant snake-but there was something...off about it.
My heart was still racing-maybe even faster than before.
The girl looked at me and held her index finger to her lips, signaling for silence.
I closed my eyes and tried to calm my breath.
The sounds of the demonic thing approaching grew louder-just seconds before it would burst from the bushes right beside us.
The hissing was now accompanied by occasional sniffing-it was clearly searching.
I hadn't considered that, even if it couldn't see us, it might smell us.
I looked over at the red-haired girl. She seemed calm-but maybe it was just a mask.
For now, I decided to trust her judgment.
The bushes right next to our tree exploded.
The creature had caught up with us.