Samuel ran out of energy, and with it any freedom to show his emotions. He lay down on his back and looked through the gap between the leaves of the trees up at the sky. He stared into the vastness of the cosmos as if it could answer his questions. He ignored the insects that dared to crawl onto his body, as well as the pain of his now countless wounds. He let the cold of the night sky fully wash over him. No wind blew, yet a constant shiver ran across his skin.
- It's never the external wounds that hurt the most. Right, Samuel?
He had stared so deeply into the void that it had completely consumed him. His eyes grew heavier and heavier until they finally closed. He felt warmth spreading across his face, as if it were an old friend. He enjoyed it for a few seconds until a sharp pain forced his eyes open. His face twisted in pain, his soul cried out for peace. He sat up and took in his surroundings. Filled with rage, he grabbed a stone and threw it as hard as he could at the nearest tree. The trees were thin, but their crowns were dense with leaves and spread wide. Above him stretched a sky of red-green leaves, interrupted by cracks through which light fell—cracks in this false sky.
Samuel stood up and wandered through the area expressionlessly. Without direction, he searched for something that seemed far away. He had only one thing in mind—a way home.
- This forest feels endless. I could swear I've seen this tree three times already.
The pain of his injuries robbed him of clarity. He almost fell with every step, but his will carried him forward—until his will was no longer enough. He sat down against a tree. His vision was blurred, but just before the adrenaline faded, his eye caught a strange piece of fabric hanging from the bark. His strength was gone. He eventually lost consciousness again.
Samuel did not wake up suddenly. It was a slow return, as if something was reluctantly pulling him back to the surface. His body felt heavy. Every breath was shallow, as if the air itself had weight. The forest floor beneath him was cold and damp, but that wasn't the first thing he noticed. The air was different. Thicker. He opened his eyes. A gray veil hung between the trees. Fog. Not the light morning mist but something viscous that lingered between the trunks as if it had settled there. Samuel sat up. His vision was blurred, but something moved within it.
Fine. Barely visible.
Only when he raised his hand did he notice it. Threads. Thin, shimmering threads drifted through the air. Some caught on his fingers, clung briefly before coming loose again. He pulled his hand back. Slowly, he stood up. His body protested immediately. Pain shot through his legs, his side, his back. But he remained standing. Unsteady, but upright. He looked around. Trees. Nothing but trees everywhere. The same. Silent. Too silent.
- I have to get out of here.
His voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper. He began to walk. Every step cost effort. The ground was uneven, roots reached for his feet as if trying to hold him back. The fog took his sight,the threads stuck to his face. He wiped them away. He kept going. Time lost its meaning. Steps became repetition. Breathing. Walking. Falling. Getting up. At some point, he stopped. He looked at the tree in front of him. A notch in the bark. Slanted. Unnatural. His gaze sharpened.
- I know that one. Why does everything look the same?
He stepped closer. His hand rose hesitantly, touched the notch. It reminded him of the mark he had created earlier in his anger. He had made it himself. A cold shiver ran down his back. He turned around. Everything looked the same.
- That can't be...
He walked faster. First one step, then two. Then he almost stumbled into a run. The air grew thicker. The threads increased. They now clung to him longer. Stretched across his arms, his clothes, his face. He tore them away. His breathing quickened. Then he stopped abruptly. Something had moved. Not in front of him. Behind him. Slowly, he turned his head. Nothing. Just fog. But his body knew better. He was not alone. He kept walking. Faster now. More restless. Another tree. Another notch.
- "No..." His voice broke. He stumbled back. Then he saw it. Between two trunks. Something pale. Too still. Too quiet. It didn't move. And yet it was there. His heart began to race. He took a step back. The thing remained. Its head tilted slightly. Too far. Samuel ran. Blindly. Through branches, through threads, through the fog. He heard nothing but his own breath. And then... A sound.
Soft. Scratching. Beside him. He turned his head mid-run. Too late. Something brushed against him. Lightly. But cold. He fell. Hard. The impact knocked the air out of him. He rolled onto his back. Nothing. Just fog. But the threads...
They moved. Not with the wind. Toward him. He crawled backward. His gaze darted across the ground. A branch. Thick enough. He grabbed it. Stood up. His hands trembled.
- Come on!
Nothing.
Seconds passed.
Then... A jolt in the fog. It was suddenly closer. Too close. He struck. The branch hit something hard. A dry sound. The creature recoiled. Samuel used the moment. He ran. Aimless. Confused. As he ran, he grabbed the threads. Tore them off. Hastily wrapped them around his arms, around the branch. They stuck. Tough. He gathered more. Tied them between two trees as high as he could. Then onward. His breath burned. His body screamed. But he kept going. A circle. If he was already running in circles for some unknown reason. Then he would use it. He heard it behind him. Faster now. Closer. He ran toward the place where it all began. The notch. He saw it. Just a few more steps. Then he turned around. The creature emerged from the fog. Fast. Too fast. Samuel stood still.Waited. One more step. Another. Then he yanked the branch upward. The stretched threads tightened. The creature ran into them. A brief twitch. A hesitation. He turned his back on the creature as fast as he could. He didn't dare look at it. It gave him a few seconds' head start. That was all he needed. He noticed the fog thinning slightly and used this chance to escape. Samuel turned and ran. This time he ran straight ahead. Not back. Not in circles. Through the gap. Through what had not been a path before. The threads became fewer. The fog thinner. He saw the daylight of the sun. He heard a deafening scream that sounded like claws on glass. Whatever that creature was... It had freed itself and was chasing him again. The scratching grew louder and louder. He kept running and ignored the monster completely. His feet felt as if they were burning. The ground slowly changed. Softer. More open. He stumbled out of the forest. Fell straight into the grass. He rolled a good distance further until he finally lay on his back. The sky was clear. No trees within it. Just the open sky, bathed in red and violet hues. The sun stood low. It was warm.
- How long have I been here now? At least two days?
His body trembled as the adrenaline slowly faded. But he was alive. He closed his eyes.
And for the first time... it had grown quieter.