Chapter 2

Todd decides to investigate the strange crash, finding another world in the process.

Todd slowly opened his eyes and was immediately immersed in a blinding headache as the light glared into his eyes. Piles of beer cans and one broken whiskey bottle lay on the kitchen floor. It stunk. That was the only way to describe it. The hungover man slipped out of his chair and dropped onto the floor. He could barely remember restocking his alcohol supply. Todd groaned and pushed himself up off the floor. He stumbled to the wall and flicked the light switch. His eyes screamed in protest as the even brighter light poured in. Clawing his eyes and hoping those aspirins were still in his pocket he went searching for his jacket. Thankfully, those nice little white problem solvers were gleaming up at him. He stared at them for a moment as they lay in his left palm. Then something caught his eye. The ring. A spasm of long forgotten emotion ran through him. Somehow he had managed to ignore and eventually 'forget' it over the past years but now it stood out like never before. It was a very plain thing, being only a simple stainless steel band. Emily's had been the same but had an inscription on the outside: Now Never Alone. She had been abandoned by her parents at a hospital in New Jersey when she was only a day old. She never liked to talk about it with him, but Todd had managed to gather that Emily had then been flung from foster home to foster home until her aunt had finally found her and took her in for her high school years. Even her Aunt knew little about Emily’s parents. Todd could not help but wonder if they even noticed she had died. Emily had slowly built an emotional shell to block all the snide comments from other kids about being 'unwanted' but then she had met Todd. Her marriage to him was a major turning point in her life, or so everyone thought.
    Todd popped the pills into his mouth and rubbed the wedding band thoughtlessly. His arms were throbbing from the welts that now accompanied the cuts. Stumbling to the bathroom, Todd rummaged through the drawers trying to find some antibacterial cream. He found some in the third drawer and smeared it generously on both arms, being careful not to press too hard on the welts. Some dried blood still covered his palms and he rinsed them off, splashing his face at the same time. Blood and mud covered his jeans just like the jacket he had worn last night during the accident. Getting drunk promptly after trying to commit suicide was not exactly a great plan. Now the apartment, along with Todd, was in a larger state of disarray than before. Todd stripped off his mud caked pants and found a semi clean pair on the floor of the bathroom to wear. The events after Becki brought him home were a bit fuzzy, but Todd thought he remembered watching the weather for a bit while having his usual 10 a.m. beer. The head splitting migraine was not helping with anything. The one thing he did remember distinctly was the hail mark on his bike. The weather had not mentioned one thing of a hail storm the night before.
Todd headed back out into the kitchen and started clearing away the mess of beer cans and broken glass. The rotting left overs on the table went into the trash as well. In only half an hour the condo was looking, and smelling, much more livable. The best cure for a hang over was pizza, so Todd headed down the stairs to the pizza shop around the corner. He ordered the greasiest three meat slice on the menu and reached for his wallet. His fingers touched only lint in his jacket pocket. Crap. It must have fallen out when I crashed. Todd said his apologies to the rather annoyed pizza chef and scurried back upstairs to eat a frozen burrito. It was no where near as satisfying to his hangover, but it worked. Then it was back downstairs to observe his bike.
The Harley was just as banged up as he remembered, if not worse. This time he noticed not just one big dent, but three. There were two on the distorted front fender as well. Todd squatted next to the bike and tried to brush off the dried globs of mud when some memory tickled at his mind.. The ground was dry in the orchard. There shouldn’t be any mud. Todd stood up as if a shock had been sent out from the motorcycle. Mud covered the Harley, his clothes from last night, and his jacket he now wore. All the little insignificant details came rushing back. The intense, blustery wind, the fact that the motorcycle trail had ended a dozen feet before the motorcycle did. None of it added up to what he had told Becki. None of it adds up to anything. On top of all that, his wallet was missing. That was not really a crucial detail to the bizarre events, but he did need it back. I’ve got to get back to that orchard, today.  Todd glimpsed around the alley and noticed a rusty bicycle leaning against some garbage cans. The back tire was nearly flat, but he dislodged it from the garbage cans and jumped on.
The ride out to the Baily’s Orchard was possibly the longest bike ride Todd had ever been on. His body was aching before he had even left downtown, and it was screaming by the time he was turning onto the dirt road that led to the Orchard. It had taken three quarters of an hour and Todd’s resolve that something unearthly had happened was wavering. I’ve gone to far to turn back now, even if I am crazy. What do I really hope to find? A space ship? It was all just too absurd. A hail storm that never happened but dented his Harley, mud that was nowhere except his clothes, and a flying motorcycle leaving no trail for ten feet. Everything would be much simpler if he just had been drinking that night.  

Thankfully, it seemed that Becki did not spend her afternoons wandering around the orchard as Todd did not see her or the red truck. In fact the dirt road was deserted. He pedaled about half way towards the house and then skidded to a halt, dust flying into his lungs. He hacked miserably as he dismounted, laying the bike in the grass. The track his motorcycle had made was even more obvious than Todd remembered. It had gouged out a sizable rut that headed straight into the nearest row of apple trees. The insanity of his actions the night before still boggled him. Despite being out of breath and sore beyond reason, Todd followed the rut into the trees, glancing down in case he should spot his wallet. He had come to the conclusion that was the only thing he would find. The sun was sweltering for being mid March. Besides that the weather was about as mild as it could be. The barely budding trees seemed as innocent as a virgin, but for all Todd knew, they held secrets darker than he could imagine. His parched throat begged for some water, but there was none to be had. Perhaps he had been to hasty in jumping on that bike.

Todd trudged past apple tree after apple tree and found no sign of the wallet, or anything

unusual. That was, until he stumbled upon the end of the trail. It was just as he remembered from the night before. The rut ended abruptly with no sign that the motorcycle had crashed. Todd glanced up and walked over in the direction where he remembered the bike having ended up. It was hard to miss the tree that it had collided with. He had not noticed how catastrophic the damage to tree was before  The trunk was splintered and bits of metal, paint, and fuel mingled with the bark. The fact that it was still standing was beyond surprising. The dry grass crunched under his feet as Todd went closer to look for this missing wallet. The was a queasy feeling in his stomach as he examined the ground and found no sign of the black leather object. I need that if I ever want to get a new job. Or buy food...

A sigh escaped from the worn man, and he leaned against the mangled tree, sliding down to sit on the ground. As to the other reason he came out to the Orchard, no sign of a hail storm was present. The earth was dry and the trees, undamaged. As his thoughts took him to unpleasant scenarios entailing the possibility of his sanity being questioned, Todd idly picked the rubbish out the the tree trunk. If Becki ever found out that he had returned here, she would undoubtedly take him to a hospital, and not necessarily the healing kind. No employer would want a man who saw things. Or maybe he had not seen the hail. Maybe all the thoughts of Emily had been messing with his head and none of it actually happened. The dents on the bike could  have been from anything. Todd glanced at the wedding band and paused his picking of the debris. Maybe I should take it off. My wife is dead. But Emily’s face flashed before his mind and a tear threatened to creep out of the corner of his eye. He closed his eyes and slowly tapped his head on the tree, as if to dislodge every memory of the woman forever. The dull pain in his head told him he had only succeeded in returning the hang over headache. Emily, the crash, unemployment, it was all too much to think about right now. I might as well go back and drink myself into a stupor and worry about this crap later. But he had no wallet with which to go buy beer.

Todd focused his frustration back on the fragments in the tree trunk. One particular piece of motorcycle fender was refusing to be dislodged from the tree and he moved into a kneeling position to get better leverage. There was something unusual about that piece of metal. It was a dull slate-like gray, not shiny like his Harley. Todd wiggled it up and down in earnest. Perhaps this was finally a clue. When it came free, his heart skipped a beat. The shrapnel was much larger than anything that had come off his motorcycle. A fine black dust came off on his fingers when he touched it and the shard smelled different, almost earthy. The spot where it had hit the tree was too clean and it had left no residue on the tree, unlike Todd’s hand, which was black from handling it. Todd examined the tree closer, hoping to find another piece similar to it. There was none.

However, as Todd looked closer, a strange formation of gashes were becoming clearer. At first he had just mistaken them for being dents from the bike, but there was nothing to indicate that these marks were from the crash. They were too organized, too precise. Seventeen vertical lines several inches long. The strangest thing of all was a little half circle that resembled a backwards “C”, positioned right above the seventeen tally marks. The “C” had two dots above the middle of the curve and a line at the end with a little circle over it. What the heck? The splintered wood was rough under his fingers as he ran them over the uncanny grooves. Maybe its just the Bailey’s brand. Todd’s veins thudded noisely in his ears as the blood rushed at lightening speed. Idiot, you don’t brand trees. Nevertheless, Todd jumped up and glanced at the nearest tree, hoping to find the same symbol engraved in the trunk. When it proved to be bare, he raced to the next tree, and then the next, finding no other marks. This can’t be, it just can’t. Todd did not even know what he was so afraid of. The fact that he might be insane, or the possibility that it might all be real. Just forget it. Get out of here.

“But I can’t, what if something happened I’m supposed to figure out?” Go home, you idiot. There is nothing here.  The orchard was quiet and oblivious to Todd’s ravings, but another presence was watching, waiting, analyzing his every move. Todd wandered from tree to tree, unaware. He slowly made his way back to the original apple tree without even realizing it. The marks seemed to be smirking at him, as if they were laughing at his ignorance. He dug the palms of his hands into his eyes, trying to clear out what he had seen. When he pulled his hands away, however, the scratches were still present, and seemed even larger, if that were possible.

The wind had picked up with an amazing vehemence and Todd zipped his jacket up. The leaves rustled angrily over head as if they knew what kind of insane man stood beneath them. An eerie feeling was creeping it’s way over Todd, almost as if the wind had summoned it along. The sun hid itself away and a dimness settled over the orchard. The ground seemed to radiate a chill up through his shoes and right into his bones. The pain in his head began to increase. Todd jammed his eyes shut as even the minimal light was offensive. He attempted to take a deep breath to calm his racing heart, but found that he could not as the air suddenly seemed to become thicker. Then the pain in his head exploded into pulsating bands of agony that sent him to his knees. It was not the firm earth of the orchard that greeted his knee caps, but inches of muck that sucked him right in. Against his own will, Todd’s eyes flew open. The Baileys peaceful apple farm no longer greeted him, only a dark, monstrously dense forest. Mind whirling, Todd struggled to regain his footing in the mud. Several splinters pricked his hand as he grasped the branches of a nearby moss covered tree and heaved himself up. Thunder roared, muffled by the thick foliage, and the unseen heavens let loose the rains. He frantically spun around, desperately searching for any familiar sights. Instead all he saw was an ancient pine tree with most of its bottom branches missing. It bore seventeen scratches across the trunk. Todd's heart skipped a beat. His breath quickened as he leaned forward for a closer look. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning streaked though the sky. He jumped in shock, slipped on some wet leaves and smashed into the tree trunk head on.

§                 §               §

Darkness. It was all Julian had in his life. For countless years he had woken up to the darkness, never knowing whether or not it was really morning, and for years he had spent his days laboring in the void. There had been a time in his life when there was light. He could barely remember. That had been before, before they had come and brought the unending darkness. Most had escaped and only lived in slavery. But others, like Julian, and been forced to accept the darkness as their new master.
    Julian felt along the floor for the blanket he knew was not too far away. It was the only thing that had been allowed. She had tried many times to bring items of comfort to him but the guards just scoffed and burned them. After several beatings, Julian had refused to let her visit any more. He had not heard his sister's voice in ages. The last time he actually saw her, actually touched her golden hair, was too long ago to remember. It had not been that long after they had came. But he mustn't think about that. At least she had been allowed the privilege of fresh air. He endured the darkness, knowing that if he did, she would be spared from his miserable fate. Even though they toiled for them in the caves, the guards found it amusing to let prisoners stumble around in blindness and allowed no torches except for themselves when they blindfolded their quarry.
    Julian's fingers found the threadbare blanket and he wrapped it around himself. His mother had made one for each of them. When his had been burned the night the darkness came upon him, his loving sister had given hers to him. It was now his most precious belonging. Not many can understand what it is like to only have one item that means more to them than anything in the whole world. To hold that one thing and love it like a lost brother. Julian used to hold it and think back on the days when sunlight blazed through the windows and illuminated the smile on his sister’s face. But that stopped. Everything good had stopped. Even the blanket was barely holding together anymore.
    Someone moved next to him in the darkness. It was most likely Nathias. He had returned not too long ago from the deep caves and was coughing roughly.
    “You alright Nat?" Julian whispered.
    A cough in return.
    "The mine really that bad today?"
    Of course they had no sense of time, but the prisoners had made a system of always saying day. It was always day. No night. In many ways it just made their lives more depressing. The pain was an unending day. But there was nothing better to call it.
    "No, they were alright. But Henry's dig collapsed on top of my crew. Got some dust in my lungs that just won't leave." He coughed again, then choked.
    Julian softly moved over to his side. Even though it was dark, they all knew the inside of their prison by heart. Everyone had their own "pad". Nathias's was next to Julian's while Henry's and Darris's were across from theirs. The pads were thin straw mats that had long ago lost any comfort. A bowl of mash sat next to each one. A bucket with multiple holes was all that was provided for the, to relieve themselves in. The room, or cave as they called it, was only ten feet by fifteen feet and had a six foot ceiling. Most of them had to crouch seeing as men of their country were naturally tall. Even Darris at the tender age of twelve was swiftly coming up on five feet and a half. He knew all this about himself since he had lived so recently in the air. Julian himself guessed he was six foot seven, judging by the difference between himself and Darris. Darris had never been told the year, only his own age so he could not shed any light upon the ages of the others, who had no idea. How could they? In a place where no one knew the time of day, and forbidden to know the year, it was impossible to even hint at an age. All Julian knew was that he had been ten years old when his life had ended, for there was no living in the darkness, only death.
    "Hey Nat," Julian said, as he propped his friends head up for him to get more air. "What do you think is for dinner?"
    Nathias chuckled and then coughed. It was an old joke between the inhabitants of that certain room. It was the first thing that had been asked when they entered and they asked each other it every once in a while so they would not forget what had happened since then.
    "The head of Jure, for certain." Nathias replied.
     Julian smiled weakly and went to find the bucket of water for Nat. Nathias was not an old man. Now he was older and still strong, but times were tough on him. On the contrary if there had been rebellion he would have been at the lead. In fact, he had been a leader of such a thing some time ago and now he bore a reminder of it deep in the flesh of his back. Now he was older and still strong, but times were tough on him. But there had been no more rebellions after that. Nat only had one point to say about it:
    “The only thing I don't mind about this infernal darkness is that it keeps us from seeing that hideous thing on my back."
    Away to the left a door or grate moved and there was a patter of light feet and the thud of heavy foot falls signaling that Darris and Henry had returned.
    "Sorry about the collapse, Nathias. I was trying to hit one of them but my crew missed."
    “Oh, go drown yourself. You didn't mean for it to happen anymore than I meant to sit on your dinner a while ago." A slight undertone of sarcasm ran through his voice.
    Henry cried in outrage about his meal and searched for it by his pad, only to find it was still there, intact in all it's unpleasantness. He threw one of the various pebbles at Nathias and began to eat. After making sure Nathias would be alright, Julian returned to his pad and wrapped himself in his blanket again. Nathias downed the water and Darris began whining about his family. He was ignored. The others knew it was useless. They had learned that years ago. Fortunate Darris had only been there, so he claimed, six months. Before that, he had been Jure's stable boy and had the privilege of living with his parents. He had never seen the days of light, and was better off for it. He was born into a world of depression and did not have the misfortune of dreaming of better days.

§                 §          §

Something was whistling and disrupted the eerie silence. The air was cold and brisk yet stiflingly heavy. A crumpled figure was all that could be seen in the vast forest. No bird or insect dared to show their faces. Far off a horse was running through the forest bearing a grim and shamed rider, but the forest around the fallen figure was unaware. All of its will was bent upon the newcomer. The wind picked up and a leaf tickled the man's neck. His foot twitched and the forest seemed to relax yet pressed its attention even harder upon him.
Todd opened his eyes so slowly it felt like his eye lids were not even moving. He had to. It hurt every part of his head to even blink. Something was oozing into his slightly open mouth and he coughed, inhaling more of the substance. Realizing he was lying face down, Todd carefully rolled over. He hacked up all the stuff that had filled his mouth and felt it rolling down his chin. His eyes were now half open and he tried to make out what was above him. Stick like shadows hovered around him and everything was gloomily dark. He lifted his head to get a better view and pain shot through it. He lifted his shaking fingers and tenderly felt for the source of the pain. A groan escaped his lips as the fingers made contact with a rather nasty bump. The substance that was in his mouth was now seeping through his clothes and seemed to chill his very bones. His gaze shifted to the side and he saw that he was lying in mud. Every inch of him was covered in it. As his senses seemed to wake up, he noticed the rain that was drenching him in torrents. The shadowy sticks became clearer bit by bit and were expanding into large masses. Their branches seemed to extend for miles and their trunks were five times thicker than any Todd had ever seen. He was in a forest, and one denser than he had ever known existed. How did I get like this? His mind was a bit fuzzy, but if he remembered correctly, he had been in the orchard and had found a tree with funny... Todd jumped up too fast and fell flat on his back when his head throbbed madly, but he ignored it. He was looking up at a vaguely familiar old pine tree with half of its branches missing. It really happened. Unless he had hit his head back in the orchard and was still unconscious. Bizzare things might very well go on in people’s mind while in comas. Or maybe this was some kind of out-of-body experience. The only problem was that he felt completely solid and very much awake. The pain in his head was growing and he could hardly think due to the freezing cold rain. What is going on?
    There was no answer to his question. In fact there did not seem to be any signs of life around at all. Todd raised himself up slowly and took in his surroundings. Barely any light filtered into the woods through the very thick foliage above. No sounds echoed through the forest. Nothing but the biting wind and stinging rain were present. The trees towered taller than any giants he had ever heard of and most of them looked as if they were hundreds of years old. The whole forest felt menacing, as if his presence disrupted its carefully kept system. Not only were the trees ginormous, but boulders the size of cars were scattered here and there. His stomach roiled at the smell of the sticky brown moss on the tree he sat next to. In these unfamiliar surroundings, Todd was starting to feel rather light-headed and braced himself on the old pine tree. He let go in shock. Right where he had put his hand there was a symbol engraved deeply into the trunk. The same odd shaped C that had been mysteriously on the apple tree. This was too much. His head could not handle all these bizarre coincidences. He collapsed for a second time in the mud. Todd lay there ready to have his life flash before his eyes and then see some great light as St. Peter would appear and send him straight to hell, but nothing happened. This was real.

        Then he smelled it- fire. And it was close. The ridiculousness of the whole situation had not escaped him, but Todd could think of nothing else to do than stumble toward to smell of the fire. Mustering all of his strength and ignoring his head for the most part, Todd stood up and headed toward what he hoped was the fire. In reality, he was heading deeper into the forest and very much away from the fire. The mud was impossibly thick and after going a mere few hundred yards, Todd could barely lift a foot. His calves and thighs burned with the effort. The Forest looked the same every direction he looked, only endless gargantuan trees surrounded him. He could no longer smell the fire, only the unbearable odor of the moss.

A shiver racked his muck covered frame as the wind cut through him. Todd trudged over to the nearest rock and sank onto it. The vastness of the woods was mind boggling, but it had to end somewhere. The headache had receded for the moment but another, more unsettling pain was seeping into his mind.

Do not stop.

Todd jumped up at the voice, heart racing. He spun around, ready to defend himself from this new foe, but there was not a soul in sight.

March on.

This time the voice seemed to come from Todd’s own mind, as if an invisible scalpel was slicing into his brain and forcing new thoughts in. The pain of this procedure was excruciating. Eyes and fists clenched, Todd struggled to clear his mind. This is it, I’ve lost my sanity. But the alien thoughts wiped his own away.

They are waiting.

Todd glanced around once again, but found that he was still alone. Not even critters or insects could be seen. It was all too silent and deserted in the Forest. The pain in his mind grew, as if the new thoughts were taking up too much space, and attempting to stretch out his skull. Todd let out a frustrated yell and squeezed his forehead with his fingers. His mind was instantly released form the pain. Hello? No other thoughts answered. I’ll lose my mind if I stay in this place. Feeling almost refreshed, Todd chose a direction that appeared to have less trees and struck out, hoping to find anything but forest.

The forest was beginning to darken even more than it already was. What kind of place is this, where this is only dark and darker? Todd cursed his luck for not having a watch or phone to provide light. He could barely make out his own hands and feet. The only company he had for what must have several hours was the squelching of his feet in the mud. A few times, some far off noise tickled his ears, but they were gone the moment Todd tried to listen again. At one point, something that he desperately hoped was just some creature skittered past merely inches from his feet. It was the first and last movement he saw. As the night deepened, Todd avoided thinking about the bizarre situation he now found himself in. He was half convinced that when dawn eventually broke, his feet would carry him right back through the Bailey’s orchard. But the mud did not cease. Neither did the endless trees. The cold chill had destroyed his sense of feeling for the most part as he wandered around in a state of numbness. If this is some other world, it has certainly been deserted by any inhabitants who might have been unfortunate enough to live here. Thankfully, the migraine had left entirely. Todd’s senses sharpened with the full use of his pain free brain. Even though it was darkening in the Forest, there was an odd silvery glow far in the distance.

Todd brought his frozen hands to his face and huffed, the hot breath just barely managing to warm them. His feet were chilled from the mud and Todd stamped them to get the blood flowing just like had had already done a thousand times. If there was light out there, perhaps there were people. Or something worse... But there was nothing for it but to press on. The mud seemed to be lessening as he neared the light. To his pleasant surprise, the trees also began to thin, but remained as large as ever. The sudden impact on hard ground and not mud, threw him off balance and he stumbled, right out of the Forest. His eyes grew wide at what lay not far beyond, and the source of the light.

The moon was reflecting brilliantly off a fifty story wall that looked to be smooth as glass. But unlike other walls, this one did not stand straight. It curved in. If you stood at the very bottom, a ledge would lean at least twenty feet out above you. The wall, to all appearances, extended in both directions. It was impregnable to the naked eye. Strong and foreboding, but silvery black and almost magical. It was the strangest sort of wall he had ever laid eyes upon. A light humming tickled his ear drums. Perhaps this thing is electrical? If it was then that meant it would be giving off heat... Todd forced himself to cross the one hundred foot treeless gap, even though his legs were aching. But as he neared the strange wall, he could feel no heat, in fact the humming dissipated the closer he got.

Having a sudden inspiration, Todd backed up several feet. The humming resumed. As he listened more intently, other noises could be heard within the first sound. It was as if all the noises in the Forest were trapped in that one hundred feet from the edge of the trees to the great wall. A brief chirp was heard, a croak, a yell. It was the most peculiar thing Todd had ever witnessed. He closed his eyes and tried to focus more. Perhaps there would be a voice to find. At first there was only the gaggle of natural night noises. The croaks and the chirps. The yell did not resume. But something more surprising took its place. Todd almost mistook it for water droplets, like rain. Then it grew more distinguishable. Sobbing. It was someone crying. Soft and delicate, it took him off guard. Todd slipped out of concentration for one moment and the garbled humming resumed. Where are the people? I’ve heard them, help me find them you accursed wall! But it only stood before him, a menacing enemy, unwilling to assist him understand in any way. He tried to separate the sounds again, but his exhausted mind refused.

Lightening split the sky and for a brief moment the landscape was in full view. The Forest really did stretch on forever in both directions in all directions from the wall. If the people were on the other side, there was surely no getting to them. However, the way those sobs had been trapped on his side, made it seem as if the people had to be somewhere in the depths of the vast woods. The night was once again blacker than any he had ever experienced. The behemoth Forest all but threatened to devour him, should he dare to take a step back in. There was nothing to do.  Nowhere to go.  He were going to die there, he just knew it. Panic clutched his mind. Todd ran forward to the wall, hoping against hope that some doorway would magically present itself. Icy smooth rock greeted him. Thunder rolled by above him and the sky was ablaze once more. The rain returned, with a vehemence. Todd dropped to the ground beneath him, too exhausted to stand. Against his will, his eyelids slowly drooped, even as the night grew colder still. Frost slowly began to form on the tips of his hair. The soft humming seemed to be lulling him to sleep.

Do not leave till dawn.

This time he did not jump when the thought crept into his mind. Instead, he fell asleep.

§              §            §

The rider paused, the mood in the Forest  had changed drastically. That was not all. There were odd paths in his domain. Ones that had not been made by any creature in Korgan. His horse whinnied softly, as if it too had noticed. The Forest had been unforgiving and made the journey hard so far. It was always unforgiving. It had never forgiven him and it never would. It knew what he had done so long ago against the very nature of Korgan. Korgan, the Forest itself, would plague his journeys for the rest of his cursed life. Even once he was resting and rotting in the very ground that had cursed him, the creatures of the dark places of the world would devour his wretched corpse. Yes, he was ever so wretched. Who would have done what he had? Who could have cursed themselves for eternity and made the will of Korgan bend against them? No one but he, the one hated above all by the Forest. He would not, and could not ever escape it. It was everywhere. Evidence of what he had done. But what could be done? Nothing, deep and long interaction with Korgan had proved fruitless. It had shunned him and he was in exile.
The cursed one nudged his mount forward and slowly followed the careless trail that led away from the heart of Korgan. He followed it for a few hours, never taking his eyes off the ground. When it became clear that the trail was leading toward the Barricade, the rider came to a halt and glanced curiously at the Forest. What is this? I sense your doing at work. Of course there was no answer, he had expected none. The Barricade was a place he was forbidden to go, he knew that. But it must be done. The horse picked up speed and the rider arrived there shortly. The edge of the trees came up sharply and he came to a stop, not daring to let his horse touch one hoof beyond. He glanced toward the Barricade. The cold pit that was once his heart jolted. Korgan, what have you done? Do you not know what will happen?
This is none of your concern, wretched one. The Forest seethed as it became awakened to his presence. Turn back. Have you forgotten your punishment? No, he would never forget. What was left of his soul pulled him in the direction of the stranger laying by the Barricade, but he withdrew, turning the horse around. He could not risk losing his connection to Korgan forever. As he turned away, the rider glanced once again at the man who lay a hundred feet away. A madness seized him and he jumped from the horse, grabbing an stone, and throwing it at a tree. The noise echoed for a mere second that the Gap allowed before it vanished. But he knew the man heard it. The stranger stirred and slowly rose. He jumped up and stared wildly around, not noticing the hooded man in the trees.
The rider quietly mounted and waited for the stranger to decide to follow the noise. It did not take longer than a few minutes. The stranger slowly headed toward the Forest. When he reached the Gap, he hesitated for a moment and the rider could tell he was listening to the noises. He could not blame him. It was a wondrous thing. But the cursed one would never experience it again. Then the man continued into the trees, several yards to the north. The rider slowly followed. He knew every inch of the Forest and so made no sound as he led the man deeper in. Any time the stranger would stop or head in the wrong direction, the rider distracted him. I can still be valuable, Korgan.
You have no value. Do what you will, it will not change what has been planned. It gave him nothing else. He would accept it. The Forest had at least not been angered by his actions. He continued to direct the man for most of the morning. Korgan had not cursed them with rain, so the going was easier. However, the further the rider progressed, the more the will of the Forest bent against him. His horse was tiring faster than usual and he still had to return. The stranger disappeared into the thick trees ahead of him multiple times and he barely managed to catch up. They were nearing the destination, the cursed one could feel it. If he did not turn back soon, Korgan would be forced to act against him even more. He reined up and watched as the oddly clad man vanished further into the Forest. Once he was altogether gone, the rider glanced about him. I hope you know what you are doing. When there was no reply, he spurred his horse North. There was much to be done.

§              §            §

Feet searing with pain and legs throbbing, Todd stumbled once more through the endless Forest. He had been so sure that when his eyes opened, the previous night would have just been a nightmare. He would have woken in his own sheets and it would have been his sweat that drenched him, not icy rain. The reality that greeted him had shattered any illusions left that this was not real. Noises had been far more frequent today, as if the humming by that wall was not working properly to catch them all. He had at least gotten a break from the torrential rain, even though it was less than sunny. The mud was relentless, although slightly shallower. He no longer cared what he would find, or where he would end up when his legs finally gave way. Perhaps he would walk clear to the other end of the Forest and discover what lay on that side, if not more wall.
The scent of ash and smoke tickled his nostrils and Todd focused for the first time in hours. The fire from yesterday? Can it be that I finally am going in the right direction? Determined for for once since landing in the miserable Forest, Todd picked his feet up a little higher and strode toward the fire. He saw the house before he saw the fire. It was more accurate to call it a hut, since the only part that really resembled a house were the four walls and even they were only made of some kind of leather. The roof was thatched and looked like it might cave in at any second. But this wasn't the only hut. There had to be at least a dozen of them sitting here and there over an acre or two of a bit thinner forest. There was a larger building, constructed this time of stones, sitting off to the side with smoke billowing from a hole in the roof. Next to the large building sat a small thatched shed with a dozen or more goats huddled together to keep out the chilly wind. A well and a few trees sat in between all the buildings as if to symbolize some kind of village center. No grass grew in the circle that held the small village.

No one was in sight. Todd grabbed a fallen branch and held it up as he crept forward. If the inhabitants of the village turned out to be unfriendly, he wanted to be feel prepared, even if he was not. Several ridiculous scenarios played through his mind as he inched closer. What if they are like aliens? Or monstrous? Or dwarfs? He had read enough fairy tales to know that the hero often is turned into some creature. That was of course, if he was even a hero figure. It always had seemed to him that he was more the antagonist to his own life than the hero. Todd gripped the branch tighter. Just as he closed in on a wood pile at the back of the hut, someone came around the side and just about bumped into him. The stick slipped out of his stiff fingers in shock. The girl took one look at him, dropped the basket she were holding and gave a tiny shriek. Then the shockingly red-haired girl froze like a opossum in the headlights. She looked like she had dropped right out of the dark ages, wearing simply a burlap dress and a woven shawl. She glanced at the stick in his hands and stepped back. Relieved that she at least looked human, even if she was rather tall, Todd lowered his weapon. Words froze in his throat just long enough for the girl to turn around and disappear around the hut. Not sure whether he should follow, Todd stood stock still, heat pounding. Should I run while I have the chance? Raised voices were coming from inside the small building. It did not sound like English. Realizing he was defenseless, he grabbed for the only thing in sight. His fingers were just scraping the bark on the stick when the girl returned, accompanied by a massive red blond bearded man. Todd jumped up just as the man lunged at him. His move was too late as a rock came down on his head.

§              §            §

    A dull burning in his wrists woke him some time later. Pain had come back into his head with a thousand times more force. Oh please let me be in the orchard. Or a mental facility. At this point I don’t give a damn, I just want to be somewhere normal. However, Todd opened his eyes to find himself inside a small building he assumed was one of the leather huts. The burning on his wrists proved to be from a rough vine that enchained him to a small wooden table that looked as if one kick would crack it in two. Four cots were crammed on the side opposite him while a flimsy shelf made from sticks stood next to the table. A small clay oven sat in the corner next to him, various cooking instruments hanging from the wall next to it. Besides those utensils, the only objects in the minuscule house were what appeared to be clothes, bowls, and some objects that were foreign to Todd that sat on the shelf. A large candle sitting on the table was the only light.

The wind made the hut creak ominously and Todd jumped. When it held, he realized for the first time that the walls were actually made of woven beams that then had leather stretched over them. A gruff voice spoke out from the shadowy room. As before, it did not sound like English. Then the voice rang out once again, clearer this time and Todd realized it was actually English, just strangely accented and rather earthy and rich sounding. A third time the speaker called out, sounding impatient.
    "Are you one of them?" The voice was hard and merciless.
    Todd's head was still throbbing. The last thing he wanted was to be interrogated by some strangers in a even stranger Forest. However, the hardness of the man’s voice warned him that an answer could avoid more pain.
    "One of what?" Todd was surprised by the shakiness of his own vocals. His answer only seemed to make the interrogator even more on edge. The man stood up and stepped into the flickering light of the candle. It was his attacker from earlier. He was also clad in the burlap as that of the girl.
    "I will only ask once more. Are you one of them?" His voice was menacing this time.
      “No, I don’t think so. I don’t even know how I got here. Where am I?” Todd pleaded for the first time in his life. The man glowered at him. He had to be close to seven feet. His piercing blue eyes bored into his captive, as if trying to determine if he spoke the truth. Another figure stepped out of the shadows and Todd was surprised to see a woman even taller than the girl from before. He could not stop his blood from pounding as he gazed at her. She was the perfect image of natural beauty, from her flowing golden hair, to glistening hazel eyes. She reached an olive hand out to the man’s shoulder and whispered into his ear, needing only to tip her head to reach. The man frowned.
“My niece thinks you might be a deserter. Although I see little reason for one of them to desert. Even so, we can not take that chance. Are you?” He stepped closer still, towering over the crumpled captive. Blood pounded in his ears, but Todd struggled to remain calm. He had nothing to fear as he was not what they were looking for.
“No, I’m not. I swear I only arrived here yesterday. Like I said, I do not even know where I am.”
The man ‘humphed’ and the beautiful woman receded into the shadows.
“Alright then, stranger. Where did you come here from? You are in Korgan. The great Forest.” The way he said it sent tingles down Todd’s spine, as if he was trying to trap him. But the truth was the only weapon Todd had now.
“I came from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.”
The man squinted.
“I do not know that place.”
“It’s in America.”
Still the man looked confused.
“Earth?” Todd offered.
“Never heard of it. However it does not matter. Now I know you lie. There is no way to get to Korgan. The Barricade keeps anyone out. You must be a deserter. Janice, Take him to the storage hole till we decide what is to be done.” He turned away and the blond woman stepped toward Todd, knife in hand.
“Wait! I’m not lying. I just woke up in the middle of the Forest last night. I had been in Philly and then hit my head and was here! I swear it.” He was ashamed at how desperate his voice sounded. The woman named Janice stopped.
“Maybe we should listen to him, Uncle.”

He turned around, face red.

"This man could have killed my daughter and you want to listen to his lies? I’m guessing you will be wanting to give him what little water we have next.”

Janice glared at her Uncle.

   "Actually yes, that’s a good idea. It maybe the only way to get the real answers you want." She swiped a small wooden bowl off the table and brought it to Todd, signaling for him to drink. Todd was too preoccupied with the uncle. He would make him understand.

    "Yes, I’m telling the truth. My name is Todd Sanders. I woke up in the mud, smelled the fire from that stone building and tried to find it. Instead I ended up by this wall you call the Barricade. There was a weird humming that allowed me to hear all the noises of your Forest. I do not understand where I am, or how."
    The uncle breathed in deeply and pulled up a rough wooden stool that he then sat on. He gazed at Todd for a long moment. Todd looked away from his intense stare and noticed two more shapes emerging into the candle light. A middle aged woman and a teenage girl, surely the same fiery red head he had seen outside. He now noticed her dainty nose and blue eyes. The woman had curly brown hair, homely face,  and was slightly shorter than the rest. Even so, Todd felt as though he was among giants. Janice turned to the older woman and handed her the water.
“See if you can get him to drink, Mother. I need to spend some time outside.” Then she ducked out of the leather flap that served as a door. The mother came forward and this time Todd let her pour the water into his mouth. As the water poured cool into his parched throat, he realized it had more than a day since he had drank anything.
“Step away, Kora, I’m not finished after all.”
She did as she was told and seated herself on one of the other stools. The man leaned in.
“You say that you saw the Barricade? And witnessed the Gap? Where was it exactly that you woke up to begin with?”
Todd wracked his memory, trying to remember what seemed like days ago. Then it came to him, the scratched tree...
“I woke up underneath a tree with seventeen tally marks on it and some sort of backwards C symbol. Do you know it?”
The man’s blue eyes widened.
“The Tree of Years. Well it is clear you are not one of them, as they never venture near the Barricade and do not know of the Tree. May I ask what you heard when you stood in the Gap?” His tone softened considerably, to the point where Todd almost felt as if he was no longer in danger.
“At first I just heard birds and insects. But then I heard human noises. A yell, and then some crying. A girl I think. I heard it in what I think was the darkest part of the night.” The red haired girl stirred suddenly but neither her aunt nor father noticed. The large man gazed questioningly at Todd. Janice reentered, flushed. She hurried over to her uncle and gave him a meaningful look. He returned it and then glanced back to Todd, hand outstretched.
“Hubert.” When Todd did not shake, the man withdrew it, embarrassed that Todd remained bound. The younger girl crept forward tentatively and untied him. Then she smeared some strange orange paste on his raw wrists, along with the oozing bump on his forehead. Todd remained seated, confused about the sudden turn of events. Hubert offered his hand once again and they shook, then he pulled Todd to his feet.

“Alright, Toddsanders, we are going to try to figure you out. I will let you stay the night. I will give you time to prove that you are not an enemy to us. Do not leave my house. The other villagers will be even less accommodating than we. And if you truly are not one of them, and not one of us, they will want to kill you.”

Janice laid the bowl of water down and then handed Todd a small sliver of dried meat. It smelled a little off but she gave him nothing else. Todd wasn't quite starving enough to eat it, but he did drink most of the water to get rid of the strange dirt taste in his mouth. It appeared the negotiations were over. The rest of the family went about what Todd assumed was their normal evening routine. Hubert went outside while the women all gathered around the tiny table to work with a mortar and pestle. It appeared they were making more of the orange paste. Todd let his body sag against the wall, hoping that the pain would melt away if he allowed himself some rest. The burning in his wrists was quickly evaporating but the headache raged on. The women whispered back and forth for awhile, throwing furtive glances his way. Janice’s clear hazel eyes lingered longer than the others and her gaze met his eyes. She said nothing. She knows something about all of this. Her mother nudged her arm and Janice returned her attention to their work. They stopped murmuring and offered him no more glances. Nothing much else could be said for the rest of the night. After what seemed like hours, Todd finally succumbed to his exhaustion and fell asleep, slumped against the wall of the hut.