Chapter Three Part One

I woke up with the smell of the ground underneath me, the grass brushed off lightly on my cheeks as I lifted my head to gaze at the place I landed. It was an unfamiliar territory – a thought, no, rather a question popped out of my head, where the hell was I? My head was pounding hard as I got up on my feet, I wobbled as I struggled to stand straight. I panned my sight around, looking at every direction as I surveyed my surroundings.

A barren land of cut trees surrounded me as if someone was irresponsibly cutting them for fun, as far as my eyes could see far beyond the barren land – the trees continued to stretch untouched. I looked up at the azure blue sky and saw the moon nearer than the average moon you would see every night. The wind howled gently in my ear, whispering a secret. I could hear the trees rustling from afar – it was serene, and the viridescent color of the trees looked lush. I decided to walk towards the lush green trees, and away from this dull barren land I landed in. It was depressing seeing all these trees cut down to waste. Who would even do this? How cruel can they be to not think of planting one when they cut one?

I was always fond of trees since I was a little girl. My parents built me a tree house back then at the back of our mansion, and I was overjoyed when they surprised me with it. The tree house is still there at the back of the house – I just never go there as often as I did when I was a kid.

 I walked past a hundred cut trees, everything was dull and gray, you couldn’t even see a single life walking or running between these cut trees on the ground. There were abandoned logs on the other side to my left as I walked past it, an ax lay on the ground lifeless with rusty blades and molded handle from who knows how many years it has been laying there since – it could have easily been broken if I had tried lifting it up. There was a feeling in me – a gut feeling that something was stirring behind those lush green trees, and something was about to happen once  I step foot deeper in the forest.

Thunder rolled down from afar away to where I was – cackling boisterously and proudly raining down the ground. The earth shook a little as another thunder came running down. It sent shivers down to my spine, I didn’t know if it was because of the thunder or the coldness brewing around.

“Ouch!”, I yelped in pain as a stinging feeling was felt on my foot. I hadn’t realized until now that I was actually barefoot as I looked down. I sat down gently and nursed my right foot – it was bleeding from the wide small chipped wood it impaled in. I winced when I saw the wound and I took a huge large of air and plucked out the wide small chipped wood. I groaned like a baby and threw the piece of wood away from me. Geez, why the hell was I even barefoot? I remembered I was in my chucks before I got sucked in into this world. Well, that sucks now because clearly, I’m naked on the feet. I sighed loudly and rummaged through my pockets for my handkerchief. I knew I brought one when I left the mansion, I always bring one every day.

As I rummage through my pockets, I heard a twig snap from a far, I instantly looked up, ready for a flight or fight simulation. My heart beat in fear as I looked towards where the twig snapped. I stretched my neck as far as humanly possible, and slowly got up, ignoring the wincing pain on my foot.

"Hello?", I called out, expecting an answer. I drew nearer to the bush, peeking to the sides cautiously, not letting my guard down. I expected it to be some huge monster or some rabid wolf to jump out and knock me off my feet.

The bush rustled again and this time, a small grey rabbit – the completely normal rabbit, jumped out of the bush and knocked me off back, letting out a yelp. 

"Good gods, that scared the crap outta me." I leered at the back of the hopping gray rabbit – if looks could kill, that rabbit could have been found laying on the ground. I sighed a huge relief and fished out my handkerchief that I remembered putting in the back of my pocket this morning – assuming that it is still morning in the real world before I got sucked into this world.

I folded the white handkerchief into a triangular shape and then folded it twice again in the same manner to cover the wound on my foot. I knew I should've disinfected the wound but at the state of where I landed, I don't think I'd find running water anytime soon. I'm literally in the middle of who knows where. 

After I wrapped my wound tightly enough as not to get infected, I stood up and continued walking towards the lush trees. It was only a few walks down towards the forest. I didn't know how big or wide the whole area would be – but I knew that going in would mean risking my life to the dangers that lurked in the depths of the forest. I wonder if there would be huge animals – larger than Lawrence, a beast or a monster that'll shake the ground as it steps. Maybe the rumbling sound I heard earlier wasn't the sound of lightning hitting the ground, but a huge beast stepping a step. But that wasn't possible of course, I'd be able to see the beast if it was huge and could make the ground shake its core.

I pondered and wondered about what mysteries the forest hid. Fairies, mermaids that rest atop a waterfall, a nymph, a werewolf, or a huge rabbit like Lawrence. I wouldn't even be surprised if I saw Fish's kind here.

Snap!

I stopped in my tracks as I heard the snap of a twig somewhere. I hadn't realized I was already inside the forest – wandering aimlessly. The sound of toads croaking here and there, birds chirping up above the trees, leaves rustling as the wind caressed them. 

Snap!

I turned around briefly before hearing another snap to my left, panning my head quickly – my senses alert for someone or something to jolt behind the tree trunks. I was in a mid panic, I mean who wouldn't? I get sucked into a world that you think would only stretch to the library itself, but then you find out that that isn't the case, because reality check, dimensions like these stretch as far as you can imagine and bring you to places you've never been to.

As to how I got teleported in the middle of a barren forest instead of the library, is a mystery itself to me. Maybe someone intentionally placed it there as a prank, or maybe it accidentally dropped off from someone's backpack. I would never know.

As I continued to walk further down into the deep forest, I noticed how my breath started to get visible in puffs of smoke as I exhaled. I also noticed how the leaves of the trees have started to freeze as I walk further in – turning from a healthy lush of green to a cold dead white snow. I felt myself rubbing my arms, feeling the chilliness, my feet beginning to feel the icy chilly ground – my body starting to shake from the cold.

I stopped on my tracks knowing that if I go further deeper in the forest, I would freeze to death and my coming here would be fruitless. I looked around, searching for a place – a shelter or a cave to rest in and build fire. Assuming I know how to build one, but one could try to survive coldness. Panning my head from left to right, I found a cave from a few feet from where I was. 

I started walking towards the cave, picking up a few sticks along the way. My feet were getting cold and numb the more I walked without warmth. I huffed shakily, my body shivering. It took me a few short walks before I found myself standing at the entrance of the dark cave. It wasn’t that deep nor did it look like a home to a wild bear, assuming there is one in this world. I didn’t think there was any normal-sized animal here – remembering Lawrence who was a seven feet tall rabbit that talks.

I dropped the few sticks and dried leaves near the entrance of the cave that I picked up along the way, and took a look around the small cave. There were a few old decaying books littered at the end of the cave, a candle unlit for who knows when, a few dirty Erlenmeyer flasks – some others were broken. A rag was placed underneath it as if to protect the books from the dirt that hasn’t gotten to the books – ironic as it is.

“Hello.”

The old raggedy familiar voice startled me from behind. Letting out a small yelp as I turn around to see who said it. I furrow my brow as I look at who it was.

“Mrs. Hasse? The old librarian from New Town?”, I whispered but enough for her to hear.

She smiled, wrinkles could be seen from the side of her eyes from the years of smiling. I wonder if she had a happy life. How was she in here anyway? Maybe she’s another doppelganger of the old librarian I met a few hours ago before I got teleported here.

“Are you another Mrs. Hasse here?”, I asked, looking at her still smiling like the old librarian in New Town. I was a little uncomfortable with me on this side of the cave, knowing I was trapped if ever she decided to transform into an evil old librarian and launch at me.

“I am indeed the old librarian you speak of in New Town.”, she trudged on the side towards me. “And no, I am not going to transform into an evil old librarian.” , she chuckled.