Chapter 2: Mirrors

As I stepped out of my room of a small hostel I had a breif overnight stay in, the air around the small lumber-mill town had seemed to change overnight. Like it had grown thicker, yet thinner at the same time. It had become alot colder then the previous day, and the small amount of sunlight from the previous day seemed blinding compared to the weather that day. The sky on this day was a dark, disturbing shade of ominous gray, overcast with a thick layer of coulds that was like a curtain hiding something truly destructive. The air gave a sense of something terrible hiding just beyond the dark clouds, waiting, watching. I closed the door of my room and returned my key to the front desk. Once I stepped outside again and lit up a cigarette, the clouds had seemed to sink several hundred feet during the short period I wasn’t paying attention. I remember that it was almost like I could reach up and grab some of it, and hold it in my hand. I imagined it being more like lead, having immense weight for its small size, like the small puff could kill someone if thrown at them. Truly it was amazing.
    Later I did realise though, that the sky was in fact sinking. The clouds were becoming a thick fog as I began to leave the town and venture more into the wild. I could barely see more then ten feet in front of me. The feeling of something terrible hiding just beyond my sight, lurking in the trees watching me with eyes that could penetrate the thick vapor better then mine, planning a way to attack me. I am, as I said earlier, not easily moved by any kind of feeling, but the dread of something watching me was almost unbearable. Like something could be standing right behind me and I could not know. Truly it was terrible.
    I had been traveling for about three hours before I stopped to rest. The impaired visibility had made my journey incredibly slow and painful. The air was thick and cold, which also wore out my breath and left what stamina I had in a small trail behind me, and a feeling of blood in my dry throat. Like the fog was wearing me down. I found a felled tree and removed my pack and leaned it against it, then sat down heavily onto it. I lit up a cigarette and looked around. It was like a bubble. It felt as if there was nothing around me, and it was just me there. With my pack and the log, smoking my cigarette. The air was so dense I could barely hear myself breathe; but for some reason I could hear my heart pounding in my throat. It was almost impossible to breathe, let alone smoke.
    I was sitting there for about ten to twenty minutes going through the paperwork I had to do in my head. All the things I had to do, had to manage when I would get home.  I had just stomped out my cigarette and was about to throw on my pack when I noticed something. I wasn’t alone. A shadow hovered just beyond the point of clarity; just in the corner of my eye. I could barely make it out. As quickly as I could look up, it had moved quickly and dissapeared back into the fog. My heart jumped as I saw this, and I nearly shreiked. I dropped my pack and stood completely still. Whatever it was could move very, very swiftly. I feared it was a large animal of some sort, like a bear. I held my breath for what seemed like hours, watching and waiting for something else to happen. my heart was pounding so hard in my chest I swear I thought it would burst out of my chest and run away in absolute fear. I really wanted to grab my pack and run back the way I came, but I didnt in fear I would run into a tree and get caught and mauled by whatever it was that whisped past me. It moved faster then anything I had seen before, and was relatively large. Surely if it was dangerous, it would kill me.
    But then something tapped me on my shoulder. I jumped and spun around, getting ready to run as quickly as possible, and bracing myself  for it to attack me. My adrenaline nearly gave me a heart attack.
    ...But then I stopped. Standing in front of me was not a dangerous animal...

I was staring myself dead in the eye.

Author's Note

Once again, spelling errors may be noticed; please alert me of them. Other input is appreciated as well.