Chapter 1: Thrust into the Unknown

Lying in bed, the chatter caused her mind to stir from that blissful place that lingers on the edge of dreams. It was too loud, too early…

She turned, the fog slowly clearing, voices turning to song. Birds greeted the morning sun, as was their routine. Strange how they’d never woken her before. She groaned, turning to reach for a pillow, but something stung her fingertips, making her jolt. Retracting her hand, a small droplet of blood appeared at the tip of her index.

This wasn’t her room.

Instead of cool sheets and a soft bed she found herself lying on dead leaves and grass, her white walls replaced with an endless array of trees.

What�"

She blinked, pushing to a seated position. Was she still dreaming? No, that wasn’t it, things were too real. Cool air kissed her skin, insects crawled beneath her fingers, not to mention the throbbing pain in her hand where a thorn had pricked.

Remaining still, she scanned the vicinity, confusion molding into fear. The canopy of trees blotted the sun. A crispness in the air told her it was early.

She stood, using a tree for support, but kept her gaze fixed on the surroundings. Surely someone had to be here, someone could explain�" wait, was she abducted?

Taking a step, dizziness slammed her back and it took a moment to collect her bearings. The queasiness made her feel as though she’d been in a boat for hours. She waited for the feeling to ebb before inspecting the area again.

Her heart raced. There was nothing. No fire, no tent, no tracks. Absolutely nothing that would guide her in any direction. It was devoid of life, human life anyway.

Who would want to kidnap her and if that were the case, why wasn’t she bound? Her reasons for waking in the middle of a forest were slim, but where were her captors?

Maybe she’d been drugged, that might explain the nausea. It was hard to piece together. She would have been moved, carried judging from the lack of tires tracks, yet there was nothing…

The reasoning grew less likely the longer she thought on it, but what else could it be? She didn’t wander out here on her own. Looking down, she was pleased to see shorts and a tee�"shirt. The last thing she remembered had been getting ready for bed. Pajamas wouldn’t have been ideal.

Long, brown hair hung loose around her shoulders and she was unscathed, to her relief. The only thing abnormal was a little bracelet around her right wrist. Thin leather threaded around a small stone. It was smooth, colored to resemble the sky with white veins tracing the surface. An engraving was etched perfectly into the stone that only added to her mixed feelings.

Kiuno

It was a surrogate name, something she used on occasion for chat forums, gaming and anything pertaining to online activities. She kept her identity a secret for the most part. Very few knew her�"

She paused. Her name. She couldn’t remember her name…

What’s going on?

She slumped against a tree, throat tightening as she fought tears of frustration. Out in a forest alone, her name forgotten? What were the odds, what was�"?

She took a deep breath. It wouldn’t do any good to panic, the key was to remain calm in intense situations. She needed to think, to piece this together. A forest during mid-summer wasn’t so bad, there would be plenty in the way of food and she’d be warm. Those survival books and camping would pay off.

First thing first, finding someone. Anyone who could point her in the right direction. Dismayed, she glanced around the area again. She’d have to prepare for the possibility of facing a few days on her own.

Leaning against the tree, her mind fumbled through possibilities. No name, an odd bracelet and lost in a forest. How stupid, what trouble was she in this time? Her eyes dropped to the little trinket. Kiuno. She could go by that for now. Having a surrogate name would be better than nothing.

Kiuno finally pushed from the tree and used the wildlife as a distraction. Things could always be worse, she had clothing, it was warm and the forest beautiful. The trees were thick at the base and knee-high foliage grew around the roots with vines snaking up the trunk. The air was heavy, making beads of sweat form on her brow with little effort.

She lived in a world much different from this, traveling between the suburbs and city for work. During vacations, she strived for remote areas, away from the chaos society created. Mountains, open fields and condensed forests gave her a place to paint, something she’d done since childhood. If not for the situation, it would be the perfect picture.

She studied art in college, hoping to live her dream as so many others. Preferring the quiet of solitary life, she didn’t have much in the way of friends, unless one counted those in her gaming world. Some might find her pitiful, but she enjoyed the distant company. Kiuno married young and worked for the library at her college.

She paused, would he be worried or had she been gone long enough to notice? Work would call him soon, she hoped. She’d never missed a day. At least someone would be looking for her soon. Most doubted their relationship in the beginning, but she was close to her husband. They told one another everything and he’d realize immediately if something was wrong.

With the sun waxing hot, her initial fear grew. She’d been moving for hours, wading through dense leaves, trying to avoid tripping over snarled roots. The only thing changing was the temperature.

Stopping to catch her breath, she plopped on a fallen log. The humidity was relentless. Sticky hair clung to her face and her throat was parched. She wiped the sweat from her eyes, she needed water.

Looking into the sky, Kiuno watched the sun’s movement. She couldn’t afford to walk in circles. Bugs flew around her head, some biting as she trudged through the heat. A familiar sound brought fresh relief; running water.

Kiuno picked up the pace, jumped down a hill and rounded a thick tree to find clear water cascading down a rocky cliff. A river at least twenty feet across rushed at an even pace. Thick brush, cattails and reeds lined the bank. A large bolder sat by the falls and she climbed it hoping for a better look.

Forest extended for miles.

Jumping from the rock she sloshed into the river, cupping her hands to drink the cool liquid. Pebbles littered the river bed in deep browns and black and fish played between the larger stones. If she could find a way to fish, food would no longer be an issue.

Even with the sun hot, the sky was a crisp blue. Despite the fear, she stayed calm. She wouldn’t be here forever. A few days was manageable, someone would come looking.

Her nervousness grew with the looming shadows and her eyes flickered between the trees, playing on her fear. A tree would provide more protection than sleeping on the ground. She didn’t have time to try for a fire.

Glancing between the treetops she stayed close to the river, picking one with enough branches to support her weight. A break in the limbs provided the perfect place to settle and she watched the orange glow of the sun dip below the horizon.

Author's Note

Chapter 1