Misty-eyed, cheeks smeared with moisture, I walked sniffling and occasionally brushing my hankerchief under the nostrils to wipe my mucus. My nose was blocked, and I couldn't sense what the vicinity smelled like - though I was certain it smelled musty, wherever I was
The twigs and autumn leaves filling up every inch of the ground rustled under my feet as I shambled, watching the never-ending giant, lush trees and their roots that seemed to have grown since ages, and probably were still growing. These were the sort I had only watched in the movies and they scared me. How in the name of God I ended up being here was what I hadn't figured out in the past two hours - that was the time I had already spent walking in the dark, creepy jungle.
There was a cloud of fog a few metres ahead. I was sure there was something beyond. It gave me hope and I forgot all about the pain in my feet. I sprinted to where I thought the fog appeared from. But it only appeared to draw farther away from me. I looked back. I couldn't see anything. No silhouettes of trees or anything but dense flog that appeared so sinister that I wondered if it was indeed a wise decision.
Damn it, I thought, it was still better than walking aimlessly for hours. Even if there might be danger,taking risks also involved reaching your destination sooner than staying within what I thought was a safe zone.
But then, I stumbled and fell. As I hit the ground, I heard a storm approach, engulfing the jungle. I could hear the trees sway and the leaves rudtle into excitement, and falling all over me - covering me from head till toe.
I struggled to get them off me. I struggled to stand. But the twigs had twisted around me - my arms, torso and eyes all covered with them, while the terrible swishes of wind toyed with my ears. The ground started to act strange. The rough exterior seemed to change into quicksand, taking all of me into it. I knew all hope was lost, but for some strange reason, I desperately cried for help.
And two hands, appearing out of nowhere, clenched my shoulders tightly and pulled me out. No figure was visible, or perhaps I was too stunned to make sense of what was going around. Too many things were happening at once. But at least I was relieved I was out of the quicksand.
I couldn't see any more fog. It was morning. The trees were clearly visible, and birds were chirping happily. The storm had subsided and the leaves lay there calm and friendly. The thought of walking into the dense forest did not trouble me anymore.
